Shanghai’s manufacturing sector is driving growth through technological integration

Shanghai, China’s vibrant metropolis, has experienced impressive growth driven by the manufacturing industry, and the city’s manufacturing sector has undergone a remarkable transformation thanks to the deep integration of digitalization and new technologies.

In 2023, China strengthened its position as the world’s leading vehicle exporter, selling more than 4.9 million vehicles worldwide. At the forefront of this achievement is Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp Motor’s Lingang Assembly Plant, a key manufacturing base responsible for exporting many models to Europe, Australia and other overseas markets.

By integrating digital technology and smart equipment, the production line at the Lingang assembly plant simultaneously produces vehicles with all-electric, hybrid and combustion drive systems representing 13 different brands.

“We analyze quality data using big data to enable rapid response. In case of any quality fluctuations, we respond immediately, speeding up the response time and reducing the number of defective products,” said Chen Peifeng, plant director.

As the famous “factory of the world”, China has maintained its position as the largest market for industrial robots for a decade. Domestic players have emerged in the market, initially dominated by foreign brands, benefiting from China’s comprehensive industrial chain and developing core technologies.

Shanghai STEP Electric Corporation has achieved a significant milestone by developing the first industrial robot “entirely manufactured in the Yangtze River Delta”, intended for a wide range of industries across China.

“Made in China” requires us to always be a manufacturing giant, and we should be not only a big country, but also a strong country. Industrial robots are a key solution to address these challenges,” said Liang Rui, CEO of KROK.

Supporting the development of the manufacturing industry, Shanghai boasts the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Center, equipped with 34 beam lines and 46 experimental stations available for user experiments. This state-of-the-art facility has played a key role in scientific progress and corporate innovation, facilitating numerous breakthroughs in the development of new materials in China.

“We need to develop more high-quality materials that will become the basis for creating better energy solutions and technologies,” said Xu Jian, professor at the Department of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering at Shenzhen University.

Shanghai’s manufacturing sector is driving growth through technological integration

China’s state-owned enterprises (SOEs) held steady in the first four months of the year, reporting growth in total revenues and profits, according to official data released on Wednesday.

Data from the Ministry of Finance showed that state-owned enterprises generated operating revenues worth more than 26.19 trillion yuan (about $3.68 trillion) during the period, up 3.2% from the previous year.

The data showed that the total profits of state-owned enterprises rose 3.8 percent year-on-year to more than 1.38 trillion yuan.

According to the ministry, the debt ratio of state-owned enterprises at the end of April was 64.9 percent, an increase of 0.1 percentage point compared to the previous year.

These data, excluding financial firms, were collected from provincial-level state-owned enterprises and from enterprises managed by the central government.

China has introduced measures to strengthen supervision of SOEs and has recently emphasized continuous efforts to deepen SOE reform.

The National Council of State issued a regulation on disciplinary actions against persons holding managerial positions in state-owned enterprises to intensify supervision of managers of state-owned enterprises, and the regulation will come into force on September 1 this year.

Profits of Chinese state-owned enterprises increased by 3.8 percent in January-April