Made in China 2025: Chinese government aims at Industry 4.0 implementation

The “Made in China 2025” plan, known as the Chinese version of “Industry 4.0,” was printed and distributed by the State Council, symbolizing the government’s ambition to implement the concept. The plan proposes four measurements to assess the industry’s maturity in Industry 4.0, including creativity, quality benefit, integration of industrialization, and information and green development.

By Aileen Jin August 30, 2015

The "Made in China 2025" plan, known as the Chinese version of "Industry 4.0," was printed and distributed by the State Council in 2015, symbolizing progress from the proposal of the concept to the implementation of the plan. The Made in China 2025 proposes a target of becoming a manufacturing giant within 10 years. During these 10 years, companies should achieve significant improvement in overall manufacturing quality, enhancement of creativity and productivity, and the integration of industrialization and information. 

Four Industry 4.0 measurements

The plan also proposes four measurements to access the companies’ maturity in Industry 4.0 including the creativity, quality benefit, integration of industrialization, and information and green development. For example, the plan stipulates that the percentage of research and development (R&D) funds of large manufacturing companies should increase from 0.95% in 2015 to 1.68% by 2025, and the value-adding ratio of the manufacturing sector should increase by 4%. Use of computer numerical controls (CNC) should increase by 30%, and the energy consumption of manufacturers should decrease by 34%.

Moving to a manufacturing giant

In addition to the quantification of strategic targets, the Made in China 2025 plan also proposes nine strategic missions, five key projects, and 10 breakthroughs in key sectors with respect to the implementation of the greater plan of transitioning from a manufacturing country to a manufacturing giant. The five key projects include the construction of manufacturing innovation centers, smart manufacturing projects, manufacturing base strengthening projects, green manufacturing projects, and high-end equipment innovation projects. 

94 smart manufacturing projects

Recently, the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) released the 2015 smart manufacturing projects, including 94 projects covering scientific research institutions and enterprises incorporated into the list, symbolizing the start of the smart manufacturing project in the Made in China 2025 plan. Li Dong, co-director of MIIT’s equipment department, said the smart manufacturing projects will be further expanded by 2016 and fully put into operation in 2017.

In the list of 2015 smart manufacturing projects, there are automation manufacturers, such as Beijing Helishi System Engineering Co. Ltd., which will take part in the rail transit equipment information exchange and interoperability standards project and the test validation system project, in addition to scientific research institutions that will participate in research projects based on general technologies and standards, such as the Internet of Things (IoT), big data, cloud calculation, and industrial information safety.

The transforming manufacturing sector can’t live without advanced automation technologies, and every engineer will be the participant and executer of the Made in China 2025 plan. In the future, we hope more automation enterprises can participate in this project and make contributions to the early realization of the manufacturing giant dream.

– Aileen Jin, editor-in-chief, Control Engineering China. Edited by Joy Chang, digital project manager, Control Engineering, jchang@cfemedia.com.

ONLINE extra

This was translated and edited for Control Engineering from Control Engineering China.

www.cechina.cn 

See other international coverage. www.controleng.com/international


Author Bio: Aileen Jin is editor-in-chief of Control Engineering China.