​Ecosystem and Competitiveness of China's AI Industry: Iceberg and QZ Model Analysis

Ecosystem and Competitiveness of China's AI Industry: Iceberg and QZ Model

Analysis

Han Wei

(School of Business Administration, Macao University of Tourism, Macao 999078)

Abstract: The large-scale commercialization of artificial intelligence marks a new era of structuraldifferentiation in the global digital economy. This paper proposes the "Iceberg Model" to analyzeChina's AI industry, categorizing its ecosystem into three layers: market-dominant, application-innovative, and infrastructural. The Iceberg Model addresses the static question of where firms arepositioned within the industrial ecosystem, while the "QZ 3D Analysis Method" (QZ standing forQuantized Zero-to-one transition)built around Foundation, Gravity, and Endurance-addresses thedynamic question of whether and how firms can transition across ecological positions. Using theemergence of DeepSeek as an empirical case, interpreted through a strategic management lens, thispaper validates both frameworks and offers practical guidance for corporate digital transformation andregional policy in the Asia-Pacific context.

Keywords: AI Industry; Iceberg Model; QZ Analysis; Digital Economy; Strategic Competitiveness

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