Recently, the State Council executive meeting reviewed and approved the “Action Plan for the Digital Transformation of Manufacturing.” The meeting emphasized the need to explore typical scenarios based on the diverse and personalized requirements of the manufacturing industry, categorized by industry and field. Accelerating core technology breakthroughs and promoting application results are essential, along with ensuring proper equipment networking, protocol interoperability, standard formulation, and platform development.
Experts believe that China’s digital transformation of manufacturing is entering a crucial phase of practical implementation. The related deployment will establish a policy framework, accelerate industrial practices, foster technological innovation, and provide guidance for more enterprises to undertake transformation efforts, injecting robust momentum into the new industrialization.
Professor Zhu Minghao from Beijing Jiaotong University and a member of the National Expert Committee on Intelligent Manufacturing stated that digital transformation in manufacturing is a key driver for cultivating new productive forces. The deep integration of the digital economy with the real economy and the convergence of informatization and industrialization will lead to the emergence of new business models and services, resulting in cumulative development effects.
According to data from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, China has implemented intelligent manufacturing pilot demonstration actions for three consecutive years. This effort has nurtured 421 national-level demonstration factories, over ten thousand provincial-level digital workshops, and smart factories. Technologies such as artificial intelligence and digital twins are applied in more than 90% of these demonstration factories. Additionally, 5G applications have been widely promoted in areas such as manufacturing quality inspection and mining production. Industrial internet integration has expanded to cover 49 major economic categories, establishing over 200 benchmarks for industrial internet applications.
However, industry insiders acknowledge that challenges remain in advancing digital transformation in manufacturing. Key core technologies need further breakthroughs, and there is a discrepancy between the supply of digital solutions and personalized demands.
Song Yingchang, Deputy Director of the Institute of Informatization and Software Industry at the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, believes that the recently approved “Action Plan for the Digital Transformation of Manufacturing” will clarify the overall strategy, goals, key tasks, and priority actions for manufacturing digital transformation. It will guide the government and industry to deeply understand the transformation essence and systematically promote digital transformation. The plan will also create specific guidelines for digital transformation in various subsectors, addressing the unique needs, pain points, and typical scenarios of industries such as raw materials, equipment manufacturing, consumer goods, and electronic information. Simultaneously, efforts will be made to enhance key digital technology innovation and industrialization, accelerating the development and application of critical hardware and software technologies, including core components, intelligent hardware, industrial operating systems, and industrial software.
Notably, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play a significant role in digital transformation but face challenges due to their large numbers and diverse contexts. The meeting proposed increased support for SMEs’ digital transformation, integrating it with large-scale equipment upgrades and technology improvement projects. The goal is to enhance public service platforms and explore sustainable mechanisms for promoting SMEs’ digital transformation.
Professor Zhu Minghao emphasized that SMEs’ digital transformation is a crucial part of overall manufacturing digitalization. The related deployment will incorporate SMEs into large-scale equipment upgrade initiatives, fostering specialized digital transformation service providers. By establishing a model that combines common transformation technologies with personalized approaches, SMEs can achieve low-cost and efficient deployment.
