Two factories in Pingshan District have been recognized as 5G factories by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, according to a list released by the ministry. The list includes 560 projects across 48 sectors, including manufacturing, mining, energy, and light industry.

Guangdong Province features 49 projects on the list, with Shenzhen accounting for 10. The two Pingshan entrants are the Hepalink Pingshan 5G Digital Intelligent Factory and the HiteVision 5G Factory.

The ministry defines a 5G factory as a production site — new or retrofitted — that leverages next-generation information technologies led by 5G, supported by industrial internet infrastructure. Such factories are expected to deliver broad connectivity across production units, deep IT/OT integration, full use of data, and rapid deployment of innovative applications.

In recent years, following national guidance such as the “5G Fully Connected Factory Construction Guide,” various places in the country have accelerated implementation of “5G + industrial internet” projects.

At Hepalink’s Pingshan facility, 5G connectivity underpins advanced enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems to sync order, procurement, and inventory data in real time. The plant also coordinates more than 10,000 storage locations with automated guided vehicles (AGVs) and a warehouse management system (WMS) to achieve automated logistics scheduling.

Industry observers say designation as a 5G factory signals short-term efficiency gains and cost reductions, medium-term competitiveness and greater influence within supply chains, and long-term access to the global digital economy.

For Shenzhen, the growing number of 5G factories underscores the city’s push to strengthen its industrial base and lead the digital economy, driving high‑quality economic growth.