Source: Laserfair.com  23^rd Oct 2026

As the wave of domestic substitution surges forward, light sources, components, and equipment are advancing in tandem, connecting the upstream, midstream, and downstream of the laser industry. From metal 3D printing equipment and core fiber laser components to high-speed InP laser chips that support AI computing power, Jiangsu’s laser industry is pooling its strengths around light and accelerating efforts to fill gaps and strengthen the supply chain.

Recently, Taicang in Suzhou, Xuyi in Huai’an, and Changzhou have seen the concentrated launch of major industrial projects in lasers, additive manufacturing, and optical chips. Covering core tracks such as metal additive manufacturing equipment, fiber lasers, and indium phosphide high-speed laser chips, the projects establish a multi-point presence across equipment, active components, and core computing light sources. They fill key gaps in the industrial chain, accelerate the push for self-reliance and controllability in high-end lasers and optoelectronic components, and build new momentum for advanced manufacturing in the Yangtze River Delta.

RMB 1 Billion in Taicang: BLT to Build East China Additive Manufacturing Headquarters

On October 20, the signing ceremony for Bright Laser Technologies Co., Ltd. (BLT)'s East China manufacturing base project was held in Suzhou. Wang Wei, Deputy Secretary of the Suzhou Municipal Party Committee and Mayor, met with Xue Lei, Chairman and General Manager of BLT, and the two sides jointly witnessed the signing.

The BLT East China manufacturing base will be located in the Taicang High-tech Zone, with a total investment of approximately RMB 1 billion and a total construction area of about 104,000 square meters. once the project is in place, BLT will register and establish a wholly owned subsidiary locally as its East China headquarters, providing East China customers with metal additive manufacturing equipment delivery and customized printing services.

Wang Wei congratulated BLT on the project. He noted that additive manufacturing is a frontier track in high-end equipment manufacturing and a key emerging industry direction that Suzhou is cultivating. He expressed hope that BLT will continue to deepen cooperation in technological innovation, industrial collaboration, and commercialization of research outcomes, attract high-end industrial factors to Suzhou, and achieve mutual benefit and win-win results. Xue Lei said BLT will leverage its full supply chain advantages to build the base to high standards, drive upstream and downstream clustering, and support the upgrading of high-end manufacturing in Suzhou.

Annual Capacity of 1.5 Million Units: Xuyi, Huai'an Welcomes Fiber Laser and Optical Module Project

Also in Jiangsu, a project with an annual capacity of 1.5 million fiber lasers and optical modules was officially signed and settled in Xuyi, Huai'an, in recent days. The project was founded by a professor team from a Project 985 university in China, with core members from the State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices. The team has more than two decades of deep expertise in single-frequency fiber laser materials and devices and is a leading force in the global single-frequency fiber laser field.

The project plans to add 80 sets of optoelectronic device production equipment and will focus on the R&D, production, and sales of high-end fiber lasers. Its products are core active components upstream in the optoelectronics industry and can serve scenarios including laser processing, sensing, medical equipment, instrument testing, and optical fiber communications, with wide applications in marine exploration, aerospace, high-speed rail, oil and gas exploration, and smart grids. once the project is completed and reaches full capacity, it is expected to generate annual invoiced sales of RMB 100 million.

Leveraging the project, Xuyi will simultaneously plan and build a pilot-scale optoelectronics industry base, establish a joint research platform integrating industry, academia, and research, attract high-end optoelectronic talent, and drive the local optoelectronics industry from midstream assembly and processing toward higher-value-added upstream core components. The project will become an important anchor for Xuyi's supply-chain-based investment promotion in the optoelectronics industry.

RMB 5 Billion in Changzhou: Vertilite's Indium Phosphide Optical Chip base Lands in Changzhou

As early as August 11 this year, the signing ceremony for Vertilite's high-end optical communications chip and device R&D and manufacturing base was held in Changzhou. Li Baiping, Secretary of the Changzhou Municipal Party Committee, Zhou Wei, Deputy Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee and Mayor, and Zhao Li, Chairman of Vertilite, and Chen Xiaochi, General Manager, jointly witnessed the signing.

Since settling in the Wujin National High-tech Zone in 2018, Vertilite has continued to achieve technological breakthroughs in compound semiconductors such as VCSEL chips, laying a solid foundation for Changzhou's integrated circuit industry. According to Zhao Li, Chairman of Vertilite, this signing marks an important milestone in the company's development. The new project focuses on the R&D and large-scale mass production of high-end indium phosphide laser chips, with the goal of building a domestically leading, technologically first-class optical chip R&D and manufacturing base. The company will seize industry opportunities, continue to increase R&D investment, accelerate industrialization, attract and cultivate high-end talent, and empower local industrial development.

Vertilite owns full-process independent intellectual property rights and is one of the few IDM companies in China that has achieved mass production of both gallium arsenide and indium phosphide optical chips. Its products cover three major directions: consumer electronics 3D sensing, automotive-grade lidar, and AI high-speed optical communications. The project involves a total investment of approximately RMB 5 billion, with a focus on building an indium phosphide high-end laser chip production line. It directly addresses the shortage of core light sources for high-speed optical communications and supports the domestic substitution of optical communications chips in China.

Three Cities, Complementary Roles: Jiangsu’s Laser Industry Cluster Takes Shape

The three major projects focus on different tracks and complement one another, covering distinct value segments of the laser industry. Taicang focuses on metal 3D printing equipment and additive manufacturing services, empowering aerospace and high-end equipment. Xuyi concentrates on upstream components for single-frequency fiber lasers, strengthening the foundation of the optoelectronics industry. Changzhou leverages Vertilite’s IDM capabilities to tackle indium phosphide high-speed optical chips, directly addressing the core bottleneck in optical communications for AI computing.

The successive landing of a series of chain-leader hard-tech projects shows that Jiangsu’s laser and optoelectronics industry is shifting from single-project investment attraction to cultivating a full-industry-chain ecosystem, continuously clearing bottlenecks along the supply chain.

A single beam of light connects equipment, components, and chips. From additive manufacturing to fiber lasers and then to optical chips for computing power, the project layout across three Jiangsu cities is a microcosm of China’s laser industry strengthening and completing its supply chain.

As domestic substitution enters deeper waters, with coordinated breakthroughs in light sources, components, and equipment, the progress of these projects through construction and production will be worth continued industry attention.