Current Market Development and Investment Prospects of AI Industrial Quality Inspection Industry
-
AI industrial quality inspection refers to the activity of conducting quality checks on industrial products using artificial intelligence technology with the support of relevant hardware and software systems. Currently, AI industrial quality inspection specifically denotes computer vision-based industrial product quality inspection using deep learning algorithms, which has become an industry consensus. AI industrial quality inspection has emerged as a critical breakthrough scenario for the manufacturing sector's transition from digitalization to intelligence, playing a significant role in advancing smart manufacturing and the digital transformation of industrial enterprises.
In the long run, as technology matures and the market becomes more segmented, the market landscape is bound to change, with an increasing number of new entrants joining the field, while existing players will strive to expand their advantages.
Current Market Development and Investment Prospects of AI Industrial Quality Inspection Industry
With the assistance of AI-powered products, photovoltaic companies can complete component inspection processes with minimal manpower while improving efficiency and quality. As a result, AI inspection has gradually become an essential tool for cost reduction and efficiency improvement in the industry. To date, approximately 40% of the global photovoltaic module production capacity of major manufacturers utilizes Optai's photovoltaic module inspection equipment, and its AI-powered inspection system has been widely implemented.
At present, industries in China that have achieved large-scale adoption of AI quality inspection are primarily concentrated in four sectors: raw materials, automotive, 3C, and consumer goods. The scalability and replicability of AI quality inspection applications have rapidly driven market growth. In terms of product supply, solutions are still predominantly tailored for industrial manufacturers, with customized integrated equipment and comprehensive inspection systems developed based on specific requirements.
In the realm of AI empowering the real economy, Shanghai possesses unique industrial advantages. Chen Haibo, founder and chairman of DeepBlue Technology, noted that Shanghai boasts a concentration of international AI talent, abundant application scenarios, and strong government support for industrial development, making it a promising hub for AI innovation. However, he also emphasized that as a foundational technology with disruptive potential, developing the underlying architecture of AI is more challenging than creating applications, and technological R&D remains the cornerstone for AI enterprises. This implies that AI-driven companies still face significant R&D investment pressures.
As one of Shanghai's three leading industries, the AI sector is rapidly expanding. Currently, Shanghai is home to 350 large-scale AI enterprises with an output value exceeding 380 billion yuan, nearly triple the figure from five years ago. Behind these numbers, an increasing number of AI companies are scaling up and commercializing their operations, while more specialized AI application scenarios are being developed in Shanghai.
According to the latest IDC research report, the industrial AI quality inspection market has garnered widespread attention in recent years, attracting numerous suppliers. The report indicates that the industrial AI quality inspection solutions market grew by 27.4% year-on-year in 2022, with suppliers further differentiating themselves to seek competitive advantages. As the impact of the pandemic subsides, industrial AI quality inspection is expected to maintain rapid growth in mature scenarios over the coming years. However, downturns in downstream industries may also affect demand growth. Under these dual influences, IDC predicts a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 33% for China's industrial AI quality inspection market (including hardware) from 2022 to 2026, reaching a total market size of $1.335 billion by 2026.
Trends in AI Industrial Quality Inspection
Manufacturing has long been regarded as a pillar of the national economy, and industrial internet technology is seen as a key driver of its transformation. Meanwhile, as the long-tail demands of industrial manufacturing become increasingly diverse, traditional methods can no longer meet enterprise needs, making the upgrade of solutions like industrial quality inspection an inevitable trend.
China is currently at a critical juncture of economic quality and efficiency improvement, with the government actively promoting the digital and intelligent transformation of the manufacturing sector. At this stage, mature intelligent applications in the industrial field will inevitably be adopted by numerous enterprises, and AI industrial quality inspection technology is an excellent choice. In the future, AI quality inspection providers will need to consolidate their strengths, achieve large-scale replication of AI inspection scenarios, and contribute to the intelligent and digital upgrade of industries.
Market Landscape of the AI Industrial Quality Inspection Industry
In 2022, leading vendors focused more on deepening their expertise in specific industries and scenarios where they had experience and established presence. By scaling their solutions in these niches, they achieved significant revenue growth, leading to more pronounced differentiation among competitors. Baidu Intelligent Cloud, Innovation奇智, Tencent Cloud, Weizhi智造, and Aqrose Technology emerged as leaders in their respective market segments.
Cloud service providers, AI inspection innovation companies, and machine vision software companies have been early participants and have accumulated experience in the market. Additionally, five other types of manufacturers—industrial internet platform service providers, machine vision inspection equipment suppliers, comprehensive AI enterprises, industrial control automation companies, and communication operators—are also increasing their investments to enter the market.