China Accelerates Smart Factory Development With Over 30,000 Digitalized Facilities
China has established more than 30,000 basic-level smart factories as part of its nationwide drive to accelerate industrial digitalization and intelligent manufacturing, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT). This initiative is a key component of the country’s broader efforts to modernize its manufacturing sector through automation, artificial intelligence (AI), and data-driven process improvements.
Under the ‘smart factory gradient cultivation action, China has also developed 1,200 advanced-level and 230 excellence-level smart factories, signaling significant progress in transforming its industrial landscape. These high-level smart factories are playing a crucial role in enhancing efficiency, product quality, and sustainability in manufacturing operations.
The 230 excellence-level smart factories, spanning all 31 provincial regions and covering over 80% of the nation’s manufacturing sectors, have implemented nearly 2,000 advanced intelligent manufacturing scenarios. These include AI-driven quality inspections, smart warehousing, and digital research and development, according to MIIT.
Benefits of Intelligent Manufacturing
Performance data from these excellence-level facilities highlight the benefits of intelligent manufacturing. On average, product development cycles have been reduced by 28.4%, production efficiency has increased by 22.3%, defect rates have dropped by 50.2%, and carbon emissions have decreased by 20.4%, showcasing the effectiveness of digital transformation in industrial settings.
Launched last year by MIIT in collaboration with five other state agencies, the smart factory gradient cultivation action categorizes smart factories into four tiers based on their technological maturity and integration depth: basic, advanced, excellence, and pioneer levels. Basic-level smart factories focus on foundational digitalization, deploying smart manufacturing equipment, industrial software, and real-time data collection systems to automate key production processes and enhance operational efficiency.
Looking ahead, MIIT aims to expand the promotion of excellence-level smart factories while preparing to introduce pioneer-level cultivation. These efforts will drive further integration of intelligent technologies into manufacturing, reinforcing China’s commitment to advancing smart production capabilities and enhancing global competitiveness in industrial automation.
