Tech Drivers in the Greater Bay Area

By Elsbeth van Paridon

Following the latest detection of locally transmitted cases of the new Delta variant of the coronavirus in Guangdong Province， Guangzhou， the provincial capital with over 18 million people， has reported more than 130 confirmed infections since May 21. The citys worst-hit Liwan District has imposed strict lockdowns on certain streets. Several other areas are not letting people in or out of certain zones and residents are not allowed to leave their buildings. A number of 24/7 checkpoints have been set up to monitor movement in and out of these areas.

With the new lockdowns， comes the necessity for the swift supply of daily basics， offering artificial intelligence （AI） the opportunity to take on some social responsibility. Guangzhou-based autonomous driving company WeRide dispatched its driverless fleet， composed of both sedans and minibuses， volunteering to provide many of those in lockdown with their daily necessities， eliminating the risk of jeopardizing delivery staffs health， Jackson Lam， Director of WeRides International Development， told Beijing Review.

On June 4， the fleet kicked off its driverless mission by delivering food， daily necessities， baby formula， and medicine to those in lockdown. A total of 279 consignments were completed on June 6.

Competitive edge

Founded in 2017， WeRide was officially granted the permit for ride-hailing operation on February 9， becoming Chinas first autonomous driving company with this qualification. Its rapid development is largely attributable to the favorable climate for entrepreneurship in the greater bay area （GBA） in the Pearl River Delta， where huge investment is directed to development， infrastructure， and facilities that can support considerable growth in technology capabilities.

The GBA spreads across nine cities in the mainland province of Guangdong and Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions. It has a population of 70 million people and is expected to be home to 100 million by 2035. In the last few years， it has become an economically successful region that is attracting talented engineers as well as significant amounts of investment. According to Chinas 14th Five-Year Plan （2021-25）， the area is an important part of the national economic development strategy.

The potential of this mega-region is unparalleled. Not only does the GBA account for 13 percent of Chinas economy with just 5 percent of the countrys total population and less than 1 percent of its total land area， but its also the bay area with the fastest growing economy in the world， according to CTB Research.