Given the gradual popularization of virtual reality and autonomous driving, professional optical lenses are no longer just a neat accessory for photography enthusiasts, but essential components for emerging industries.

The small lenses now incorporate cutting-edge technologies with which Chinese companies are striving to catch up with international front-runners. Zhongshan city in Guangdong province is committed to bridging the technological gap and forging an "Optical Valley" in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

The gap coexists with opportunities, says Zheng Junyong, who heads the Technology Innovation and Investment Promotion Bureau of Zhongshan Torch High-Tech Industrial Development Zone.

"The technological gap and high prices can create demand for highly efficient and high-quality products, resulting in new opportunities for local businesses," he says. The 20-square-kilometer GBA Optics Valley was established in the development zone in March.

Many companies in the zone are growing and trying to bridge the technological gap - from minor equipment components to core components - until the entire industrial chain is completed.

Japanese and German enterprises with a technological edge used to dominate China's security camera market. But domestic technology and manufacturers have sprung to the fore, giving overseas competitors a run for their money.

According to the latest report by Photonics21 - a European technology platform - China has grabbed the lion's share of the global optoelectronics market - exceeding 30 percent and surpassing those of the United States and Europe. The nation's optoelectronics output is projected to reach 315 billion euros (about $337 billion) next year.

Union Optech - one of Zhongshan's optoelectronics manufacturers - has made significant breakthroughs after years of technological research and innovation. Its security camera zoom lenses (with a zoom ratio greater than or equal to 20 times) currently account for 70 percent of the global market share.

"Purchasing equipment from Japan or Europe to manufacture products is expensive," explains Wu Weigao, deputy general manager of Union Optech. To solve the problem, the company turned to domestic equipment manufacturing companies to cut costs.

Union Optech is among nearly 200 optoelectronics companies in Zhongshan Torch High-Tech Industrial Development Zone. The output value of the zone's optoelectronics industry reached 60 billion yuan ($8.32 billion) last year, accounting for three-quarters of the sector's output value in the city.

According to Zheng, the pace of growth has accelerated this year. In the first nine months, the industry's output value rose 15.4 percent on a yearly basis to 50 billion yuan. "Zhongshan's optoelectronics industry has a relatively complete upstream and downstream industrial chain. Our advantage lies in producing optical components for cameras or other devices, and we have one of the largest optical cold processing bases in China," he says.

"The optoelectronics industry can provide support to some core applications in the fourth industrial revolution, such as artificial intelligence and the internet of things, and will be closely related to people's daily lives."

According to Zhongshan's latest development plans, the zone aims to rake in more than 100 billion yuan in operating income from the optoelectronics industry by 2026, with the goal of doubling it within three to five years and increasing the number of optoelectronics companies to over 500.

However, Zheng says Zhongshan's optoelectronics business is facing problems like a lack of large research institutions, as well as middle to top-notch talents, compared with cities like Shenzhen. "Coupled with fierce domestic market competition, we have to support the local optoelectronics companies to achieve the best in their niche fields," he says.

"After some 30 years of development, our optoelectronics industry has carved out its own path in terms of industry chain and talent cultivation," says Wu.

He points out that the weakness of Zhongshan's optoelectronics sector is at the application end. "The optoelectronics industry chain in Zhongshan Torch High-Tech Industrial Development Zone is more inclined toward the middle and upper reaches, focusing on the production of core components."

The industry should concentrate more on integrating its products with new gadgets, such as smartphones, smart glasses, and smart cars, and embrace the era of AI and the IoT, says Wu. "Optical components are like the eyes of AI, and some of our customers have come up with new ideas."

In his view, if Zhongshan's optoelectronics companies could embrace the emerging trends and find their unique advantages, the business would have significant potential for development and attain its goal of 100 billion yuan in operating income.