From June 5 to 6, 2024, the first session of the 2024 Public Training Series on Smart Manufacturing and Smart Equipment Development was successfully held in Beijing. The event, co-hosted by the Central Enterprise Smart Manufacturing Collaborative Innovation Platform and the Machinery Industry Instrumentation Technology and Economy Research Institute, welcomed MEZOLEN as an invited participant. Centered on the theme of driving industrial equipment upgrades and technological transformation, the program offered systemic insights and technical approaches to advancing equipment modernization, digital transformation, green energy efficiency, and intrinsic safety.

       To accelerate the advancement of new industrialization and foster new productive capacities, the initiative aligns with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology’s (MIIT) 14th Five-Year Plan for Smart Manufacturing Development and the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission's (SASAC) directives to strengthen talent development for digital transformation in state-owned enterprises. The 2024 Central Enterprise Smart Manufacturing Training Plan was strategically curated to address topics such as corporate digital transformation, smart factory development, and large-scale equipment modernization through technical, standards-based, and application-focused curricula.

 Key Participants and Opening Remarks

The opening ceremony was attended by prominent figures, including:

• Hu Yue, Director of the Investment Division, MIIT Planning Department.

• Zhao Fengjie, Director of the Smart Manufacturing Division, Equipment Industry Department I of MIIT.

• Leaders from central enterprise oversight departments.

• Shi Zhenshan, Executive Deputy Director of the Instrumentation Institute Secretariat.

The ceremony was hosted by Mei Ke, Deputy Director of the Instrumentation Institute. During his opening speech, Zhao Fengjie emphasized that MIIT, in collaboration with SASAC and other relevant departments, continues to prioritize smart manufacturing. Efforts include enabling digital technologies to empower industrialization, nurturing smart factory development, advancing solution-oriented research, and establishing standard systems and evaluation frameworks—all of which have yielded significant results.

    Smart Manufacturing: A Global and Domestic Priority
Globally, smart manufacturing is a key focus area in enhancing industrial competitiveness and efficiency, with rapid advancements concentrated in Europe, North America, and Asia. Germany, the United States, and Japan maintain leading positions in smart manufacturing equipment industries.

China has also placed a high priority on smart manufacturing. Over the years, the Chinese government has introduced several policies and measures to support the industry, including:

• Made in China 2025

• The New Industrial Revolution Strategy

• The Three-Year Action Plan for Smart Manufacturing Development

These initiatives have significantly increased financial support, encouraged businesses to invest in R&D, and fostered intelligent manufacturing capabilities. Additional measures include strengthening industry-academia-research collaborations, protecting intellectual property rights, and providing tax incentives and support for innovation and entrepreneurship.

Future Prospects and Industry Trends
Technical expertise and innovation will be pivotal in shaping the competitive landscape of smart manufacturing. Although China's smart manufacturing sector is growing rapidly, industry players must enhance their product innovation, technological capabilities, and service standards. With considerable growth in areas such as robotics, smart manufacturing solutions, and automation products, the industry is poised for significant development.

Emerging trends include:

• A stronger emphasis on technological innovation.

• Acceleration of localization processes.

• Prevalence of customized production models.

• A focus on intelligent and environmentally sustainable production.

As global manufacturing undergoes continuous transformation, smart manufacturing will play a critical role in driving economic growth and improving social productivity, further reinforcing its importance in shaping the future of industrial development.