Geographical location and limited development space have historically constrained many mountainous counties, leaving their manufacturing sectors with a weak foundation and insufficient momentum. Breaking this deadlock and forging a distinctive development path has become a central challenge for these regions. Jinyun County, nestled in the mountains of southwestern Zhejiang, has delivered an impressive response. By precisely focusing on niche sectors, using technological innovation as an engine to drive the iterative upgrade of industries like CNC machine tools and smart short-distance transportation, and strategically planning for new growth areas such as robotics components and hydrogen energy, the county has carved out a unique development path characterized by "major innovation in a small county."

Strong performance data confirms this robust momentum. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, Jinyun's GDP grew from 24.34 billion yuan to 36.31 billion yuan, with an average annual growth rate of 7.3%. The total output value of industries above a designated scale nearly doubled compared to the end of the 13th Five-Year Plan period, exceeding 52.5 billion yuan, achieving the developmental leap of "rebuilding a new industrial base" within five years.

Technological Innovation Revitalizes Traditional Sectors, Polishing a Golden Brand

Entering the production workshop of Zhejiang Julihuang Industrial Technology Co., Ltd., one sees robotic arms operating flexibly, laser welding performing with precision, and R&D teams engaged in intense discussions on technical challenges. This scene of smart manufacturing is a vivid reflection of how Jinyun, known as the "Sawing Machine Capital of China," is reshaping its traditional industry. Jinyun accounts for over 71% of China's sawing machine production, with its core supporting saw blade consumables holding more than 90% of the market share. By leveraging technological innovation, the county has broken through the traditional limitations of single equipment manufacturing, gradually building a full industrial chain cluster for high-end equipment manufacturing and injecting new vitality into its established traditional industry.

Leading enterprises are spearheading this industrial evolution. Julihuang, with decades of industry experience, continues to increase investment in high-end equipment R&D, dedicating over 4% of its annual revenue to research. It collaborates with multiple universities and research institutes to tackle industry-wide technical problems. The company successfully developed China's first modular assembly line for sawing machines and, relying on its intelligent saw-cutting industrial internet platform, can provide customers with customized integrated solutions for smart warehousing and material cutting. "The company is accelerating its transformation from a traditional equipment manufacturer to a comprehensive service provider for digitalized saw-cutting workshops," said Li Binsheng, Chairman of Julihuang. "There are no backward industries, only backward products. Technological innovation has opened up vast prospects for the traditional sawing machine industry."

Similarly, within the county, Zhejiang Hengsimai Intelligent Machinery Co., Ltd. is fully advancing its intelligent transformation by increasing R&D investment and introducing smart production equipment to overhaul its production processes comprehensively. Today, thanks to key technological breakthroughs in its AI-powered saw-cutting system, Hengsimai's sawing machines lead the industry in precision and stability. "Sawing used to fall under rough machining, but now AI technology enables it to enter a new era of precision machining," said Wu Liguang, the company's General Manager. This revitalization is bearing fruit; Jinyun's sawing machine products are now widely used in high-end fields like aerospace and rail transportation and are exported to dozens of countries and regions overseas. Building on a solid industrial base and sustained innovation, Jinyun is propelling the "Sawing Machine Capital of China" toward becoming a high-end, international "New Global Landmark for Machine Tools."

Advanced Smart Manufacturing Gains Global Reach, Riding from the Mountains to the World

"This electric motorcycle, specifically developed for the Russian market, features a body material specially upgraded for extreme cold and is suitable for off-road, hill climbing, and other extreme scenarios. It's currently a best-seller," explained Wu Zifeng, Deputy General Manager of Zhejiang Leshang Leisure Products Co., Ltd., where workers have been busy producing electric motorcycles for export to Russia. In the first quarter of this year, the company's sales reached 36 million yuan, a 19% year-on-year increase.

Smart short-distance transportation tools effectively address the "last mile" pain point of urban commuting, presenting a vast market outlook. Capitalizing on this trend, Jinyun has established the smart short-distance transportation industry as a regional pillar, continuously driving its iterative upgrade. The local industry has evolved from single-product manufacturing to a full-chain industrial cluster covering electric bicycles, electric scooters, balance bikes, all-terrain vehicles, and racing motorcycles, with an output value nearing 7 billion yuan.

The cluster's vigorous growth is evident in many enterprises. Zhejiang Oukai Intelligent Bicycle Industry Co., Ltd., a national high-tech enterprise, operates multiple automated production lines at high speed. Holding 119 valid patents, its main products include shared scooters and shared bicycles, exported to over 50 countries and regions. "We produce by strictly adhering to automotive industry quality standards, with our own professional laboratory capable of conducting comprehensive testing on materials and full vehicle performance, solidifying our product quality foundation," said Xu Haoyang, Manager of the company's Manufacturing Management Department. He added that the company will focus on the intelligent upgrade of complete vehicles, using core technology to empower products and continuously expand into the global market.

The robust development of these enterprises is supported by the industrial ecosystem and local government policies. Leveraging the mature Yong-Wu-Jin hardware industrial ecosystem, Jinyun has gathered over 70 upstream and downstream supporting enterprises for the smart short-distance transportation industry, enabling one-stop sourcing of core components like frames, cylinders, wheel hubs, and lithium batteries, significantly shortening product development and production cycles. County officials noted that local platforms like "Government-Enterprise Roundtables" and "Entrepreneur Afternoon Teas" facilitate resource sharing and complementary advantages among businesses. New policies, such as rewards for "export famous brands," are being planned to fuel companies' enthusiasm for going global. Events like the six-year-running "Ride China Motorcycle Carnival" help continuously improve industrial support and optimize the business environment.

Fertile Ground for New Opportunities: Emerging Industries Sprout and Grow

While traditional industries steadily upgrade, Jinyun is also venturing into new tracks to shape fresh advantages, fostering the growth of emerging industries like robotics components and hydrogen energy from scratch to robust development. Currently, global leader Unitree Robotics has partnered with several companies to form an innovation center, which includes Zhejiang Xinxude Motor Co., Ltd. located in the Li-Jin High-Tech Zone. This company specializes in the design and manufacturing of micro-motors, integrating independent R&D, automated production, and lean manufacturing, with long-term cooperation with several well-known home appliance brands. "The shift from home appliance components to robot joints is essentially a transfer of precision manufacturing capabilities," explained company head Lü Xiaojun. "We are tackling new motor projects that will provide high-precision power units for industrial robots, making the joint bending of robotic arms more accurate."

Nearby, the Lishui (Jinyun) Hydrogen Equipment Industry Engineer Collaborative Innovation Center has attracted a group of hydrogen equipment industry and talent projects through chain-based recruitment. Among them, Zhejiang Qingyang Energy Equipment Co., Ltd. focuses on producing core components for hydrogen fuel cells, with extensions into hydrogen agriculture, hydrogen medicine, and hydrogen home appliances, building a complete technological chain from basic research to industrial application. "The hydrogen energy industry is a blue ocean. We are continuously breaking through foreign technological monopolies to ensure the autonomy and controllability of the industrial chain," said Huang Gang, Chairman of Qingyang Energy. He noted that Jinyun's hydrogen industry has a substantial scale, with different companies focusing on varied R&D and business directions, leading to frequent communication, mutual learning, and collective growth.

A high-quality industrial ecosystem and business environment are attracting more hydrogen-related enterprises to take root and develop confidently in Jinyun. Anliu Technology (Lishui) Co., Ltd. established itself in Jinyun in 2023, with businesses like air-cooled fuel cell stacks and electrolyzed water hydrogen production products reaching overseas markets. General Manager Xu Fan stated that Jinyun's clear development path for the hydrogen industry, coupled with efficient government services and favorable talent policies, provides a solid guarantee for corporate R&D and innovation. It is understood that Jinyun has introduced measures to integrate education, technology, and talent to empower the high-quality development of the hydrogen equipment industry, providing comprehensive support from platforms, talent, projects, and infrastructure. By the end of 2025, the county had gathered 39 hydrogen equipment-related enterprises, with total core product revenue exceeding 4 billion yuan.

The 2026 Zhejiang Provincial Government Work Report proposed that during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, the province should adhere to the directions of intelligentization, greening, and integration, and coordinate the revitalization and upgrade of traditional industries, the growth and expansion of emerging industries, and the scientific layout of future industries. Looking at Jinyun, the layered mountains have not hindered its progress. By empowering industries with technology and gathering vitality through its ecosystem, it is shaping the "major innovation in a small county" into a shining model of high-quality development for mountainous counties.