On the morning of August 5th, the 2024 Fortune Global 500 list was released, with Guangdong province boasting a total of 17 companies on the list. Leading the pack among Guangdong companies is China Ping An Insurance, ranked 53rd on the list. Notably, 10 companies improved their rankings from the previous year, with Shenzhen-based BYD seeing the most significant leap among Chinese companies.

Rising stars and evergreens join forces on the list

In terms of their base cities, the Guangdong companies on the 2024 Fortune Global 500 list are predominantly concentrated in Shenzhen and Guangzhou, with 9 and 6 companies on the list respectively. Foshan secures one spot thanks to Midea Group, while Dongguan maintains its presence with one company following its breakthrough last year.

Among the 17 listed companies, BYD made the most notable jump in ranking, climbing from 212th place in 2023 to 143rd this year. It is worth noting that BYD has been the fastest-rising Chinese company in rankings for two consecutive years, making itself a well-deserved "dark horse."

The rise of BYD is largely due to the burgeoning new energy vehicle industry, with the company selling over 3.02 million new energy vehicles in 2023, maintaining its position as the global leader in new energy vehicle sales. In July this year, BYD rolled out its 8 millionth new energy vehicle.

The automotive manufacturing sector has long been a pillar industry in Guangdong. Leveraging its deep-rooted traditional automotive industry base and forward-looking strategies, Guangdong has made remarkable strides in the new energy vehicle sector. Currently, one in every four new energy vehicles produced in China is manufactured in Guangdong.

Another notable Guangdong automaker, GAC Group, stands as an"evergreen" on the Fortune Global 500 list. Having maintained its position in the list for 12 consecutive years, GAC ranks 181st in 2024. As a trailblazer among traditional automakers, it has accelerated its electrification transformation in recent years, significantly increasing its scale of production and sales of new energy vehicles. Its export performance has also been impressive, with over 75,000 units exported in 2023, up 130% year-on-year.

Traditional manufacturers seeking a "second engine"

The rise and fall in rankings among enlisted enterprises not only reflect the shift from old to new economic drivers but also mirror industry dynamics.

In the home appliance sector, another traditional competitive industry of Guangdong, companies face similar challenges of saturated market demands. In 2019, Gree Electric Appliances entered the Fortune Global 500 for the first time, ranking 414th and leading the enlisted Chinese enterprises in return on net assets that year. However, Gree's ranking has since declined over the following three years and was even excluded from the list in 2023 and 2024.

Midea Group, a leading home appliance manufacturer based in Foshan, has been listed for nine consecutive years, with the latest ranking being the 277th. Confronting a downturn in the home appliance industry, Midea has diversified its development strategy to focus on both consumer and business sectors (ToC and ToB). Since 2023, Midea has intensified its efforts in five major areas: smart home, new energy and industrial technology, intelligent building technologies, robotics and automation, and innovative businesses. Among them, the proportion of revenue from the business sector now exceeds 25%, amounting to 97.8 billion yuan, maintaining high growth as its "second engine."

The automotive and home appliance industries embody Guangdong's efforts in industrial transformation and upgrading. In recent years, Guangdong has been implementing the "Five Enhancements Action" focusing on large industries, platforms, projects, enterprises, and environments, aiming to have over 10 manufacturing enterprises enter the Fortune Global 500 by 2027. According to the latest Fortune Global 500 list, Guangdong boasts eight manufacturing-related enterprises on the ranking including Huawei, BYD, GAC Group, Midea, and Luxshare ICT.

Looking ahead, which Guangdong enterprises are poised to break into the Fortune Global 500 list? Research indicates that, in the 2024 Fortune China 500 list, the Guangdong-based enterprises closest to the threshold of the Global Fortune 500 include Gree Electric Appliances, China Merchants Shekou Holdings, and TCL Technology.

17家世界500强企业如何展现广东“韧劲”？

8月5日上午，2024年《财富》世界500强排行榜揭晓，广东全省共有17家企业上榜。其中，排名最为靠前的粤企是中国平安保险（集团）股份有限公司，位列第53位；有10家企业的排名较去年上升，总部位于深圳的比亚迪是排名提升最多的中国公司。

“黑马”与“常青树”携手上榜

按城市分布来看，上榜2024年世界500强的粤企基本“扎堆”深圳和广州，上榜企业数分别为9家和6家，而佛山凭借美的集团占有1席，东莞在去年实现世界500强“零的突破”之后，继续保持1家的成绩。

在17家上榜企业中，排名跃升最明显的是比亚迪，从去年第212位提升至今年的第143位。值得留意的是，比亚迪已连续两年成为排名提升最多的中国企业，是当之无愧的“黑马”。

比亚迪的崛起得益于风头正劲的新能源汽车产业。据统计，比亚迪2023年销售新能源汽车突破302万辆，蝉联全球新能源汽车销量第一。今年7月，比亚迪第800万辆新能源汽车下线。

一直以来，汽车制造业都是广东的支柱产业，广东依托深厚的传统汽车工业基础以及超前布局，在新能源汽车产业赛道上实现狂飙突进，全国每四辆新能源汽车便有一辆是广东制造。

另一家广东车企广汽集团堪称世界500强榜单的“常青树”，已连续12年入选，今年排在第181位。作为传统车企中的排头兵，广汽集团近年来加快电动化转型，新能源汽车产销规模得到快速提升；同时出口表现抢眼，2023年出口超7.5万辆，同比增长130%。

传统制造业寻找“第二引擎”

上榜企业榜单名次的进退，除了反映出新旧动能的转换，更映射出行业冷暖。

同为广东传统优势产业的家电业，同样面临市场需求趋于饱和的挑战，2019年，格力首次进入世界500强榜单，位列414位，当年其净资产收益率位居中国上榜企业的首位，但在此后三年中，格力排名呈现下滑趋势，在去年和今年直接“落榜”。

佛山的家电龙头美的集团已连续9年入选该榜单，最新排名为第277位。面对家电产业的不景气，美的的应对措施是ToC与ToB产业并重发展。2023年以来，美的持续发力智能家居、新能源与工业技术、智能建筑科技、机器人与自动化、创新型业务五大板块，其中B端收入占总营收的比例已超过25%，达到了978亿元，“第二引擎”持续高增长。

汽车、家电产业是广东制造业转型升级的重要写照。近年来，广东正着力实施大产业、大平台、大项目、大企业、大环境“五大提升行动”，力争到2027年超过10家制造业企业进入世界500强。按最新的世界500强企业榜单，广东此次有华为、比亚迪、广汽、美的、立讯精密等8家制造相关企业上榜，显示出广东制造的强大韧劲。

下一步，哪些粤企有望冲击世界500强榜单？记者查阅发现，在入选2024年《财富》中国500强排行榜中，距世界500强上榜门槛最近的粤企依次为格力电器、招商蛇口和TCL科技等企业。

文、表丨记者 黄婷
翻译丨洪婷
英文审校丨林佳岱