Subo: Build a batch of world-leading flagship intelligent factories to drive digital and intelligent transformation of small and medium-sized enterprises

Topic: China Development Forum 2026 Annual Meeting

The China Development Forum 2026 Annual Meeting will be held in Beijing from March 22 to 23. At the “Manufacturing Industry Digital and Intelligent Transformation Seminar,” Su Bo, Deputy Director of the National Manufacturing Power Construction Strategic Advisory Committee and former Vice Minister of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, pointed out that through the in-depth implementation of intelligent manufacturing projects, China has led and promoted the construction of a manufacturing power, achieving historic achievements, successfully reaching the first strategic goal of transitioning from a manufacturing giant to a world manufacturing power, with the overall level of manufacturing steadily improving from mid to low-end, and many important sectors have already entered the mid to high-end. Among them, the fields of 5G communications, high-speed rail equipment, shipbuilding, new energy vehicles, as well as renewable energy equipment such as wind power and solar power have reached world-leading levels, contributing 50% of the global market capacity.

He introduced that the construction of intelligent factories in China has gradually transitioned from pilot demonstrations to broader upgrades, significantly enhancing the comprehensive competitiveness of the manufacturing industry. As of now, over 35,000 basic-level, more than 8,200 advanced-level, over 500 excellent-level, and 15 leading-level intelligent factories have been established.

Su Bo emphasized that the digital transformation of the manufacturing industry has spurred new technologies, new industries, and new business models, driving rapid development in manufacturing equipment, industrial software, and intelligent manufacturing system solutions, forming a market scale of five trillion yuan. At the same time, China has cumulatively released 497 national standards related to intelligent manufacturing, laid out over 500 undergraduate programs in intelligent manufacturing across higher education institutions, and continues to deepen international exchange and cooperation, providing solid standard support, talent assurance, and international cooperation foundations for the digital transformation of the manufacturing industry.

Regarding current industry development trends, Su Bo pointed out that the new generation of artificial intelligence is moving from general large models to industry-specific large models, and industrial intelligence and embodied intelligence have become core variables in the digital transformation of the manufacturing industry. This type of technology, deeply integrated with advanced manufacturing, forms a new generation of intelligent manufacturing technology characterized by self-perception, self-decision-making, self-execution, self-adaptation, and self-learning, driving intelligent manufacturing into a new phase of high-level development.

He clarified that in the next decade, China will remain steadfast in its focus on intelligent manufacturing as the main direction, which is the core direction established when China implemented its manufacturing power strategy 15 years ago. The future will focus on the deep integration of the new generation of artificial intelligence with the manufacturing industry as the main line, with innovations in intelligent manufacturing systems as the focal point and breakthrough, striving to address the shortcomings in industrial intelligence foundational technologies, coordinating advanced exploration and widespread promotion, and fully creating an upgraded version of intelligent manufacturing that combines virtual and physical elements, evolves independently, and is safe and efficient. By 2030, it is aimed that large-scale manufacturing enterprises will have basically popularized digital and networked manufacturing, and that the new generation of intelligent manufacturing innovations will achieve phased progress; by 2035, large-scale manufacturing enterprises will have basically popularized digital, networked, and intelligent manufacturing, with applications of the new generation of intelligent manufacturing leading the world.

To achieve the above goals, Su Bo proposed four key tasks. First, strengthen strategic guidance, improve mechanisms for comprehensive promotion, create a new generation of intelligent manufacturing system architecture and development paths, and summarize regular insights and effective experiences to support the construction of the upgraded version of intelligent manufacturing. Second, promote innovation in intelligent manufacturing technologies and equipment, strengthen breakthroughs in key core technologies, overcome core foundational technologies such as multidimensional intelligent perception, industrial artificial intelligence, and factory operating systems, support system integration innovation, accelerate the establishment of a new generation of intelligent manufacturing technology system, and develop a batch of advanced intelligent manufacturing equipment.

Third, accelerate the exploration and cultivation of new business formats and models in intelligent manufacturing, advance the construction of intelligent factories in a graded and categorized manner, create demonstration benchmarks, promote mature models and solutions on a large scale, and popularize digital and networked manufacturing; support leading enterprises in accelerating the application of technologies such as deep learning, large models, and digital twins to create a batch of globally leading leading-level intelligent factories, driving the digital transformation of many small and medium-sized enterprises and cultivating new paths for leapfrog development in intelligent manufacturing. Fourth, strengthen international cooperation, optimize the ecological development of intelligent manufacturing, continuously iterate intelligent manufacturing national standards, deepen international exchange and cooperation, actively promote the international development of intelligent factories, equipment, software, standards, solutions, etc., and enhance the international competitiveness and influence of China’s intelligent manufacturing.

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Editor: Li Siyang