To exploit the archaeal shikimic acid (SA) synthesis pathway toenhance SA production in Corynebacterium glutamicum. Genetic cassettes were constructed that encoded a hybrid route for SA synthesis, which were composed of the archaeal 6-deoxy-5-ketofructose 1-phosphate pathway and the bacterial SA pathway. Corynebacterium glutamicum strains that expressed the hybrid route increased SA production by 57 %. A recombinant strain of C. glutamicum that simultaneously overexpressed the hybrid route and its native SA pathway produced 4.7 gSA/l, while C. glutamicum with only the native SA pathway produced 3.7 gSA/l. A new hybrid route for SA production was successfully constructed, that effectively increased SA production in C. glutamicum.