The recent convening of the National Advanced Manufacturing Conference and the World Manufacturing Conference has cast a spotlight on the sector, solidifying a shared consensus that scaling up advanced manufacturing is essential for future development. As China prepares for the 15th Five-Year Plan period, the key to continued expansion lies in building upon existing strengths and aligning with industrial evolution trends, transforming scale and systemic advantages into innovation, competitiveness, and growth momentum.
Manufacturing is the cornerstone of national prosperity and a strong industrial base, with advanced manufacturing serving as a vital pillar of the real economy. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the sector has experienced remarkable growth. China's manufacturing value-added output has maintained the world's top position for 16 consecutive years, accounting for nearly 30% of the global total. Leading areas such as photovoltaics, communications, high-speed rail, and shipbuilding have achieved global leadership, while emerging fields like robotics, artificial intelligence, and innovative pharmaceuticals show dynamic promise. New quality productive forces are gaining momentum, driving substantial progress in advanced manufacturing.
However, bottlenecks in certain core and key technologies remain pressing challenges that must be addressed. Looking ahead to the next five-year period, growing advanced manufacturing should not be simplistically equated with capacity expansion or increased output. Instead, the focus must shift toward intelligent, green, and integrated development to elevate both the quality and efficiency of the sector.
Where to begin building momentum
Innovation serves as the primary driver for advancing manufacturing capabilities. Today's competitive landscape hinges on scientific and technological prowess, the efficiency of translating research into practical applications, and the strength of industrial organization. It is essential to guide technological breakthroughs with industrial demand, reinforce the role of enterprises as innovation leaders, and foster deep integration across innovation, industrial, capital, and talent chains. More research outcomes need to transition from laboratories to production lines, evolving from samples to products and finally into thriving industries. In particular, new technologies like artificial intelligence should be embedded throughout research and development, manufacturing, management, and service processes, enabling a comprehensive and systematic transformation of the manufacturing sector.
Sustained growth in advanced manufacturing cannot rely on isolated efforts from individual companies; it requires collaborative supply chains and integrated cluster development. Whether it is the C919 large passenger aircraft, domestically built cruise ships, new energy vehicles, or industrial robots, these achievements result from coordinated contributions across materials, equipment, software, components, and services. Improving foundational industrial capabilities, cultivating advanced manufacturing clusters, and promoting interconnected growth among large, medium, and small enterprises are crucial. Stronger cooperation among upstream and downstream companies in technology, standards, talent, and application scenarios will foster an ecosystem where leading enterprises anchor development and specialized, innovative firms provide vital support.
Exploring new horizons for deployment
Further expanding advanced manufacturing also necessitates allocating resources across broader scopes and opening new avenues for growth. China's vast super-sized market offers rich application scenarios for new technologies and products, creating favorable conditions for iterative innovation. High-quality supply should generate fresh demand, while top-tier products and services compete effectively in both domestic and international markets. At the same time, expanding openness in manufacturing cooperation, encouraging multinational enterprises to participate deeply in China's innovation and industrial development, and elevating industrial standards through open competition are all essential components of this strategy.
The journey from "Made in China" to "Innovated in China" marks a significant evolution toward higher stages of manufacturing. Translating vision into reality requires the effective combination of a competent government and an efficient market. On one hand, policy support, public services, standard systems, and resource guarantees should be improved in response to enterprises' needs, while continuously optimizing a fair and competitive market environment. On the other hand, respecting enterprises' autonomy and fully leveraging the market's decisive role in resource allocation will allow companies with genuine technological strength, market demand, and growth potential to flourish.
The 15th Five-Year Plan period represents a crucial timeframe for building a modern industrial system and accelerating the development of new quality productive forces. By steadfastly strengthening advanced manufacturing and consolidating the real economy's foundations, China's economy will secure more robust industrial support and greater development resilience, continually opening new prospects on the path to Chinese modernization.