WITH its vibrant manufacturing sector and strong foreign trade, Dongguan in southern China’s Guangdong Province is known as the “world factory.”

The city, with its gross domestic product (GDP) topping 1 trillion yuan (US$140.62 billion), has been forging ahead with high-tech, new energy and originality, other than a stereotype as a massive contract factory for mobile phones and garments only.

A world-class sci-tech project, the China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS), is based in the city. Over 1,000 research tasks have been tackled since it started in August 2018.

Chen Hesheng, general director of the CSNS and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said that a spallation neutron source is like a super microscope to help study the microstructure of some material.

“This function could find out, for example, when the parts of high-speed trains should change to avoid accidents caused by fatigue of materials,” he said.

Chen said the transformation of CSNS achievements to practical use is underway. For now, the second phase of CSNS is under construction and the cooperation between the CSNS and high-level colleges and institutes is accelerating to build scientific research instruments.

Chen considered the CSNS the most significant infrastructure for the comprehensive national science center in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Founded in 2010, Greenway Technology is a leading manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries for micro-mobility and energy storage applications such as electric bikes, electric motorcycles, drones, intelligent robots and sound equipment.

With clients in over 80 countries and regions, Greenway has invested nearly 260 million yuan in research and development in the recent three years to secure its competitiveness in the new energy market.

Thanks to early-stage planning and quick response, the company has rapidly grown and maintained a 20% share of the European market, said Liu Cong, Greenway’s vice president.

According to official statistics, Dongguan’s new energy industry saw revenues up 11.3% year on year to 66.73 billion yuan in 2022.

The local government has coordinated policies and funds to build a strategic base for emerging industries, including energy storage, new energy vehicles, parts, semiconductors and integrated circuits, said Liang Yangyang, chief economist of Dongguan’s industry and information technology bureau.

Dongguan also attaches great importance to manufacturing, which contributes to over half of the city’s GDP.

As one of the city’s industrial pillars, toy manufacturing has over 4,000 manufacturers and nearly 1,500 supporting firms. Among them, ToyCity is a pioneer in exploring paths for more brand power and added value.

Originality is the key to the company’s success, said Zheng Bo, ToyCity’s founder. (Xinhua)