Hubei Province plans to introduce and cultivate around 100 high-quality smart sensor enterprises. To seize the opportunity presented by the integration of "sensors and AI," Hubei recently released the "Action Plan for Accelerating the Integrated Development of the 'World Optic Valley' Sensor Industry Cluster (2026-2030)." It was announced at a press conference on the afternoon of March 2nd that Hubei aims, within five years, to achieve breakthroughs in 50 core technologies, develop 50 innovative products, and grow the industry's scale to 30 billion yuan, thereby driving related application industries to exceed 500 billion yuan.
Liu Liangbo, Deputy Director of the Hubei Provincial Department of Economy and Information Technology, stated that sensors are now widely used in industrial internet, intelligent equipment, and new energy vehicles, forming the core foundation for industrial digital and intelligent transformation. Hubei has gathered over 100 enterprises across the sensor industry chain, possessing global competitiveness in areas like infrared sensing and temperature sensing. Notably, Wuhan City has established a complete industrial chain covering design, manufacturing, packaging, testing, and system integration. Last year, Wuhan's sensor industry scale reached approximately 21 billion yuan, a 7% year-on-year increase.
Wuhan's sensor companies exhibit significant advantages in specific segments. For instance, Juwei Microelectronics ranks third globally and first in China in market share for time-of-flight sensors. Cubic Sensor And Instrument Co.,Ltd. holds the top global market share in laser PM sensors, exporting products to over 80 countries and regions. Wuhan Guide Infrared Co.,Ltd. is the sole domestic manufacturer capable of producing both cooled and uncooled infrared detectors. Huagong Tech Company Limited boasts a daily production capacity of 5 million sensors and commands about 70% of the global market share in temperature sensors.
The Action Plan specifies that Wuhan will support Wuhan Guide Infrared Co.,Ltd. in deepening its full industrial chain layout and accelerating expansion into the civilian market. Support will also be given to Huagong Tech Company Limited to focus on sensors for temperature, humidity, light, and rainfall, seizing opportunities from import substitution to increase market share. Cubic Sensor And Instrument Co.,Ltd. will be supported in expanding production capacity and broadening application scenarios into smart home appliances, automotive electronics, and healthcare.
Ma Xinqiang, Chairman of Huagong Tech Company Limited, expressed the company's focus on breakthroughs in high-end smart sensor technology. The strategy involves promoting integrated coordination of "robots + AMR + visual intelligence + MES" and deepening the application scope from "home appliances + automobiles" to "smart living + smart mobility + smart grid + photovoltaic storage + embodied intelligence." The company will also collaborate with upstream and downstream partners to tackle challenges in core components, achieving self-sufficiency from R&D to mass production and enhancing the resilience and security of the domestic sensor supply chain.
Zhou Guangyong, Deputy Director of the Wuhan East Lake High-tech Development Zone Management Committee, revealed that to meet the growth targets of the Action Plan, the zone will construct the "Optics Valley Smart Sensor Industrial Park." It will focus on cultivating and attracting enterprises in embodied intelligent robotics, low-altitude economy, intelligent connected vehicles, and future healthcare, deploying products like force sensors, flexible tactile sensors, high-performance inertial navigation sensors, and medical sensors. This initiative aims to upgrade the industry from mere "physical agglomeration" to "ecological integration."
"Talent is the core element for the sensor industry's breakthrough. The deep interdisciplinary nature of the field sets a high bar for talent," said Liu Huan, Deputy Dean of the School of Integrated Circuits at Huazhong University of Science and Technology. Addressing structural challenges such as "technical experts lacking market knowledge and market experts lacking process understanding," Wuhan established the Optics Valley Sensor Industry Innovation Alliance last September. This alliance aims to break down barriers between universities and enterprises, fostering collaborative efforts to build an interdisciplinary talent cultivation and practical training system for sensor technology. The approach includes appropriately expanding the pool of engineering masters and doctoral candidates to cultivate cross-domain, interdisciplinary talent, while also using various mechanisms and policies to attract high-level professionals in smart sensor technology from home and abroad, collectively enhancing independent innovation capabilities.