China Electronics News:

The industrial internet plays a crucial role in promoting deep integration of the digital economy and the real economy, and it has been producing positive effects on advancing the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries. What new progress was made regarding China's industrial internet in 2022? What will be done to advance wider application of the industrial internet? Thank you.

Zhao Zhiguo:

Thank you for your questions. In 2022, we resolutely implemented the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, sped up the development of the industrial internet, with the total output value of this industry estimated to be 1.2 trillion yuan, providing strong support for high-quality economic and social development.

First, an analysis system for industrial internet identification has been fully established. Five national top-level nodes covering the eastern, western, southern, northern, and central regions and two nodes for disaster tolerance and backup have been put into use. Second-level nodes have fully covered 31 provinces (autonomous regions, municipalities) and provided services for nearly 240,000 enterprises. Over 240 influential industrial internet platforms have been developed, with 28 cross-industry and cross-sector platforms, effectively promoting data sharing and resource coordination among the whole process of product development, all links of production, and upstream and downstream supply chains, and accelerating digital transformation of enterprises.

Second, the "5G+Industrial Internet" 512 Project has been accomplished successfully. Five public service platforms for the industry have been built, providing services for industrial enterprises in their application of 5G technologies. Over 4,000 projects have been launched in more than 10 key industries, including automobile and mining industries. The application of 20 typical application scenarios such as coordinated research, development and design, and the remote control of equipment have been promoted at a faster pace, effectively promoting enterprises to improve quality, reduce costs, and increase efficiency. The integration of the industrial internet and 5G has produced an increasing variety of products. The price of modules has dropped by 80% from the early stages for commercial use. Waves of constructing 5G connected factories have swept across the country, advancing the application of 5G technologies to the core links of production.

Third, multiple measures have been adopted to empower the transformation of the industry. Based on the common needs of the industry, we have developed a batch of carriers to serve the promotion of the application of the industrial internet and foster low-cost and lightweight solutions, lowering the thresholds for enterprises, especially SMEs, to carry out digital transformation. Focusing on the characteristics of various industries, we have formulated and promoted the guidance for integration and application of the industrial internet for over 10 key industries, such as the steel industry and the electronic industry, guiding the industries and enterprises to apply the industrial internet in accordance with the conditions specific to their industries and enterprises. Addressing weak links, we have implemented innovative projects for the industrial internet development, advanced research and industrialization of key technologies and products, and issued a series of national standards, industrial, and group standards, furthering improving the system of standards.

Next, our work will focus on three aspects to accelerate the large-scale development of the industrial internet, promote deep integration of the digital economy and real economy, keep unleashing momentum for industrial upgrading, and support the industrial economy to steadily rebound. 

First, we will optimize the environment by enhancing policy guidance. We will, together with other government departments and local authorities, take solid steps to advance the implementation of a three-year action plan (2021-2023) for the innovative development of the industrial internet to ensure that all work will be accomplished. We will formulate policies and measures to promote the large-scale development of the industrial internet, further improve the top-level design, make good and full use of fiscal, tax, and financial policies, and strengthen cooperation between industry and finance and integration between industry and academia to further create a sound development environment. 

Second, we will create more drivers for development by promoting innovation. We will enhance technological innovation and continue to implement innovative projects for industrial internet development, strive to make major breakthroughs in technologies, and improve the system of standards to remove the major obstacles hindering the large-scale development of the industrial internet. We will deepen industrial innovation, support all kinds of market entities such as telecommunication enterprises, internet platform companies, and industrial enterprises to leverage their strengths and create greater synergy. We will make great efforts to nurture leading enterprises and specialized and sophisticated SMEs that produce new and unique products, and strengthen the industry alliance for the industrial internet to create a healthy and sustainable environment for the industry. 

Third, we will push for wider application by accelerating the promotion and popularization of the industrial internet. We will move faster to foster advanced factories, and encourage enterprises to carry out the digital transformation of factories by means of 5G and other technologies to promote wider applications of new technologies, new scenarios, and new models. We will accelerate upgrading clusters of industries, launch the campaign to promote the application of the industrial internet in 1,000 industrial parks of 100 cities and summarize and promote successful cases to advance digitalization and green development of industrial parks. We will expand the application of the industrial internet in key sectors and in key industrial chains, and widely promote supply-demand matching to promote high-quality development of the real economy by large-scale application of the industrial internet.

Thank you!