In Jinhua, the traditional manufacturing industry, which weighs heavily on Jinhua’s real economy, has been deeply integrated with cutting-edge science and technology, becoming “smart” as well as digitizing, clustering, and sharing.

According to statistics, from January to February in 2021, the added value of industrial companies above the designated level in Jinhua increased by 62.9%, 13.5% higher than the average of cities in Zhejiang and ranking third in the province. The added value of the high-tech industry, strategic emerging industry, manufacturing industry for the digital economy, and high-end equipment manufacturing industry increased by 71.5%, 80.1%, 143.2%, and 110.4%, respectively, with these growth rates ranking first in Zhejiang.

According to Cheng Changsheng, director of the Jinhua Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology, beginning in 2020, Jinhua has focused on smart manufacturing and innovatively promoted a pyramid model for development, which includes three stages: smart transformation, smart factories (digital workshops), and future factories. “Jinhua has selected 100 smart transformation projects with strong demonstration, good results, and large influence to form a library of smart manufacturing companies,” added Cheng. In 2020, a total of 18 projects in Jinhua were included in the list of provincial smart factories (digital workshops), and 373 smart transformation projects were implemented.

Smart manufacturing requires fewer employees but more robots. In 2020, Jinhua had 3191 new industrial robots. Now, over 15,000 robots are in service. In 2021, Jinhua continues to develop the “robot +” project to promote the application of 10,000 industrial robots. The project also aims to activate more than 3000 new industrial robots every year. According to plans, the total number of industrial robots in service in Jinhua will exceed 25,000 by 2023, so as to promote the development of emerging industries such as smart equipment, artificial intelligence, communication technology, and equipment manufacturing.

Jinhua Trilink Huihuang Co., Ltd. has more than 40 robot arms, and more than 100 industrial robots in service. In 2020, the company reduced its staff by half; its output value, however, reached 400 million RMB, and the profit was nearly 100 million RMB. The profit margin was increased by 15%. In the first quarter of 2021, the company achieved an output value of 75m RMB, a substantial increase of about 30% year over year.

In order to facilitate the smart transformation of the manufacturing industry, Jinhua provides services such as giving suggestions on smart transformation. To date, Jinhua has developed 15 companies that provide services for smart transformation projects and has provided 1500 companies with advice on their smart transformation.

This year, Jinhua took the lead in Zhejiang in launching customized services for companies. Over 20 service companies and departments which were involved in the development of smart manufacturing in Jinhua now provide such services. Companies can consult relevant departments or schedule appointments for services online. As of March 2021, the departments have received 3866 requests, all of which have been processed or transferred to the relevant departments, and the completion rate has reached 100%. (By Wang Weiying, translated by Jin Haiqiong, edited by Kendra Fiddler)