On July 24th, as one of the city-level events during APEC Digital Week, a symposium on building a manufacturing powerhouse and advancing new industrialization was held in Chengdu. The event brought together academicians, experts, leading industry figures, and representatives from high-end think tanks to discuss the future of new industrialization.
The "Pilot Zone" for New Industrialization
In March, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology announced the first batch of 16 cities to create a national new industrialization demonstration zone, with Chengdu on the list. "A national new industrialization demonstration zone acts as a testing ground and model room for the transformation and upgrading of the manufacturing industry," said Zhou Ji, Director of the National Manufacturing Power Construction Strategic Advisory Committee and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. This latest selection marks the second time Chengdu has received a national-level manufacturing strategy "ticket," following its designation as one of the first western pilot cities for "Made in China 2025" in 2017. This makes Chengdu one of the few cities nationwide and the only one in western China to possess two generations of national demonstration resources. With this "test field" for new industrialization in hand, how should Chengdu proceed? Attendees offered their perspectives.
The Direction: AI-Empowered New Industrialization and Deeper Smart Manufacturing
How does one create a national new industrialization demonstration zone? Zhou Ji emphasized using artificial intelligence to empower new industrialization, focusing on a new generation of smart manufacturing as the main direction to fully realize the digital transformation and intelligent upgrading of the manufacturing industry. Zhou believes that the deep integration of AI technology and advanced manufacturing technology is evolving into smart manufacturing technology. This fundamentally changes the relationship between humans and information systems, shifting from "giving a fish" to "teaching how to fish." The new generation of smart manufacturing possesses capabilities for autonomous perception, decision-making, execution, and learning, making systems faster, more precise, and more reliable, becoming smarter with use. He placed this change within the historical context of the Industrial Revolution: the first was the steam engine, the second was electric motor technology, the third was computer digital technology, and the fourth common enabling technology is the fusion of new-generation smart manufacturing and advanced manufacturing. This will lead and drive revolutionary transformation and upgrading of the manufacturing industry, becoming the core driving force of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Chengdu already has a foundation for this. In 2025, the city's core AI industry scale exceeded 150 billion yuan, a 40% increase, with over 1,200 enterprises, moving its comprehensive strength into the national first tier. Chengdu is advancing national city-level pilot projects for manufacturing technological transformation, digital transformation of SMEs, and the integration of "5G + Industrial Internet," achieving a rate of 78.9% for the integration of industrialization and informatization.
Planning and Execution: A '6+1+10' Demonstration System
In fact, Chengdu has already devised a plan for building the national new industrialization demonstration zone. Chengdu Deputy Mayor Xu Xingguo stated that the city has established a four-level working group, coordinating multiple departments and districts, and innovatively constructing a "6+1+10" demonstration creation system. This system includes 6 core demonstration tasks, 1 distinctive resident-integration task, and has been broken down into 60 specific implementable tasks. The core concept running through it all can be summarized in one word: integration. This includes the integration of science and industry, the integration of ecosystems and industrial chains, the integration of digital and real economies, and the integration of production factors. Taking the integration of digital and real economies as an example, Chengdu will deepen the implementation of national-level pilot programs for new manufacturing technology transformation, "5G + Industrial Internet," and the digital transformation of SMEs. The goal is to achieve full coverage of digital transformation for industries above a designated size by 2027. Chengdu will also deepen the "AI+" initiative, focusing on building a diverse computing power system encompassing supercomputing, intelligent computing, and general computing, and expanding high-value scenarios such as industrial large models and embodied intelligence.
Tangible Results: 'Made in Chengdu' Products Show Practical Applications
Outside the conference hall, the Chengdu Manufacturing Exhibition provided a more vivid perspective. In the photovoltaic sector, Chengdu-based company Tongwei Group has seen its cell shipments rank first globally for nine consecutive years. In the field of innovative drugs, "Made in Chengdu" products have repeatedly set records for Chinese drug exports overseas. In the low-altitude economy track, Chengdu is home to publicly listed drone companies including AVIC UAV Co., Ltd. (China Unmanned Aerial Vehicle), Chengdu Zongheng Automation Technology Co., Ltd. (Zongheng Shares), and Sichuan Lihang Technology Co., Ltd. (Lihang Technology). The city's export volume and market share of industrial drones firmly hold the top spot in the country. During an interview, Cheng Wei, Assistant to the Chairman of Zongheng Shares and General Manager of Shenzhen Zongheng UAV Technology Co., Ltd., revealed that the company is advancing an "AI + UAV" direction. They are developing an "airborne embodied robot" that combines large models with aircraft to truly achieve unmanned drone operation. He stated that as a "chain leader" enterprise, Zongheng Shares will continue to collaborate with upstream and downstream companies, improve the industrial chain supporting system, open up technology coordination channels, and cultivate the industrial development ecosystem. They aim to leverage the agglomeration effect of leading enterprises to elevate the overall level of the drone industry.
From the implementation of new airworthiness regulations to industrial accumulation, the low-altitude economy is moving from "taking flight" to "flying steadily." This tests not only technology but also the synergy between institutional innovation and the industrial ecosystem. Hu Tao, Deputy Chief Expert of Airworthiness and Safety at the China Aeronautical Comprehensive Technology Research Institute, believes Chengdu has three advantages: strong policy support, a rich talent pool, and abundant logistics application scenarios. He particularly noted the broad prospects for long-haul logistics transportation in the central and western regions, especially within the Chengdu-Chongqing area.
Another "Made in Chengdu" product is accelerating its ascent. Ren Zishu, Deputy General Manager of Sichuan Interstellar Glory Aerospace Intelligent Manufacturing Co., Ltd., revealed that its reusable liquid propellant launch vehicle production and testing headquarters base project in Shuangliu, Chengdu, is progressing. The first phase (150 mu) will be operational by the end of this year, and the second phase is expected to be completed by the end of next year. Once complete, it will have an annual production capacity of 20 reusable rockets. "In the low Earth orbit, occupying the track means possessing it," Ren stated. At the end of 2025, China officially submitted an application to the ITU (International Telecommunication Union) for frequency and orbital resources for an additional 203,000 satellites. The ITU follows a "first-come, first-served" principle. "Whoever has lower costs, faster reuse, and higher launch frequency will seize the opportunity." According to the "Chengdu Commercial Aerospace Innovation and Development Three-Year Action Plan (2025-2027)," by 2027, the city's commercial aerospace and related industry scale is expected to reach 50 billion yuan, with over 7 chain leader enterprises and more than 70 innovative application scenarios created.