Executive Study Tours by Industry Focus
Six specialised programmes built around the sectors where China leads globally — AI, electric vehicles, robotics, healthcare, green energy, and urban infrastructure. Each program is fully customised around your group's specific objectives.
China's most strategically important industries can be visited firsthand through structured executive study tours. China Study Tour (CST) designs and manages company visits to China's leading firms — BYD, Baidu, Huawei, DJI and more — for business delegations, trade associations, and government groups from 40+ countries.
What Is a China Industry Study Tour?
China Study Tour (CST) is a provider of in-depth China corporate visit and educational tour solutions for educational institutions, business schools, and corporate executives worldwide.
An industry study tour with CST is a sector-focused executive program — not generic sightseeing. We arrange firsthand access to China's leading companies within one specific industry — AI, electric vehicles, robotics, healthcare, green energy or infrastructure — and build every visit around your group's strategic objectives. Drawing on 13+ years of experience and direct relationships with firms such as BYD, Baidu, Huawei and DJI, we turn a trip into measurable competitive intelligence.
China AI & Digital Innovation Study Tour
Visit Baidu, iFlytek and China's leading AI research centres. Experience autonomous driving, voice AI and enterprise deployment at a scale no other country can offer.
China is no longer catching up in artificial intelligence — in autonomous driving, voice recognition and enterprise AI deployment, it is leading. This program takes your group inside the companies and research institutions driving China's AI revolution.
- Live demonstration of Baidu's Apollo Level 4 autonomous vehicles in Beijing
- iFlytek voice AI headquarters — real-time translation, NLP and educational AI in deployment
- Computer vision and facial recognition technology at scale
- China's AI regulatory landscape — national AI governance framework briefing
- Startup ecosystem visit — Zhongguancun tech park AI companies
China EV & New Energy Study Tour
BYD, CATL, NIO and the world's most advanced electric vehicle ecosystem — experienced firsthand on the factory floor.
China produces more than half of the world's electric vehicles. BYD has overtaken Tesla as the world's largest EV seller. CATL supplies batteries to BMW, Volkswagen and Ford. Visiting China's EV industry firsthand provides irreplaceable competitive intelligence.
- BYD factory floor — production line walkthrough and executive briefing
- CATL battery technology showroom — next-generation chemistry and solid-state timelines
- NIO House executive session on battery swap technology
- China EV policy briefing — subsidy structures and 2030 targets
- Charging infrastructure operator visit
China Robotics & Smart Manufacturing Study Tour
Humanoid robots on factory floors. Fully automated production lines. Industry 4.0 at commercial scale.
Humanoid robots now operate on live production floors. Fully automated smart factories produce components with near-zero defect rates. This program visits the facilities and companies leading China's industrial revolution.
- Humanoid robot factory — robots completing precision assembly on live production floor
- Smart factory tour — digital twin systems and AGV logistics
- Industrial automation briefing — economics and deployment timelines
- Pearl River Delta supply chain immersion
- Huawei Ox Horn campus visit
China Healthcare & Medical Technology Study Tour
Hospitals running AI diagnostics. Digital health platforms with 1 billion users. Biotech campuses rivalling Boston's Kendall Square.
China has built one of the world's most advanced digital health ecosystems in under a decade. AI-assisted diagnostics are in routine clinical use. Telemedicine platforms manage hundreds of millions of consultations annually.
- Hospital AI diagnostics — radiology AI and clinical decision support in live use
- Digital health platform briefing — telemedicine and AI-triage at scale
- Biotech campus tour — WuXi AppTec or comparable CRO/CMO facility
- Pharmaceutical innovation comparison with Western timelines
- Public health infrastructure briefing
China Green Economy & Sustainability Study Tour
80% of the world's solar panels are made in China. The country leading the clean energy transition.
China installs more renewable capacity every year than the rest of the world combined. For ESG officers, sustainability directors and clean energy investors, visiting the actual solar farms and green tech companies provides understanding no report can replicate.
- Solar panel manufacturing plant — scale and supply chain verticalisation
- Grid-scale battery storage facility
- Carbon trading market briefing — China's national ETS and 2060 roadmap
- ESG supply chain audit visit
- Green tech startup park
China Infrastructure & Urban Development Study Tour
High-speed rail networks. Smart cities. Mega-projects built in years, not decades.
China has built more high-speed rail than the rest of the world combined. New subway lines open every quarter. Entire smart cities have been constructed from scratch. This program delivers direct access to the projects behind China's infrastructure transformation.
- High-speed rail Beijing to Shanghai at 350 km/h with infrastructure briefing
- Smart city control center — Shenzhen and Guangzhou urban data systems
- Urban planning bureau meeting
- Architectural landmark visits — Guangzhou Opera House, CCTV Tower, Shanghai Tower
- Infrastructure financing briefing
Sector Depth, Not a General Overview
A quick way to tell whether a focused industry program fits what your group needs.
This is the right fit when…
- ✓You want sector-specific depth — one industry explored properly, not a broad sampler.
- ✓You need real factory-floor and R&D access, not showroom or lobby tours.
- ✓Your group shares a clear industry focus (or two-to-three sectors to blend).
- ✓You value competitive intelligence and benchmarking against China's market leaders.
- Leisure travellers, or groups wanting a broad cultural overview
- Groups with no defined sector focus or learning objective
- Individual travellers — programmes are designed for groups (typically 10–40)
Built for Teams With a Sector Mandate
Real Access — and What to Plan Around
"Company visits in China are just showroom tours."
Not with CST. We arrange genuine factory-floor walkthroughs, R&D briefings and executive sessions — BYD production lines, iFlytek AI in live deployment, humanoid-robot assembly floors — through direct, vetted partner relationships built over 13+ years. You meet engineers and executives, not just a visitor center.
Access takes lead time.
- Company visits need 6–8 weeks advance confirmation; some firms cap numbers or require NDAs.
- If a host firm reschedules, we switch to backup visits — itineraries stay flexible.
- Some R&D areas restrict photography.
- Programmes are group-based, typically 10–40 participants.
The Industry Programmes We Do Best
CST is the strongest choice for groups that care about these things.
You need real access to named industry leaders — BYD, CATL, Baidu, DJI, Huawei and peers.
Your group has a specific sector mandate, or wants 2–3 industries blended in one trip.
You want briefings and benchmarking, not tourism — measurable takeaways.
You need bilingual, end-to-end logistics across multiple Chinese cities.
Not Sure Which Industry Program Is Right for You?
Most groups have more than one focus area. We design multi-theme programmes that blend visits across sectors in a single trip.