Red Star News:

The high-end and intelligent development of the manufacturing industry is attracting significant societal attention. Could you please share the work that has been done to promote the development of intelligent manufacturing? What are the considerations for the next steps? Thank you.

Shan Zhongde:

I will answer these questions. Thank you for asking. Intelligent manufacturing is the key technology and primary task for transforming China's manufacturing industry from being large in size to being strong in capability. It focuses on building China's strength in manufacturing and is an important task for promoting new industrialization. We are vigorously advancing intelligent manufacturing to achieve high-quality, efficient, green, and safe manufacturing products. Meanwhile, in terms of developing intelligent manufacturing, the manufacturing technology system, production model, industrial form, and value chain will be further refined. In recent years, we have focused on four key areas to promote the development of intelligent manufacturing:

First, we have increased our efforts to achieve technological breakthroughs. We are focusing on developing intelligent manufacturing processes, equipment, products, and software systems. We are working to achieve breakthroughs in core technologies such as industrial robots, intelligent testing equipment, and additive manufacturing equipment. Additionally, we are strengthening innovative advancements in integrating processes, equipment, and software, particularly in areas like process digitization, equipment intelligence, quality inspection, and supply chain collaboration. The total output value of China's intelligent manufacturing equipment sector has now exceeded 3.2 trillion yuan.

Second, we have enhanced the supply of solutions. A robust network of service providers is essential to develop intelligent manufacturing and promote enterprises' digital and intelligent transformation. We are focusing on cultivating over 150 system solution providers with main business revenues exceeding 1 billion yuan. System integration capabilities in sectors such as steel, petrochemicals, and lithium batteries have reached an internationally advanced level. Solutions, including mixed-line flexible production, integrated processing and testing, and high-precision, high-reliability assembly, have also achieved significant breakthroughs, empowering more than 3,400 companies.

Third, we have enhanced leadership and demonstration efforts. For three consecutive years, we have collaborated with the National Development and Reform Commission and four other departments to implement smart manufacturing pilot demonstration actions. As a result, we have cultivated 421 national demonstration factories and more than 10,000 provincial-level digital workshops and smart factories. Technologies such as AI and digital twins are now applied in over 90% of these demonstration plants.

Fourth, we have strengthened the formulation of standards. The MIIT, in conjunction with the Standardization Administration of China (SAC), has released guidelines for the construction of a national smart manufacturing standards system. We have issued 408 national standards and led the formulation of 48 international standards to promote the standardized, institutional, and systematic development of intelligent manufacturing.

Next, based on our current work, we will focus on several key areas:

First, we will strengthen the leveraging role of applications. We will deeply promote the construction of smart factories and smart supply chains, carry out the AI Plus initiative, build smart industrial parks, and cultivate exemplary cases of digital transformation and intelligent development. We will support traditional industries and small- and medium-sized enterprises in technological transformation using mature and advanced applicable technologies. The goal is that by 2025, more than 70% of manufacturing enterprises above designated size will have transitioned to digital and network-based operations, and several smart manufacturing demonstration factories will be built to lead industrial development.

Second, we will improve supply support. We will plan and deploy major scientific and technological innovation projects in the intelligent manufacturing sector and strengthen breakthroughs in core technologies in key fields such as intelligent manufacturing processes, equipment, products, and software systems. At the same time, we will cultivate intelligent manufacturing system solution providers, fostering a group of providers with advanced technologies and strong service capacities. We aim to better promote the digital transformation and intelligent enhancement of more enterprises by 2025.

Third, the infrastructure will be improved. We will adopt an appropriately forward-thinking approach for information infrastructure like 5G networks, computing power, and Internet of Things, work faster to create industrial internet platforms, accelerate the innovative growth of industrial internet, and build a better system of standards for intelligent manufacturing. In particular, we will enhance evaluations with an aim to build a batch of industrial internet platforms that have influence in industries and across regions by 2025.

We have guided large-scale equipment renewals this year. Meanwhile we have systematically promoted intelligent manufacturing application research, advanced scientific and technological research, and  strengthened infrastructure by using this opportunity in a bid to vigorously make the manufacturing sector more digitalized, internet-powered, and smarter, providing strong support to boost China's strength in manufacturing.

That's all from me. Thank you.