The 2025 World Intelligent Manufacturing Conference is just around the corner. A recent visit to leading smart manufacturing enterprises in Nanjing—including Jinling Petrochemical, TICA Environment, Nanjing Iron and Steel Group, and Siemens Numerical Control (Nanjing) Co., Ltd. (SNC)—revealed how these industry frontrunners are leveraging cutting-edge technologies to transform production processes, reshape industrial structures, and elevate the overall capabilities of the manufacturing sector.

**Building an Industrial Data "Expressway" for Daily Profit Forecasting** Equipped with high-definition cameras and multiple sensors, autonomous inspection robots patrol pipelines, detecting leaks and abnormal temperatures with precision. On the massive screen in the control center, an AI-driven smart manufacturing system analyzes real-time data across the entire production chain, dynamically optimizing parameters and accurately predicting daily profits.

As Nanjing’s only enterprise with an annual industrial output exceeding 100 billion yuan, Jinling Petrochemical has achieved remarkable results in refined management, production optimization, and green development through its smart refinery system. Recognized as a "National Exemplary Smart Factory," it sets a benchmark for traditional manufacturers undergoing digital transformation.

"We’ve established a 5G private network across the entire plant, connecting over 8,000 smart terminals to create a high-reliability, low-latency industrial data 'expressway,' significantly enhancing our digital sensing capabilities," said Xu Hong, Chairman and Executive Director of Jinling Petrochemical. The company has completed full-process data collection and governance, enabling its AI-driven system to optimize production dynamically and forecast daily profits accurately.

"Deep reinforcement learning algorithms optimize process parameters, increasing production capacity by over 5%," Xu added. Since the 14th Five-Year Plan, the company has processed 84.7 million tons of crude oil, generating 511.2 billion yuan in revenue—proof of the efficiency gains from smart manufacturing.

**"Steel Brain" Drives Digital Transformation and Industry Leadership** A 42-meter-long, 6-meter-high screen displays real-time data flows, tracking everything from molten iron to finished steel products. Nanjing Iron and Steel Co., Ltd. (NISCO) has transformed its operations center into a "steel brain," integrating over a million data points into a digital twin that visualizes the entire production line in 3D.

As a leader in Nanjing’s steel industry, NISCO is implementing a three-year "AI 100 Scenarios, 1,000 Models" plan to deepen the integration of AI and steelmaking. In June, the company launched its "YuanYe·Steel Large Model," a dual-brain system combining probabilistic computing and precise problem-solving to overcome traditional model limitations.

"Smart manufacturing is no longer optional—it’s a survival imperative," said a company representative. By digitizing all business processes, NISCO has built an industrial internet platform powered by data governance and AI, streamlining operations from order placement to delivery.

"Smart manufacturing has boosted efficiency, cost control, and customer satisfaction, laying a solid foundation for full-scale digital transformation," the representative noted. With over 200 products and solutions, NISCO now serves more than 100 enterprises, amplifying its industry influence.

**Three Major Bases Upgrade, Streamlining End-to-End Smart Manufacturing** TICA Environment’s air-handling units dominate the market, serving 7,000 hospitals, 5,000 GMP-certified pharmaceutical plants, 3,000 microelectronics firms, and over 1,000 new energy companies. "Our units have led national market share for 15 years, thanks to smart manufacturing," said Wang Dongdong, Manufacturing Senior Director at TICA Environment.

Customization accounts for over 80% of production, posing challenges due to heavy reliance on manual labor. "We automated core processes like foaming, sheet metal, and thermal adhesive application during factory construction," Wang explained.

At TICA’s newly operational clean production base, robotic arms work tirelessly on highly automated lines, replacing manual labor and boosting efficiency. The company’s end-to-end digital system integrates nine subsystems, eliminating 25 redundant steps, improving operational efficiency by over 30%, and reducing delivery cycles from 25 to 20 days. Recognized as a "National Exemplary Smart Factory," TICA looks forward to sharing its achievements at the upcoming World Intelligent Manufacturing Conference.

**Native Digital Factory Sets Benchmark with Flexible Production** At Siemens Numerical Control (Nanjing) (SNC), a native digital factory—built from the ground up using digital twin technology—showcases the full potential of smart manufacturing. As Siemens’ largest R&D and production base for motion control outside Germany, SNC combines digitalization, lean production, flexibility, and sustainability to lead the industry.

"We embedded digital DNA into manufacturing from the start," said Zhou Yurong, General Manager of SNC. "Efficiency, collaboration, safety, and sustainability define our lifecycle approach."

By deploying digital twins, industrial 5G, and smart maintenance systems, SNC has achieved deep IT-OT integration, delivering double-digit annual productivity gains, shorter lead times, and lower costs. Recognized as a "National Exemplary Smart Factory," SNC pioneered a "Lego-style" flexible production line and aims to advance industrial AI and the metaverse.

Zhou emphasized the World Intelligent Manufacturing Conference’s role as a global platform for innovation, where Siemens will showcase its smart manufacturing breakthroughs and collaborate on industry-wide upgrades.

**Nanjing’s Smart Manufacturing Vision** Nanjing has taken the lead in Jiangsu Province by launching a three-year action plan for manufacturing digitalization, fostering deep integration of digital technologies and nurturing industry-leading smart factories. With national smart factories setting the pace and the World Intelligent Manufacturing Conference as a global stage, Nanjing is accelerating its rise as a smart manufacturing hub, driving technological breakthroughs, ecosystem development, and international collaboration.