Editor’s Note:

In cooperation with www.sznews.com, Shenzhen Daily has opened a column focusing on the sci-tech innovation and development in the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone.

Chen Siqi

vankochensq@163.com

APPLE has announced plans to expand its applied research operations in China to further support its product manufacturing. This expansion includes the expansion of its existing research center in Shanghai and the launch of a new lab in Shenzhen, the California-based company said in a statement Tuesday.

It is worth mentioning that Shenzhen’s new lab is set to launch in the Shenzhen Park of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone (HTCZ), the HTCZ authority announced Wednesday. Positioned as Apple’s research center in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the lab’s main areas of focus include hardware development, intelligent manufacturing, and joint research and development with local suppliers. These efforts will enhance testing and research capabilities for products such as iPhones, iPads, and Apple Vision Pros.

The project will receive an investment of over 1 billion yuan (US$139 million) and have an R&D team consisting of over 1,000 high-end talent from home and abroad. The lab is expected to establish several sub-labs and joint R&D projects that will significantly influence China’s supply chains and smart manufacturing.

Moreover, Apple will deepen its cooperation with local companies to cultivate a complete industrial chain covering design, R&D, commercial transformation, and production for new products.

“We are proud of cultivating the Chinese market,” said Ge Yue, vice president of Apple and the company’s managing director of Greater China. Ge added that, “Every day, Apple’s team in China is making efforts to push forward innovation. This investment will deepen our commitment and support Apple in providing better products to customers.”

Apple has already set up research centers in Beijing, Shanghai, Suzhou, and Shenzhen. This expansion marks the company’s ongoing investment in China’s research and development. Over the past five years, Apple’s R&D teams in China have experienced significant growth and have played a crucial role in developing functions such as the portrait light effect and dark mode.

The relationship between HTCZ and Apple dates back to 2022. In the future, HTCZ will make every effort to support the new lab, subject to regulations, by opening “green channels” and assisting with facility construction and operation.

Work on the lab is ongoing and it is expected to be put into operation later this year.

As of now, the HTCZ has provided quality spaces for scientific research spanning 800,000 square meters, established 11 professional parks, gathered R&D centers from eight Fortune Global 500 companies, established eight national-level important scientific research platforms, and initiated over 160 high-end scientific research projects.