China's economic mid-year report revealed a stable industrial sector with growing momentum from new drivers. Among the most dynamic regions reshaping this landscape, Jining, a city known as the "Hometown of Confucius and Mencius" and the "Canal Capital," stands out as a prime example. Once heavily reliant on coal resources, Jining is now pivoting toward green and innovative development. The city released its mid-2026 performance report, showing a GDP of 322.2 billion yuan for the first half of the year, a 5.9% year-on-year increase. The added value of above-scale industries grew by 8.7%, ranking first in Shandong Province, while the added value of above-scale manufacturing surged 19.6%, a historic high. Behind these figures lies an accelerated transformation of old and new growth drivers: electrical machinery and equipment manufacturing grew by 315.7%, lithium-ion battery production soared by 2434.6%, and industrial robot output rose by 193.8%. From a past dominated by a single coal industry to a present where high-end equipment manufacturing, new energy, and biomedicine flourish, Jining is steadfastly advancing its industrial economy as a top priority in the first year of the "15th Five-Year Plan." By intensifying the "chain chief system," the city is transforming from scale expansion to qualitative and efficiency improvement on the new industrialization track.

When Jining Manufacturing Takes Flight with Green Wings. In the sweltering August heat of Jining, construction is in full swing at the new energy engineering machinery manufacturing base of Shandong Hengwang Group Co., Ltd. (Hengwang Group) in Rencheng District. Tower cranes loom, welding sparks fly, and the 83-mu factory building is nearing completion. "This is one of two modern intelligent production bases the group is building. It will fully introduce smart manufacturing lines and green production processes, primarily producing self-developed all-series new energy excavators and loaders," said Liu Lu, production director of Hengwang Group. The base is expected to be completed and operational by the end of October, with full production capacity by December next year. At that point, the group's capacity will double, reaching over 6,000 units per year for medium and large engineering machinery. Hengwang Group's general manager, Liu Xiaowei, noted that the company was founded in 2011 and is a national high-tech enterprise integrating high-end equipment R&D, intelligent production, global trade, cross-border e-commerce, and supporting logistics. During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, the company seized opportunities in smart manufacturing upgrades and deepened opening-up to achieve a leapfrog rise, building a product matrix covering 6 major fields, 48 categories, and over 1,200 models, fully suiting construction, mining, photovoltaic, municipal, water conservancy, and pipeline scenarios. At the already operational first-phase green smart manufacturing base, robotic arms move precisely, and AGV smart carts carry core components. In the spacious workshop, large bulldozers and excavators line up, while hundreds of small mechanical devices are ready for shipment to Belt and Road Initiative countries. Liu Xiaowei explained that with a three-dimensional R&D system, the group continuously upgrades products for intelligence, greenness, and internationalization. Products are now exported to 180 countries and regions. From January to June 2026, output value reached 230 million yuan and revenue 830 million yuan, up 45% and 26% year-on-year, respectively, with exports totaling 460 million yuan, a 51% increase. Beyond Hengwang Group, projects from "chain leader" enterprises like Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Ltd.'s (CATL) new energy battery base in Yanzhou, the collaborative R&D between Luoshi Robotics and Shantui Construction Machinery, and the Singapore RGE Group's green low-carbon industrial park in Yutai are accelerating, serving as bedrock for stabilizing the industrial economy and building long-term momentum. In the first half of this year, Jining established a command center for strengthening the new industrial city, reviewing 1,065 industrial projects (new or tech-upgraded) with investments over 5 million yuan. Investment in industrial projects grew 12.3% from January to June, with 255 selected for the provincial key enterprise tech upgrade project directory and 63 projects receiving 520 million yuan from ultra-long-term special government bond funds. Green manufacturing system development deepened, with 60 city-level green factories and 2 city-level green industrial parks created, and 2 parks were recognized as national-level green industrial parks in 2025.

From Solo Efforts to Multi-Chain Prosperity. Like Hengwang Group, Shandong Haina Intelligent Equipment Technology Co., Ltd. (Haina Technology) is also a "chain leader" enterprise. In Jining, such companies are breaking the pattern of isolated industrial development, driving clustered, collaborative growth. Inside Haina Technology's intelligent conveyor electrical workshop, 11 robotic production lines operate simultaneously. On high-voltage frequency conversion integrated machines and permanent magnet drum integrated machine production lines, workers assemble components. The company's Party secretary and chairman, Zhu Kai, explained that founded in 2002, Haina Technology has a 300-mu modern industrial base with 83,000 square meters of high-standard workshops, focusing on "intelligent conveyor equipment, green mining and processing, and laser additive manufacturing and remanufacturing." It operates 16 domestic service centers and an international division, offering global customers green energy smart equipment solutions. "We developed the first domestically produced, MineHarmony-deeply adapted, fully adaptive bulk material conveying system, covering 29 categories and over 400 products, enabling millisecond-level response and intelligent control across transport chains. We pioneered the industry's first axial flux deceleration permanent magnet variable frequency integrated motor, breaking through drive scenario limitations, and the first 'underground coal gangue intelligent sorting + in-situ backfilling' technology, which is a national coal mine backfilling case," Zhu noted. Haina Technology now has 8 national and provincial R&D platforms, over 670 coal safety certificates, and more than 220 core patents. As a chain leader in the mining machinery sector and a national "little giant" specialized enterprise, it actively bridges resource gaps between upstream and downstream, fostering a collaborative ecosystem. "We precisely match with over 100 small and medium-sized enterprises in steel, rubber, and precision machining around Jining, achieving local procurement, cost reduction, and enhanced supply chain resilience," Zhu said. The company also participates in overseas exhibitions in Southeast Asia and Central Asia, connecting with local leaders to promote more domestic high-end coal machinery globally. There are now 88 such "chain leader" enterprises in Jining. "Focusing on 15 signature industrial chains and 35 key chains, Jining has established a 'chief chain chief + chain chief + deputy chain chief + chain leader' working mechanism," said a representative from the Jining Bureau of Industry and Information Technology. Municipal leaders serve as chain chiefs, coordinating efforts to reinforce weak chains, extend advantageous ones, upgrade traditional sectors, and build new ones, with tailored policies for each chain. In the first half of this year, Jining launched an action plan for chain upgrades, revised the chain chief system evaluation, and guided chain departments to draft three-year development plans. The city deepened integration, cross-chain synergy, and five-chain fusion, organizing 183 matchmaking events, signing 90 formal agreements worth 2.545 billion yuan. The added value and industrial investment of the 15 signature chains grew by 8.9% and 17.4%, respectively, outpacing the city average by 0.2 and 5.1 percentage points. Three clusters were selected for provincial SME specialized clusters, tying for first in Shandong Province.

Innovation Code Woven from a Single Straw. The core driver of new industrialization is technological innovation. In Yutun Town's Economic Park, Rencheng District, Shandong Aifudi Biotechnology Co., Ltd. (Aifudi) is a benchmark for integrating microbial technology and circular agriculture. During harvest season, trucks laden with straw enter the ecological agriculture circular economy park. In the workshop, agricultural waste like straw and livestock manure is processed through crushing, fermentation, and formulation into high-activity multi-enzyme microbial fertilizer, returning to fields. "Our enzyme fertilizer has a protease activity of up to 300,000 U/g, far exceeding market averages. It improves soil structure, promotes crop growth, and enhances plant resilience to extreme weather, with an average yield increase of over 5%," said Han Bohui, assistant to the chairman of Aifudi. This product earned the company the title of "Shandong Province Manufacturing Single Champion." "Technological innovation is Aifudi's DNA, embedded in every step," Han said. "To solve core technical challenges, the company collaborates with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and Shandong Agricultural University, using advanced microbial PGPR technology. Production byproducts like plant ash and spray wastewater are fully recycled, and 4 megawatts of rooftop photovoltaic panels generate 6.8 million kilowatt-hours of clean electricity annually." With a 510-million-yuan project for organic solid waste resource utilization, the company has created a "comprehensive resource recycling" model, building a green, low-carbon industrial system integrating fertilization, energy, internal production cycles, water resource utilization, and rooftop solar. This focus on innovation has built a solid foundation. Aifudi now identifies and preserves over 100 strains of agricultural beneficial bacteria, holds 28 invention patents, and has developed key technologies like granular anti-replanting agents and microbial agents for nematode control, reaching domestic leading levels. It offers a complete product matrix covering organic fertilizers, microbial agents, and water-soluble fertilizers for all growth stages of field crops and fruit vegetables. At the start of the "15th Five-Year Plan," Aifudi announced a "three-year doubling plan": by 2028, annually process over 1 million tons of agricultural waste and produce over 600,000 tons of microbial fertilizers. Aifudi's transformation mirrors Jining's broader innovation breakthroughs. In the first half of this year, the city identified 116 innovation projects for key chains like high-end equipment, new materials, and biomedicine, ranking fourth in Shandong for project selection. Two platforms were included in the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology's manufacturing pilot service resource directory. The city formulated annual cultivation plans for innovative SMEs, specialized firms, and single champions, nurturing 305 first-batch innovative SMEs for 2026, ranking second in Shandong, and 72 provincial-level specialized firms, ranking seventh. From the construction fervor of Hengwang's new energy project to the cluster synergy led by Haina Technology's chain chief role, and Aifudi's persistent innovation in its niche, these efforts collectively outline the transformation of this traditional resource-based city. Once thriving on coal, it now moves toward green industry. The ancient canal waters flow, carrying a millennium of heritage, yet reflecting Jining's ambition to accelerate its journey toward becoming a "trillion-yuan city."