Feng Li, correspondent China Observer
China’s top industry regulator announced a heightened commitment to nurturing leading global enterprises and unicorns in the industrial internet sector, a high-tech frontier fiercely contested by major countries. The initiative is part of China’s broader strategy to advance new industrialization, emphasizing the integration of cutting-edge technologies like 5G into industrial production and management. The objective is to propel the upgrade and digital transformation of China’s extensive industrial economy, according to experts.
Jin Zhuanglong, the Minister of Industry and Information Technology, conveyed this message at the 2023 China 5G plus Industrial Internet Conference in Wuhan, Hubei province. He emphasized the need for collaborative research on industrial chains and the promotion of systematic breakthroughs in key products, including industrial internet platforms, industrial software, and industrial control systems.
Jin called for increased efforts to leverage China’s 5G technology advantage, urging accelerated research and development of industrial-grade 5G products. The aim is to foster the growth of leading enterprises and unicorns, startups valued at over $1 billion.
Ministry data reveals that China has established the world’s largest 5G network, boasting around 3.19 million 5G base stations as of September. The industrial internet industry’s market scale in the country has surpassed 1.2 trillion yuan ($167 billion), featuring over 8,000 5G-plus industrial internet projects and more than 89 million connected industrial devices.
Jin announced plans to draft guidelines for the widespread application of 5G-plus industrial internet technologies across various sectors. He urged leading enterprises to play a crucial role in driving the coordinated development of upstream and downstream industries within industrial chains.
This strategic move aligns with China’s top leadership’s commitment to advancing new industrialization, laying a robust material and technological foundation for the country’s modernization.
Zhou Ji, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering, highlighted two recent breakthroughs that have bolstered confidence in focusing on intelligent manufacturing: ChatGPT, an AI chatbot showcasing AI’s potential across sectors, and the rapid growth of China’s electric vehicle industry.
Yang Jie, Chairman of China Mobile, emphasized the evolution of AI from an auxiliary means to an indispensable core capability supporting economic and social development, citing its ability not only to write poetry but also to solve practical problems.
Hu Houkun, Rotating Chairman of Huawei Technologies Co, discussed the company’s crucial technologies, including industrial chips providing computing power, industrial operating systems acting as the “brain” for real-time tasks, and network connectivity ensuring data access. These innovations address historical challenges in connecting and operating industrial equipment over the internet.
