Voice of China, China Media Group: 

We've noted that digital technologies like AI and big data have blossomed over recent years, and more and more intelligent factories, automated workshops, and smart manufacturing scenarios have mushroomed from place to place. My question is, what measures will the MIIT take to accelerate the development of smart manufacturing? 

Xin Guobin:

Thank you for your attention to smart manufacturing. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, China's smart manufacturing has been applied on a larger scale and developed rapidly. The achievements regarding smart manufacturing have propped up the high-quality development of the industrial economy. By now, China has built over 2,100 high-level digitalized workshops and intelligent factories, of which 209 are demonstration and benchmark cases. We conducted an analysis of the before and after effects of intelligent upgrading on these 209 enterprises and found that through their transformation, the R&D cycle has been shortened by 20.7%, the production efficiency improved by 34.8%, the defective products rate reduced by 27.4%, and the carbon emissions decreased by 21.2%. We also made a preliminary analysis and summary and concluded that the product iteration speed and delivery capabilities of equipment manufacturing and other discrete manufacturing had been greatly improved, while the safety and green development of process industries such as steel smelting and petrochemicals had been significantly enhanced. Therefore, intelligent transformation is of great significance to enterprises.

Currently, the integration of a new generation of information technology and advanced manufacturing technology has become characteristic of the new round of industrial transformation, propelling profound changes in global industrial and value chains. Developing intelligent manufacturing has become a common choice for major industrial countries to improve core competitiveness. We will continue to focus on intelligent manufacturing; promote technological transformation, improvement, and upgrading; and reshape industrial modes and enterprise forms of manufacturing through intelligent development. These are also decisions and deployments made by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council. This year, we will conduct the work in three aspects, as follows:

First, we will promote application at multiple levels. Targeting key industries, we will develop a batch of world-class intelligent factories and smart supply chains. For small and medium-sized enterprises, we will promote targeted solutions like technology improvement, lean management, and process reengineering on a large scale. For key provinces and cities, we will establish a number of intelligent manufacturing pilot zones and explore the formation of development paths and models with regional characteristics.

Second, we will accelerate breakthroughs in the innovation of integrated technologies. We will strive to make breakthroughs in manufacturing technologies like complex design and advanced techniques, mobilize personnel in all sectors, and give full play to the primary role of enterprises to realize fundamental and strategic breakthroughs. At the same time, we will conduct the R&D and promotion of applicable technologies like AI and Digital Twin and acquire original and forward-looking achievements. We will also promote the digitization of industrial knowledge and develop a batch of basic industrial software and core technology packages.

Third, we will strengthen fundamental support capacities. We will study and formulate policies and measures to promote the digital development of equipment and support the realization of Digital China through the innovation of intelligent equipment. We will enhance the construction of digital infrastructure and accelerate large-scale deployment and application of 5G, the industrial internet, and other technologies. Mr. Jin and Mr. Tian have explained the arrangement and deployment of this work, so I will not elaborate more. Afterward, we will improve the standard system of intelligent manufacturing, deepen applications of fundamental standards, actively participate in international communication and cooperation, learn from each other, and jointly improve intelligent development in various fields. Thank you.