Emerging Technologies Like AI Empower 'Intelligent Manufacturing': 2024 Industry Status Analysis
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The intelligent manufacturing industrial chain permeates all aspects of manufacturing activities, where innovation and ecosystem are key to advancing quality upgrades. Intelligent manufacturing is driving profound transformations in global manufacturing. Smart manufacturing and digital transformation have become crucial for cultivating new economic growth drivers in enterprises. For traditional manufacturing, developing intelligent manufacturing is essential for reducing costs, improving efficiency, optimizing supply structures, and achieving high-quality development.
2024 Intelligent Manufacturing Industry Status Analysis
Accelerating the development of intelligent manufacturing is a necessary path to foster new growth drivers for China's economy and a strategic choice to seize the high ground in future economic and technological development. It holds significant strategic importance for promoting supply-side structural reform in China's manufacturing sector, building new competitive advantages, and realizing the goal of becoming a manufacturing powerhouse. To this end, the government has introduced a series of industrial policies favorable to the intelligent manufacturing equipment sector to facilitate its healthy development.
This year, 'specialized, refined, distinctive, and innovative' small giant enterprises and single-product champion enterprises have become hot topics. Currently, China has about 8 million enterprises, including 145 Fortune Global 500 companies and 97 central state-owned enterprises, with the vast majority being small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and private businesses. The development direction and focus of these enterprises lie in becoming 'specialized, refined, distinctive, and innovative' small giants and single-product champions. Many provinces still lack even one Fortune Global 500 company or central state-owned enterprise. Focusing on nurturing 'specialized, refined, distinctive, and innovative' champion enterprises will yield substantial benefits.
Manufacturing is the foundation of the real economy and a crucial pillar for building future strategic advantages. China is transitioning from a 'manufacturing giant' to a 'manufacturing powerhouse.' In this process, the financial sector must further optimize capital supply structures and guide more financial resources toward key areas and weak links in high-end manufacturing development. With the introduction of 'Made in China 2025,' China's manufacturing sector has officially embarked on a transformation and upgrading path with intelligent manufacturing as a key development direction.
Digital, network, and intelligent technologies are increasingly integrated into the entire product development, design, and manufacturing process. Major developed countries and multinational corporations regard intelligent manufacturing as the primary direction for their next phase of development. Many multinational companies are ramping up investments in intelligent transformation and advanced robotics R&D, accelerating the shift from traditional manufacturing to intelligent manufacturing centered on AI, robotics, and digital manufacturing.
China is advancing manufacturing technology toward mid-to-high-end levels, clarifying the main direction for high-end manufacturing. The focus is on deepening the integration of industrialization and informatization to drive China's manufacturing transformation from a large-scale to a high-quality, mid-to-high-end sector.
Overall, as the core strategy of China's manufacturing industry, intelligent manufacturing continues to lead industrial transformation and upgrading. In the future, with continuous technological innovation and application expansion, intelligent manufacturing will further enhance the competitiveness and innovation capabilities of the manufacturing sector, injecting strong momentum into China's pursuit of high-quality development and the construction of a modern industrial system.
Research on the Prospects of Intelligent Manufacturing
China's manufacturing industry is accelerating its transformation and upgrading, with strong development trends in high-end manufacturing, creating long-term demand for industrial parks and immense potential. Industrial infrastructure serves as a crucial carrier and powerful driver of national economic development. Currently, China's instrumentation industry faces challenges such as difficulties in digital transformation and low digitalization levels in core operations. Companies lack talent and funding, urgently needing simple and actionable transformation solutions.
How Can Emerging Technologies Like AI Empower 'Intelligent Manufacturing' More Effectively?
The Nanjing Action Plan for Advancing a Strong Industrial City (2023–2025) highlights smart grids, aerospace, and energy storage as key focuses in the city's "2+6+6" innovative industrial clusters. Notably, these topics were central to the conference forums.
Among them, the New Power System and New Energy Storage Solutions Forum invited experts, including academicians and industry leaders, as well as upstream and downstream research institutions and enterprises, to discuss pressing industry issues, technological needs, development trends, and industrial applications. The goal is to promote the demonstration and application of intelligent manufacturing technologies in the power sector.
Taicang is accelerating the development of a 'Demonstration Zone for German Cooperation,' having attracted nearly 500 German companies over 30 years of collaboration." Wang Xiangyuan, Secretary of the Taicang Municipal Party Committee, explained that Taicang is leveraging the agglomeration effect of German enterprises by organizing activities like "Local Enterprises Visit German Companies" to bridge industrial supply and demand. This has facilitated cooperation between over 600 local companies and German firms in areas such as industrial support, R&D, and intelligent manufacturing. Key German companies like Schaeffler and OECHSLER provide intelligent manufacturing system solutions, serving more than 200 local enterprises. By focusing on expanding industrial clusters, strengthening innovation, and deepening Sino-German cooperation, Taicang is accelerating the construction of a modern industrial system.
In a fiercely competitive market, the ability of enterprises and investors to make timely and effective decisions is crucial. The Intelligent Manufacturing Industry Report by China Research Network analyzes the current state, competitive landscape, and market dynamics of China's intelligent manufacturing sector. It evaluates opportunities and challenges through the lens of policy, economic, social, and technological environments. The report also identifies latent market demands and opportunities, providing strategic investors and corporate leaders with accurate market intelligence and decision-making support. Additionally, it offers valuable insights for government agencies.