context: Smart manufacturing has been a major policy agenda item for years even as Made in China 2025 was officially ushered into the background. However, import substitution targets are now outlined in the 14th 5-year plan.
China's smart manufacturing equipment and industrial software are to satisfy 70 percent and 50 percent of domestic demand respectively by 2025, stipulates the draft 14th 5-year plan for smart manufacturing issued by MIIT (Ministry of Industry and IT). Other quantitative targets for industrial upgrading, equipment supply capacity, public service platforms, and standard development are also outlined in the plan. For instance, the call is issued for the business income of at least ten systemic solution providers to exceed C¥5 billion.
China's manufacturing sector lags behind foreign countries in digitisation and automation, notes Zuo Shiquan 左世全 MIIT official, and thus the plan aims to bring the sector up to speed by 2025 and foster smart technology adoption among major industrial enterprises by 2035. While the sector made significant progress in the last five years, says Zuo, an ageing population, carbon neutrality goals and great power competition mean that smart manufacturing is more important than ever.
Manufacturers should actively look for value-adding application scenarios rather than adopting technologies in vogue, notes Zhu Hongren 朱宏任 MIIT former chief engineer. However, SMEs face budget constraints, adds Wang Jian 王健 China Science and Technology Automation Alliance secretary general.
The Ministry pledges to offer fiscal and training support, as well as public service platforms.
Import substitution and developing breakthroughs in core technologies and applications are top priority. Industrial robots, high-end machine tools and industrial software are still dominated by foreign brands, notes 21st Century Business Herald. Other tasks include
- promoting applications and opening up new paths for transformation and upgrading
- smart factory demos
- 2,000 application scenarios by 2025
- 1,000 workshops by 2025
- 100 demo factories by 2025
- 100 supply chains by 2025
- industry digitisation: drastic improvement by 2025
- equipment manufacturing
- electronics and information
- raw materials
- consumer goods
- regional coordination
- smart factory demos
- domestic supply chain development
- smart manufacturing equipment: 1,000 developed by 2025
- basic components and equipment
- common, specialised and novel smart manufacturing equipment
- industrial software: a number of breakthroughs by 2025
- R&D and designs
- production management
- business management
- control and operation
- special industries
- novel applications
- systemic solutions
- smart manufacturing equipment: 1,000 developed by 2025
- basic support
- standardisation
- ecosystem design
- development: 200 developed or amended by 2025
- promotion: 100 pilots selected by 2025
- information infrastructure
- safety and security
- standardisation
Localities are urged to set up their own implementation plans.