The stellar performance of innovative products from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area on Time magazine’s “Best Inventions of 2025” list highlights the region’s top-tier strength in the global tech landscape and its immense potential in the highly competitive consumer electronics sector, according to companies involved and industry experts.

Known as the “Oscars of the technology community”, the annual list, released on Friday, features the world’s most revolutionary innovations. This year, it includes 300 groundbreaking inventions along with 100 special mentions as supplementary recommendations.

Multiple products from Shenzhen companies and several firms incubated in Dongguan’s Songshan Lake High-Tech Zone have entered this year’s list, primarily from the consumer electronics sector.

They include telecommunication giant Huawei’s Pura 80 Ultra smartphone and Watch GT 6 Pro smartwatch; intelligent-device maker Transsion’s Tecno Megabook S14 — an iconic laptop that is oriented for overseas markets — and new energy vehicle leader BYD’s Seagull model.

Trendy tech products also captured international attention, including the Antigravity A1 drone camera developed by Insta360; the H2D 3D printer and modular toy ecosystem CyberBrick from Bambu Lab; and the X3 Pro AI glasses from Rayneo.

Four products from the Songshan Lake tech zone also made the list. In addition to intelligent cloth-sorting equipment, other products were developed by companies incubated at the zone’s XbotPark startup incubation base, including infrared hair dryer and home battery storage systems, and stringless guitars.

Other standout products from China selected this time included DeepSeek’s R1 large-language model, whose appearance was described by Time as the “shot heard ’round the world’ in AI circles”; and the Unitree’s R1 robot, which brings to life the humanoid robots imagined in science fiction.

Notable international products include Apple’s AirPod Pro 3, Nintendo’s Switch 2 game console, and NVIDIA’s DGX Spark workstation that empowers AI computing.

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Insta360 said that this year, its new product — the world’s first panoramic drone, the Antigravity AI — has been recognized in the highly competitive consumer electronics category, joining the ranks of industry leaders like Apple and Huawei. This achievement highlights how Chinese innovations in aerial technology are making their mark on the global stage.

Attracting significant global attention, the product was unveiled in August and is scheduled for release in January. Its launch is shifting drone camera’s role from a mere aerial photography tool to an immersive platform that can inspire creativity and broaden consumers’ horizons in image production, the company added.

Bambu Lab said that the two products featured on the list reflect the company’s multifaceted innovation approach. The H2D 3D printer, which can print as thin as 0.2 millimeters, could greatly lower the threshold of high-end manufacturing.

In the creative entertainment sector, the CyberBrick kits include modular and 3D-printable parts to build miniature, remote-controlled toys. They are well-suited for beginners in STEM learning, while also allowing advanced users to code for a personalized experience.

XbotPark credited the success of related firms to its strategy of nurturing industries with consumer-driven innovation and a new type of engineering education.

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Initiated by Li Zexiang, a professor from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and his team, the base has incubated over 80 hard tech companies, including six unicorns (startups with a valuation of at least $1 billion). It facilitated numerous enterprises in talent cultivation and startup creation, empowering them to become global leaders in niche markets.

XbotPark will adhere to this strategy to support the development of new quality productive forces and the upgrading of traditional industries.

William Wong Kam-fai, a Hong Kong legislator and engineering professor, said that the international recognition is especially noteworthy under the highly intense global tech competition. This underscores the success of involved companies’ outbound strategies and reflects advancements made under challenging circumstances. It is also a direct result of the Greater Bay Area’s sustained focus on technological innovation and increased investment in research and development.

He added that this year, products from some midsize and small tech firms in the region won acclaim, covering sectors like home devices, energy storage, and recycling, highlighting the immense potential for technology transformation.

Although Hong Kong’s products were not selected this time, recent international rankings showed that the Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou innovation cluster has risen to the top among global counterparts, while Hong Kong universities have further improved their standings in the global education landscape.

Building on Professor Li’s bid in establishing the XbotPark base in Dongguan, he looks forward to Hong Kong’s greater role in facilitating the Greater Bay Area’s new wave of innovation.

Zhou Mo contributed to the story.