Wenzhou, known for its developed private economy. As one of the economically important cities in the Changjiang River Delta, Wenzhou's advanced manufacturing industry is also advancing by leaps and bounds, especially the rapid rise of the laser industry. Especially in the last decade, Wenzhou has gradually developed into an important city in China's laser equipment industry, and has become one of China's laser intelligent equipment research and development and production agglomeration. 

Data show that Wenzhou has gathered 324 well-known laser-related enterprises such as Penta Laser, Jiatai Laser and Taihe Laser. According to Wenzhou's official statistics, the total industrial output value created by Wenzhou's laser and optoelectronic industry cluster in 2022 reached 76.3 billion yuan. This summer, a grand China Laser Intelligent Equipment Industry Summit held in Wenzhou, an advanced “Zhejiang Laser Intelligent Equipment Technology Innovation Center” was inaugurated, an area of 8.4 square kilometers of Wenzhou's new Optical Valley is waiting to be broken out of the nest ......

Today, Wenzhou is running wildly in the 100 billion laser industry track, is expected to quickly rise a “city of Laser”.

I. Affiliation with Lasers 

Trace the time point of Wenzhou and laser bonding, the earliest from the 80s of the last century.

That period, wenzhou laser industry, from the bridge button application laser marking began. Then, a part of the enterprise to see the business opportunities, turn to the production of laser marking machine, which has a certain industrial base and first-mover advantage.

After that, wenzhou laser over a period of time not huffing and puffing. Until 2013, wenzhou laser and optoelectronic industry officially listed as the first batch of national innovative industrial cluster construction cultivation object, into the development of the fast lane.

Since then, wenzhou laser cutting, welding, cladding and other technologies in electrical appliances, pumps and valves and other traditional industries with wide application, laser equipment industry continues to grow.With this “national” business card, Wenzhou began the global search for laser equipment quality enterprises to settle.

Seeing the determination of Wenzhou to develop the laser and optoelectronic industry, the president of Penta Laser (Zhejiang), Mr. Wu Jean-Da, came to Wenzhou with a team of 100 people and started the business in Wenzhou. And laser field experts Hu Jinfu and Yu Qinyue returned to Wenzhou from abroad, founded the Wenzhou anbo Laser Co. ......

After that, Wenzhou's laser industry ushered in the “high light moment”: the birth of a number of star enterprises - Penta laser, Jiatai laser, Taihe laser, Jiuheng photoelectric laser enterprises.

Data show that since 2013 to 2023, wenzhou has laser and photoelectric industry related enterprises has reached 324, the industry scale has reached 76.3 billion yuan.

At present, wenzhou laser equipment industry now covers laser epitaxial materials, components, lasers, laser processing equipment manufacturing, laser software development, application services in various industrial fields.

II. The laser “brain”
On June 17 this year, 2023 the first China laser intelligent equipment industry summit held in wenzhou, attracted Germany through the fast and other 7 foreign leading enterprises, sharp laser and other 9 listed companies, more than 20 top academicians and experts in the industry, there are more than 400 around the field of laser industry academicians and experts, academicians, scholars, gurus, and other guests to come.

In this summit, there is a heavy link - “Zhejiang Provincal Innovation Centre of Laser Intelligent Equipment Technology” was formally inaugurated, which is one of teh  technology innovation center of Zhejiang Province. 

This “provincial laser center”jointly constructed by eight units, including Shanghai Institute of Optical Machinery of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Penta Laser (Zhejiang), Zhejiang University of Technology, Wenzhou University.  

According to the positioning, the center will be based on industrial security and industry chain modernization. It will focus on three major fields, including high-power laser intelligent manufacturing technology, laser precision manufacturing technology, high-performance laser and optoelectronic device technology, and carry out strategic research and study on major key common technologies and leading-edge technologies. It will strive to build a world-advanced technology innovation platform for laser intelligent equipment, and provide key core technology services for enterprises in the laser intelligent equipment industry chain in Zhejiang and the whole country.

As the only provincial technology innovation center in Wenzhou, Zhejiang Provincal Innovation Centre of Laser Intelligent Equipment Technology also set up the “strongest brain” - Jihua Laboratory, the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhejiang Polytechnic University Laser Advanced Manufacturing Research Institute of experts as the center's chief scientist. Royal Academy of Engineering Li Lin, 17 laser equipment technology experts, industry chain technology experts, industry management experts for the Center Advisory Committee members.

III. “New Optical Valley”

“Gathering Laser into a valley, Laser shining city.” Wenzhou will also create a “new Optical valley”, which is the new goal and blueprint of Wenzhou “chasing light”.

It is reported that China (Wenzhou) New Optical Valley planning area of 8.4 square kilometers, the layout of “a core, two parks and two pieces” functional blocks. “A core” is relying on the Zhejiang Provincal Innovation Centre of Laser Intelligent Equipment Technology, to create technological innovation core. “Two parks” refers to the CLP Laser and Electronics Industrial Park to build an important laser industry gas pedal, and Wenzhou Marine Science and Technology Innovation Park linkage to create a new optical valley innovation elements of concentration.

“A center” is to rely on the industry-university-research service center and the surrounding service support, to build a comprehensive service center. The “two pieces” are the integration of production and education piece, high-end manufacturing piece.

According to the development plan of Wenzhou New Optical Valley: by 2030, the core laser industry scale exceeds 50 billion yuan, the number of high-tech enterprises in the field of laser and optoelectronics reaches more than 100, more than 6 high-level innovation platforms, the cumulative number of incubation of laser enterprises more than 50, and gather more than 1,200 various types of talent.

As a supporting policy, Wenzhou will also set up the first 3 billion yuan of laser and photoelectric industry development fund, the annual revenue for the first time exceeded 1 billion yuan of laser and photoelectric enterprises to give 3 million yuan of one-time incentives ......

Local government departments also from the establishment of industrial funds, encourage the application of the expansion, increase equipment investment, improve the intensity of research and development and other 10 aspects of efforts to create the development of laser and optoelectronic industry cluster optimal environment.

Source: Laserfair