Where to begin

In the sweltering heat of July, the Huangqiao Street area of Suzhou's Xiangcheng District is experiencing a wave of industrial activity. Factory workshops are buzzing with machinery, corporate orders are climbing steadily, and specialized industries are clustering together for growth. The internal driving force behind Huangqiao's economic development is steadily building.

Small ice machines capture big markets

Recently, rare high temperatures have swept across Europe, making cooling products like air conditioners, fans, and ice machines hot commodities for local consumers. In Huangqiao, an innovative company specializing in ice machine production, Suzhou Xiangxing Embodied Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd., has seen a surge in orders. Export orders to Europe have increased fourfold year-on-year and are now booked through November.

Entering the Suzhou Intelligent Manufacturing Service Industry Park where Xiangxing Technology operates, the workshop spans over 2,000 square meters and is a hive of activity. On the assembly line, workers skillfully tighten screws and connect pipes with precise, fluid motions. On the testing line, each ice machine undergoes comprehensive functional checks. The assembly and testing lines work closely together, with technical staff each handling their tasks, ensuring every machine passes rigorous quality control from components to finished product.

Currently, Xiangxing Technology's products are exported to more than 30 countries and regions, with cumulative shipments exceeding 20,000 units. They are widely used in convenience stores, tea and coffee shops, office spaces, and unattended self-service terminals. "Our orders have exploded; the workshop runs 24/7, with workers alternating in two shifts," said the company's founder and CEO, Zhang Bin. He noted that the European heatwave has driven rapid order growth, and the company is now operating at full capacity.

Intelligent storage equipment goes global

Suzhou Guanco Industrial Equipment Co., Ltd. is also experiencing a "golden period" of growth this summer. Orders for its independently developed digital intelligent warehousing and logistics conveyor systems have surged about 60% compared to the same period last year. In the first half of the year, new orders exceeded 20,000 units, with nearly 30% sold to international markets, reaching 12 countries and regions globally.

Entering Guanco's production workshop reveals a bustling yet orderly scene: intelligent welding robots spark with activity, precision machining tools run at high speed, and technical engineers are conducting final testing and adjustments on intelligent warehousing systems destined for overseas customers. The surge in orders stems from over a decade of deep technological innovation. Unlike traditional warehousing models, Guanco integrates digital technology with smart equipment to precisely solve common industry pain points like slow warehouse turnover, low space utilization, and high operational costs.

Its self-developed digital intelligent warehousing logistics conveyor system improves space utilization by 60%, boosts access efficiency to 95%, and reduces labor costs by 30%, making it a highly sought-after "star product" in high-end manufacturing sectors like new energy, semiconductors, and 3C electronics. With leading technical strength and continuous innovation, Guanco has established two intelligent manufacturing bases, forming a dual-driven industry structure of "R&D plus smart manufacturing." The company holds over 30 core technology patents in digital intelligent warehousing, continuously strengthening its innovation capability and injecting new momentum into its high-quality development.

Industrial prosperity drives economic vitality

From ice machines selling well in Europe to intelligent storage equipment reaching global markets, and from brightly lit workshops to good news from overseas markets, a wave of tech-focused enterprises is emerging and thriving here. Standing at a new development starting point, Huangqiao is adopting a more dynamic attitude and practical measures to optimize its business environment, nurturing the soil for industrial growth. This approach aims to help more high-quality enterprises and projects flourish, contributing continuous "Huangqiao strength" to building a "new highland of digital intelligence economy."