On January 10, the Zhongshan R&D and Industrialization Base of Shenzhen Shengda Tongze Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Shengda Tongze") officially broke ground in the Zhongshan Torch High-Tech Industrial Development Zone.

The project boasts a total investment of 1.5 billion yuan and spans a construction area of 82,000 square meters. It envisions the construction of comprehensive facilities, encompassing industrial plants, office buildings, and dormitory buildings, all outfitted with cutting-edge production lines. Upon completion, it is projected to achieve an annual production capacity of 1,500 ophthalmic examination devices and 1.5 million pairs of myopia prevention and control glasses.

What sort of company is this? Why is it able to invest 1.5 billion yuan in production capacity expansion? What are its background and strengths?

Founded in November 2016, Shengda Tongze specializes in providing solutions for ophthalmic optics, fundus, and chronic disease management. Its primary focus lies in the R&D, manufacturing, and promotion of high-end medical equipment pertinent to eye health. As a nationally recognized specialized and sophisticated "Little Giant" enterprise and a high-tech enterprise, it has been designated as the Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Computational Optics and Medical Equipment.

Since its inception, Shengda Tongze has embraced innovation as the cornerstone of its development strategy, allocating over 15% of its annual revenue to R&D and holding over 100 intellectual property rights. Thanks to its outstanding innovative technology, Shengda Tongze's core products have been successively included in the "First (Set) of Major Technical Equipment Promotion and Application Guide Catalog (2019 Edition)" by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the Guangdong Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology, the "First (Set) of Major Technical Equipment Promotion and Application Guide Catalog (2020 Edition)" by the Shenzhen Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology, the "Shenzhen Innovative Product Promotion and Application Catalog," and the "Excellent Domestic Medical Equipment Catalog" by the China Association of Medical Equipment. It has also garnered numerous accolades, including the "Innovative Technology and Product Award" from the Ophthalmology Committee of the China Association of Medical Equipment, the "Silver Award for Invention and Entrepreneurship Project" at the National Invention Exhibition by the China Invention Association, and the "Top Ten Advances in Ophthalmology in China."

Recently, Shengda Tongze also introduced the world's first AI smart glasses tailored for children and adolescents—the "Siwen" AI Smart Glasses, which are designed to meet the practical needs of adolescents during their growth. Developed in collaboration with a leading global ICT solution provider and a cloud computing service provider, the product features an AI brain built on an industry-leading cloud computing architecture, enabling cloud-based data storage and intelligent processing. By leveraging cloud computing power, it ensures the device's lightweight design while providing robust intelligent support. With an innovative model of "one brain + four functions + three-party linkage," it constructs a comprehensive growth solution covering all scenarios of adolescents' learning, safety, and health.

Based on the aforementioned solid technological foundation and market recognition, Shengda Tongze's ambitious investment in the Zhongshan Base transcends mere production capacity expansion. The project aims to establish Shengda Tongze's Precision Optical Equipment and Optical Lens R&D and Industrialization Base, which will evolve into an innovative medical product R&D hub, an eye health big data demonstration center, and a national-level precision optical R&D laboratory. It strives to create a comprehensive base that encompasses the entire industrial chain, from advanced medical equipment and precision optical devices to optical lenses.

In essence, Shengda Tongze's bold decision to invest 1.5 billion yuan in production expansion is rooted in its strategic positioning within the lucrative ophthalmology sector and its formidable technological prowess. For optical enterprises, it is imperative to avoid being ensnared in low-value-added, homogeneous competition for general optical components. Instead, they should emulate Shengda Tongze by venturing into high-barrier, high-value-added sectors such as "optics + medical." They should actively seek integration points between optical technology and emerging industries like healthcare, autonomous driving, industrial inspection, and the metaverse, establish or integrate algorithm and software teams, and cultivate integrated R&D capabilities encompassing "optics, mechanics, electronics, computation, and software" to erect competitive barriers.

The future core competitiveness of optical enterprises hinges on a blend of precision manufacturing capabilities, cross-disciplinary integration skills, industrial niche selection, and capital operation acumen. They must foster a market and value-oriented mindset centered on "solving significant problems" and execute a full-chain layout from technology to commerce in the most promising sectors.