On September 10, the groundbreaking ceremony for the Guangzhou AI Glasses Industrial Park and the ZEISS Optics Town took place in the China-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City (CSGKC) in Huangpu District, Guangzhou. The event saw the realization of three key milestones: the launch of Phase I construction for ZEISS Optics Town, the unveiling of the development plan for the Guangzhou AI Glasses Industrial Park, and the signing of strategic cooperation agreements. These developments mark a pivotal step for Guangzhou’s Huangpu District toward building an ecosystem and achieving large-scale growth in the burgeoning smart glasses industry.

Located within the CSGKC, the Guangzhou AI Glasses Industrial Park covers a planned area of approximately 2.1 square kilometers. It is one of Guangzhou’s 25 major industrial clusters and the only one in the city with smart glasses as its leading industry. As a key component of the industrial park, ZEISS Optics Town is set to become a world-class benchmark for the smart glasses industry upon completion, focusing on businesses related to next-generation smart glasses technologies such as AR, VR, MR, and XR.

Groundbreaking Ceremony

Construction Officially Begins on Phase I of the ZEISS Optics Town

Completing the Full Smart Eyewear Value Chain

Construction on Phase I of the ZEISS Optics Town—which was unveiled this past April—officially commenced during this event. As a core component of the Guangzhou AI Eyewear Industrial Park, the project is situated at a key node along the "Vitality and Innovation Axis" of the China-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City. It occupies a planned land area of over 25,000 square meters, with a planned gross floor area (subject to plot ratio calculations) of approximately 54,000 square meters.

Leveraging the smart manufacturing capabilities of the ZEISS Optics Guangzhou manufacturing base—previously recognized as a "Global Lighthouse Factory"—the completed Phase I project will establish a world-class benchmark park for the smart eyewear industry. Integrating high-precision manufacturing, R&D offices, and eco-friendly supporting facilities, it will serve as a new strategic hub for ZEISS’s future-oriented smart optics business.

Plan Released for Guangzhou AI Smart Glasses Industrial Park

Zeiss Vision Care’s product portfolio spans multiple sectors—including myopia management lenses for youth, functional lenses for adults across various scenarios, professional outdoor sports eyewear, precision optometry equipment, and eye health consumer products—thereby establishing a comprehensive ecosystem for the optometry and eye health industry.

As artificial intelligence and near-eye display technologies deeply converge, Zeiss is extending its technological expertise into the innovative field of smart glasses. Leveraging its profound capabilities in precision optics, optical modules, and near-eye display technology, the company is establishing an XRX production base dedicated to the R&D, testing, and mass production of core products such as smart glass lenses.

Yang Xiaoguang, Chairman and President of Zeiss Vision Care China, noted that the Zeiss Vision Care Town is not merely a standard industrial park, but an open innovation ecosystem platform designed for the future smart glasses industry. Moving forward, Zeiss aims to leverage its role as a "chain leader" enterprise. Taking Guangzhou’s "Global Lighthouse Factory" smart manufacturing capabilities as a benchmark, the company will unite upstream and downstream industry partners, research institutions, and innovative enterprises. By fostering collaboration across the entire smart glasses value chain—from core technology R&D and key component manufacturing to end-use application scenarios—Zeiss seeks to help Guangzhou establish itself as a globally influential hub for smart glasses innovation.

Construction Begins on Guangzhou AI Glasses Industrial Park and ZEISS Optics Town

Officials from the Guangzhou Development Zone stated that the zone will continue to empower ZEISS’s deep-rooted development by providing a premier business environment. By deepening cooperation across optics, AI, and healthcare, the government and the enterprise will join forces to build a global innovation hub for the smart optics industry.

2.1-Square-Kilometer Industrial Blueprint Unveiled

Guangzhou AI Glasses Industrial Park Officially Launches

At the event, the master plan for the Guangzhou AI Glasses Industrial Park was officially released, marking another key initiative in Guangzhou’s strategic layout for future industries.

Representatives from Knowledge City (Guangzhou) Investment Group Co., Ltd. explained that the park will leverage the industrial foundation of the ZEISS Lighthouse Factory and ZEISS Optics Town. It will feature key functional zones—including ZEISS Optics Town, Jiufu Plaza, a smart glasses intelligent manufacturing center, industrial facilities for key components, a spatial intelligence innovation park, and a base for smart glasses applications and content. Centered on the smart glasses industry chain, the park will focus on four strategic areas: core technology R&D, high-end equipment manufacturing, industrial service platforms, and application scenario innovation. The goal is to build a comprehensive industrial ecosystem covering R&D, technology commercialization, advanced manufacturing, industrial services, and market applications.

According to the plan, the industrial park will be located in the core area of the China-Singapore Knowledge City. With over 60% of its industrial space dedicated to R&D and high-end manufacturing, it aims to become a leading national innovation hub for smart glasses, attracting enterprises across the AR/VR/AI glasses supply chain—such as those specializing in optical waveguides, optomechanical modules, core lenses, and complete smart devices.

Simultaneously, Huangpu District will accelerate the development of manufacturing, assembly, testing, and support sectors for smart glasses materials, sensors, core components, and complete devices at the Kaitou Zhixing Industrial Park in the Science City area. This strategy aims to create a synergistic industrial layout linking the Knowledge City and Science City zones.

Signing Ceremony

At the event, Knowledge City Group and ZEISS Vision Care reached a strategic cooperation agreement. The two parties will deepen collaboration across multiple dimensions—including the joint development of industrial facilities, the introduction of ecosystem enterprises, and collaborative technological innovation—to inject sustained momentum into the development of the industrial cluster.

Solid Industrial Foundation and Robust Growth

Huangpu Seizes New Opportunities in the Smart Eyewear Industry

To date, Huangpu has gathered 26 key enterprises within the smart eyewear industry chain. This lineup includes one national-level "Single Champion" enterprise in manufacturing, six national-level "Little Giant" enterprises (recognized for specialization, refinement, uniqueness, and innovation), and 12 provincial-level specialized and innovative enterprises, demonstrating remarkable success in building a tiered industrial structure. In terms of scale, the district's smart eyewear industry reached approximately RMB 3.8 billion in 2025 (a year-on-year increase of 24.7%) and approximately RMB 2.2 billion in the first half of 2026 (a year-on-year increase of 15.2%), reflecting a sustained, strong growth trajectory.

Regarding the industry chain structure, Huangpu District has established a favorable development landscape characterized by robust upstream hardware and software supply, distinctive midstream terminal manufacturing capabilities, and expansive downstream application scenarios.

Rendering of the Zeiss Optics Town plan

The upstream segment gathers enterprises in key fields such as core chips, optical materials, and display components. Beyond Zeiss Optics, Guangna Siwei focuses on the R&D and production of diffractive optical elements and materials, having successfully overcome core technical challenges in micro-nano photonics. Ankai Microelectronics, a STAR Market-listed chip company, specializes in the R&D and design of core SoC chips for IoT smart hardware and possesses industry-leading ISP image processing capabilities. Nika Optics is the first domestic optical enterprise to achieve full-stack independent R&D and large-scale mass production of volume holographic grating waveguide components, mastering the full-stack independent production technology for photoresists dedicated to AR displays.

The midstream segment—focused on terminal device manufacturing—has established differentiated product advantages. Yiwen Technology, a leader in AI glasses, possesses full-chain R&D and production capabilities; its self-developed AR glasses, the "Even G2," weigh only 36g and have gained widespread recognition in overseas markets for their exceptional lightweight design. Gudong Technology is the only domestic enterprise to master the full spectrum of technologies for both 2D full-color array optical waveguides and volume holographic optical waveguides, boasting full-chain capabilities spanning optical modules, optical materials, and the design and manufacture of complete devices.

The downstream application sector spans diverse fields such as consumer entertainment, smart navigation, industrial manufacturing, and healthcare; this diversified market demand provides ample room for the industry's sustained growth.

Moving forward, Huangpu District will leverage leading enterprises—such as Zeiss, Yiwen Technology, and Gudong Technology—as key drivers to specifically attract upstream and downstream supporting projects and ecosystem partners. The district will concentrate resources on tackling core technical challenges, striving for breakthroughs in specialized scenarios such as "smart glasses + entertainment/consumption," "smart glasses + biomedicine," and "smart glasses + industrial manufacturing." By fostering efficient cross-industry collaboration and deep integration, the district aims to translate technological innovations in the smart glasses sector into practical applications that benefit both industrial development and public well-being.

Text by Reporter Lu Jiazhen; Liaison: Zheng Jiajun; Photos by Li Jianfeng