Technology
Beijing AI Ecosystem Builds Toward Expanded Model Output and Industry Scale
The capital's 2025 figures in core AI production and large language model registrations provide the base for continued development across its established tech clusters.
How we reported this
Beijing recorded more than 450 billion yuan in core AI industry output during 2025 while registering 241 large language models, the highest total for any city in China. These numbers come from the same year that placed the capital at the center of national AI activity with over 2,500 AI companies and nearly 40 AI unicorns.
The results matter now because Beijing already accounts for more than half of China's AI unicorns and operates the country's largest startup ecosystem, with 66 of the nation's 151 unicorns based locally. Sustained R&D investment growth above 6 percent annually since 2019 and a third-place ranking in the Global Innovation Hubs Index for four straight years give the sector a measurable platform for scaling new products and applications.
Zhongguancun Remains the Core Site for Next-Stage Work
Zhongguancun Science and Technology Park houses research centers from Baidu, JD.com and Microsoft. The district functions as the operational base for companies already producing large language models and related tools. Its concentration of established players supplies the infrastructure and talent pool that new developments will draw on in the immediate term.
Local activity continues to center on software development, data analysis and AI solution building. Firms in the park have driven the 2025 output total and the 241 registered models, creating a direct line from current capacity to the next round of industry releases.
Evidence of Scale Supports Further Growth
The 2025 output figure of more than 450 billion yuan and the 241-model count sit alongside the presence of 2,500 AI companies. These verified totals, reported through municipal records, show the volume already achieved and the headroom available as R&D spending keeps rising. No newer aggregate output number has been released, so the 2025 benchmark remains the clearest available measure of recent performance.
Companies operating from Zhongguancun and surrounding districts will determine the concrete products that follow. Job listings in AI engineering, cloud work and data roles indicate where immediate hiring supports those upcoming releases, though hiring volumes fluctuate with individual firm plans.