A four-day international lighting fair ended on Saturday in Guzhen township of Zhongshan, Guangdong province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The lighting hub of Guzhen township in Zhongshan, Guangdong province, is working to sharpen its competitive edge with a new AI-driven industry platform.

The platform was introduced during an international lighting fair in the township, framed as a tool to streamline research, design, marketing, and service functions across local manufacturers. It is built on a self-developed vertical AI model and is meant to integrate real-time data across the supply chain. Local officials presented it as a collaborative effort involving the township government, telecom firms, and lighting companies.

A four-day international lighting fair ended on Saturday in Guzhen township of Zhongshan, Guangdong province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Guzhen's lighting sector remains large by any standard. Local government figures say the township accounts for 70 percent of the domestic market and roughly half of the global one. Zhongshan's lighting output exceeds 100 billion yuan (about $14 billion) each year, reaching buyers in more than 180 countries and regions. China's total export value of lighting products reached $34.4 billion in the first eight months of this year.

"China's lighting industry is currently a crucial hub and supply chain center for the global lighting market," said Liu Shengping, executive chairman of the China Association of Lighting Industry.

"We will focus on developing smart lighting, cross-border e-commerce, and ceramic lighting fixtures to lead the lighting industry towards greater intelligence and sustainability," said Huang Xianlong, deputy Party chief of Guzhen.