Rebuilding an "Industrial Deyang" begins with the secondary entrepreneurship of leading enterprises. On the morning of March 25, Zhang Yue, Deputy Director of the R&D Center at Dongfang Electric Machinery, opened a product design blueprint on his computer. In addition to the usual large-scale hydropower equipment, the blueprint now includes a smaller component—a high-voltage phase modifier.

For over a decade, Zhang Yue had been tackling insulation challenges in giant hydropower equipment. Since last year, his focus has shifted from hydropower to high-voltage phase modifiers.

The transformation path of Dongfang Electric Machinery is clearly visible through the changes on Zhang Yue's workbench. "To rebuild an 'Industrial Deyang,' we must first rebuild Dongfang Electric Machinery," stated Pan Xiaojie, Head of the Strategic Investment Department at Dongfang Electric Machinery, plainly. Data supports this confidence: during the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, Dongfang Electric Machinery's key operational metrics maintained double-digit growth. Looking ahead to the "15th Five-Year Plan," the company aims to establish two highlands—traditional industries and strategic emerging industries—with a target revenue of 20 billion yuan by the end of the period.

Where will the growth come from? The solution lies in adjusting the industrial layout. In recent years, Dongfang Electric Machinery has built a "2+8+N" industrial matrix: two traditional pillars—premium hydropower and premium thermal power; eight strategic emerging industry tracks—electric motors, canned motors, air-cooled motors, wind power motors, high-end large pumps, smart power stations, power station services, and energy-saving environmental protection; and N frontier future industries, such as electric aircraft propulsion systems. "Beyond hydropower, we are continuously expanding increments in 'short, flat, fast' areas like water pumps, canned pumps, and electric motors," Pan Xiaojie added.

Transformation is never smooth sailing. For a company like Dongfang Electric Machinery, renowned for producing large components, transformation means breaking conventions. Liu Lingjun, Director of the Science and Technology Innovation Planning Office at Dongfang Electric Machinery, drew an analogy: large components are "visible peaks"—technically challenging but with clear goals and prioritized resources; small products are an "unseen ocean"—perhaps with lower technical barriers but fierce market competition, requiring比拼 cost, delivery, and service. This contradiction represents the growing pains a "mother factory" must endure when incubating "new species."

Dongfang Electric Machinery has established "special zones" for emerging industries—independent accounting and assessment, with greater autonomy in procurement, production, and sales. However, these zones must leverage the core technical resources of the "mother factory." "We are not starting from scratch; we are extracting the most core 'root technologies' to nurture new businesses," Liu Lingjun explained.

Since the beginning of this year, Dongfang Electric Machinery has successively ventured into new businesses like low-frequency transmission systems and high-voltage phase modifier equipment. One by one, "new species" are emerging from the soil of the "mother factory."