High-speed robotic arms, predictive industrial AI, self-learning production systems—the eighth China International Import Expo (CIIE) showcased cutting-edge smart manufacturing innovations. A total of 461 new products, technologies, and services were unveiled at the event.
The evolution of manufacturing intelligence and automation is now guided by the concept of "new quality productive forces," which emphasizes fundamental efficiency transformations driven by technological innovation. This approach demands not only enhanced productivity but also resilience against uncertainties and sustainable development capabilities.
This year's CIIE highlighted two key trends in smart manufacturing: First, the technology has moved beyond superficial applications into systemic, deep-level integration. Second, AI is merging with industrial scenarios at an unprecedented scale, sparking disruptive innovations.
Industry experts note that China, as a manufacturing powerhouse, holds unique advantages in AI development and deployment. As AI-industrial integration deepens, Chinese manufacturing is poised to play an increasingly pivotal role in global value chains.
**Smart Manufacturing Upgrade** The technical equipment zone at CIIE emerged as the most technologically advanced exhibition area. By combining digital technologies with industrial equipment and processes, the zone demonstrated automated perception, intelligent decision-making, precise execution, and dynamic optimization—core drivers of the shift from traditional to smart manufacturing.
Omron debuted two groundbreaking solutions: a workpiece traceability system capable of tracking 1,200 items per minute throughout production, and an automatic vibration suppression system that adapts to varying workpiece weights for stable high-speed handling—solving critical challenges in mixed-flow production.
Rockwell Automation showcased its digital solutions across six emerging industries: new energy, next-gen IT, advanced materials, biopharma, environmental protection, and high-end equipment.
Exhibitors focused not on isolated applications but on systemic overhauls of production ecosystems, supply chains, and even architectural spaces. Chinese manufacturing is entering a new phase prioritizing sustainability, flexibility, and lifecycle optimization.
"The essence of new quality productive forces lies in tech-driven industrial transformation," said Zhu Zuojiang, Director and General Manager of Omron Automation (China). He identified four emerging requirements replacing traditional mass production models:
1. **Flexible digital capabilities**: Agile production lines supporting rapid changeovers for small-batch, customized manufacturing. 2. **Supply chain resilience**: Prioritization of globally validated technical competencies over simple localization criteria. 3. **Sustainability mandates**: Energy management and decarbonization under carbon neutrality goals. 4. **Full lifecycle services**: Demand shifts from standalone products to integrated solutions covering maintenance, efficiency, and carbon management.
Rockwell Automation China President Shi An emphasized cross-industry innovation: "Traditional automation improves efficiency but doesn't create new opportunities. We focus on generating demand to drive supply—this requires exceptional cross-sector integration capabilities."
**AI's Industrial Revolution** AI applications stole the spotlight, moving beyond demonstrations to embed in core processes like product design, production scheduling, equipment maintenance, and human-machine interaction—becoming true "new quality productive forces."
ABB's B&R Industrial Automation unveiled AI-powered "M-series" services and Machine-Centric Robotics (MCR), packaging complex AI into plug-and-play industrial solutions. Siemens presented over 10 industrial AI products, including a dedicated ecosystem for smart factories.
Omron has deployed AI-integrated automation equipment and developed proprietary AI production management platforms. "These solutions are already operational in real production environments," Zhu confirmed.
Industrial robotics saw significant advancements through AI-IoT integration, enabling autonomous perception, analysis, and decision-making in complex scenarios. "China's factories now operate over 2 million industrial robots, adding 300,000 last year alone," noted Glen Hieber, Accenture's APAC COO. "AI is rapidly becoming the foundational layer across operations."
With China accounting for 35% of global manufacturing output, experts believe the country is uniquely positioned to set global smart manufacturing standards. "China's complete industrial ecosystem and 6 million manufacturing enterprises—with their rapid AI adoption and open data-sharing culture—create ideal conditions for AI leadership," said Xiao Song, Siemens China CEO.
However, industrial AI faces stricter reliability requirements than consumer applications. "The final challenge is physical-world integration," Shi An cautioned. "Industrial settings demand specialized domain knowledge—pure data models without mechanical understanding could compromise safety."
Despite hurdles, AI is triggering unprecedented productivity shifts. Xiao likened industrial AI's potential impact to electricity's transformative role, marking not incremental progress but a paradigm shift from automation to autonomy. Three critical capabilities will drive scalable adoption: data-driven closed-loop systems, deep industry-specific AI knowledge, and open innovation ecosystems.
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