Luzhou Builds Additive Manufacturing Hub for Aerospace Industry

Luzhou, a traditional industrial center in Sichuan Province, is building an additive manufacturing cluster focused on advanced aerospace applications. Following state-level technology initiatives dating back to 2016, the city established municipal state-owned aviation investment entities and partnered with state-owned defense contractor China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC). Anchored by local firm Luzhou Hanfei Aerospace Technology, which now operates over 45 medium and large metal 3D printing machines across a 30,000-square-meter facility, the city's Longmatan District was selected for Sichuan's 2025 provincial specialized small and medium-sized enterprise cluster list.

Additive manufacturing provides a high-precision, lightweight pathway for aerospace components. Luzhou's experience illustrates how inland Chinese prefecture-level cities can transition beyond traditional sectors by partnering with central state-owned enterprises and anchoring specialized industrial chains around key advanced manufacturing firms.

Luzhou, an industrial city in southwestern China's Sichuan Province, is advancing its footprint in high-end additive manufacturing by developing an aerospace-focused industrial cluster. The municipal government began laying the groundwork for the sector in 2017 following national five-year science and technology plans that prioritized additive manufacturing, according to a report by People's Daily. Luzhou established a wholly municipal-owned enterprise, now known as Luzhou Aviation Development Investment Group Co., Ltd., and formed strategic partnerships with state-owned defense contractor China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC) to construct an aerospace power industrial park. Through this initiative, the city established enterprises such as Luzhou Hanfei Aerospace Technology Development Co., Ltd. and Luzhou Maowei Technology Co., Ltd., initially focusing on aerospace structural component processing and small aero-engine development. Facing local deficits in capital and technical talent, Hanfei began exploring additive manufacturing around 2018, dispatching technical personnel to Beijing for advanced training. In 2022, Hanfei successfully manufactured standard-compliant critical aerospace components using metal 3D printing technology, marking a key milestone for the city's emerging sector. The company has since expanded its production facility to 30,000 square meters, equipped with more than 45 medium and large metal 3D printing machines capable of supporting both prototype research and batch manufacturing for high-end aerospace components. Local authorities have leveraged Hanfei as an anchor enterprise under a supply-chain development model aimed at recruiting supporting suppliers and building an integrated local ecosystem. In July, the Longmatan District additive manufacturing cluster in Luzhou was officially included in Sichuan Province's 2025 list of specialized small and medium-sized enterprise clusters.