Not long ago, 3D printing was a time-consuming novelty for a niche circle of geeks. Today, in Shenzhen—the "City of Innovation"—the deep integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and 3D printing has taken the technology from a niche hobby to the global mass market.
Today, for every 10 consumer 3D printers sold worldwide, 9 come from Shenzhen; and one in every four consumer 3D printers sold across China is made in Longhua, Shenzhen.
Bambu Lab, Creality, Elegoo and Anycubic—the four companies widely recognized as the "Four Little Dragons" of consumer 3D printing—are all rooted in Shenzhen, and have captured about 90 percent of the global market.
In the traditional model, the pre-print modeling required manual, point-by-point adjustments, and the printing process had to be watched over by dedicated staff—a labor-intensive approach that made faults hard to catch in time.
Today, with AI deeply empowering the technology, the whole 3D printing experience is being reshaped at speed. Upload a single image and you can generate a printable 3D model with one click. Equipped with an AI vision system, the devices monitor the entire printing process in real time, automatically alerting you to anomalies such as stringing, filament runout or warping.
The confidence of Shenzhen's rising companies in leading the global market comes from a supply-chain advantage unique to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area—every key component can be sourced within a two-hour drive, and the whole loop from design to trial production iterates quickly, pulling professional machines that once cost thousands of dollars down to prices ordinary consumers can afford.
At the interactive experience zone of the 32nd APEC Small and Medium Enterprises Ministerial Meeting, Guangdong's 3D printing equipment was showcased, drawing praise from guests across APEC member economies. In the first half of 2026, Guangdong's 3D printer output grew 51.8 percent year on year, and APEC economies remain a key overseas market for Guangdong's 3D printers.
Each AI-powered 3D printer is both a vivid reflection of the strength of Guangdong's smart manufacturing and a living link that connects the Asia-Pacific industrial chain and builds a shared network of innovation and collaboration. From unbeatable cost-performance to the cutting edge of technology, Guangdong companies are empowering 3D printing with AI and racing toward a broader horizon.
Editor's Note:
From November 18–19 this year, Shenzhen will host the 33rd APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting—China's most important home-hosted diplomatic event of the year, held in the opening year of the country's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–2030). With 30 days to go before the meeting begins, Nanfang Daily, Nanfang Plus and South are launching "Amazing Guangdong at APEC," a short-video column that innovates its narrative and communication approach, telling the stories behind the "Made in Guangdong" products flying off the shelves across APEC economies on multiple platforms both at home and abroad.
The column showcases Guangdong's innovation ecosystem, industrial heritage, openness and vitality—a window onto the "hard power" of the region's ten trillion-yuan industrial clusters—while continuously strengthening the effectiveness of international communication and underscoring China's resolve to advance high-standard opening-up and share development opportunities with the world. Stay tuned.
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Main Creators | Li Qian, Guan Xiruyi, Chen Rongwei, Gong Chunhui
Revisors | Wei Shen, Huang Qini, Liu Lingzhi
