China builds 30K smart factories to boost innovation

China has constructed more than 30,000 basic-level smart factories to speed up industrial digitalisation and intelligent upgrading, as reported by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).

Under the smart factory gradient cultivation action, 1,200 advanced-level and 230 excellence-level smart factories have been created, reshaping the country’s manufacturing landscape significantly, according to the ministry.

The 230 top-tier factories in China, located in all 31 provinces and spanning 80 per cent of manufacturing sectors, have implemented nearly 2,000 advanced scenarios like smart warehousing, AI quality inspections, and digital R&D, according to MIIT.

The ministry stated that these factories have shorter product development cycles by 28.4 per cent, higher production efficiency by 22.3 per cent, lower defect rates by 50.2 per cent, and reduced carbon emissions by 20.4 per cent.

MIIT and five other state agencies initiated a smart factory development program last year, categorising smart factories into four tiers based on technology maturity and integration depth: basic, advanced, excellence, and pioneer levels.

Attribution: Xinhua

Subediting: M. S. Salama