Dongguan Embarks on Smart Manufacturing Initiative to Drive Transition from a Major Manufacturing Hub to a Manufacturing Powerhouse

Dongguan Sunshine Network News (Chief Correspondent He Chunhui) – Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, China has accelerated the process of industrial modernization, implementing the "Made in China 2025" strategy and embarking on a comprehensive journey from a large manufacturing country to a strong manufacturing power. Over the past five years, as a model city for manufacturing transformation in China, Dongguan has actively aligned itself with "Made in China 2025," vigorously advanced the smart manufacturing initiative, cultivated and developed the robotics and intelligent equipment industry, and leveraged smart manufacturing to enhance its industrial development level. These efforts have driven Dongguan's transition from a major manufacturing city to a manufacturing powerhouse, yielding remarkable results.

Today, stepping into Dongguan's factories, one finds fewer labor-intensive production lines and a growing presence of automated equipment and intelligent robotics. From 2014 to 2016, the city implemented a three-year "Robot Replacement" action plan, under which the municipal finance allocated no less than RMB 200 million annually to subsidize enterprises in adopting advanced automation equipment for a new round of technological upgrades. Brand-new smart manufacturing production lines have sprung up in factories across various towns and subdistricts.

Driven by the "Robot Replacement" initiative, the rigid demand for automation and intelligent equipment has spurred rapid growth among Dongguan's intelligent equipment manufacturers. Dongguan Guanjia Electronic Equipment Co., Ltd., located in Tangxia Town, seized the opportunity of the new round of technological transformation. Over the past five years, the company has achieved an annual growth rate of 30%.

Li Chuimeng, General Manager of Dongguan Guanjia Electronic Equipment Co., Ltd., remarked: "As the world undergoes the transformation and upgrading of Industry 4.0 and smart manufacturing, Dongguan stands at the forefront of this sensitive zone. As a global manufacturing hub, coupled with preferential policies and supportive measures in Dongguan, these factors have also propelled our equipment manufacturing industry to reap market benefits during the transformation and upgrading process."

Dongguan has positioned smart manufacturing as the flagship project of its "Made in China 2025" implementation. In addition to providing special subsidies for "Robot Replacement," the city has also introduced incentive measures for the promotion of the first (set) of key technical equipment, as well as a comprehensive work plan for building a smart manufacturing ecosystem. These initiatives offer enterprises full-spectrum services and support—covering technology, talent, finance, and more—for the implementation of smart manufacturing.