Shanghai to build 200 smart factories to shore up its manufacturing status

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Chinese workers at a factory in Beijing. (AFP File Photo)
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  • The city as China's largest smart-solutions provider and a core equipment hub sees such innovation as vital for industrial competitiveness
  • Its vice mayor said that "intelligent manufacturing" plays a key role in new industrialization and is pivotal in the city's digital economic transition

Shanghai, China–Shanghai plans to build 200 new smart factories and 20 demonstration sites by end of 2025 after 70 intelligent plants in 2023, officials announced, solidifying its intelligent manufacturing stronghold, according to China Daily report.

Covering auto, equipment and IT, this year’s batch features life-cycle, process and supply chain enhancements. As the nation’s largest smart solutions provider and a core equipment hub, the city sees such innovation as vital for industrial competitiveness.

“Intelligent manufacturing plays a key role in new industrialization and is pivotal for Shanghai’s digital economic transition,” said Vice Mayor Chen Jie. Over 19 national-level intelligent factories now operate alongside 100 municipal and 1,000-plus smart applications, with over 70 percent of firms passing evaluations.

Benefits abound – average efficiency exceeding 50 percent higher, costs 30 percent lower and energy consumption cut nearly 14 percent. “With government support, we’ve achieved automation heights,” said parts maker Aptiv Electrical’s Ops Director Xu Xiaoying.

Output value of Shanghai’s world-class system integration segment has topped US$8.5 billion. Its 383 robots per 10,000 workers also leads globally. Accelerated nurturing of marquee clusters reinforces the upgraded, tech-driven industrialisation push.

“By integrating innovation, Shanghai exemplifies next-gen manufacturing led by technology,” said Chinese Academy of Engineering Academician Qian Feng.

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