Impressive economic figures were reported by Ningbo's Yinzhou District for the first quarter of this year. Key indicators include a 9.7% year-on-year increase in value-added of industries above designated size, with high-tech manufacturing and the core manufacturing of the digital economy rising by 19.6% and 16.9% respectively.
As a hub for advanced manufacturing, Yinzhou leads Zhejiang Province in the number of national-level manufacturing "single champion" enterprises. The district is fostering new quality productive forces by prioritizing technological innovation, driving digital transformation in traditional sectors, strategically positioning in artificial intelligence, and achieving breakthroughs in agricultural "chips."
Modernizing Traditional Industries
The revitalization of traditional industries hinges on technological enablement. Digital transformation is breathing new life into Yinzhou's conventional manufacturers.
At the production base of Ningbo Zhongchun High-Tech Co., Ltd., an intelligent precast pile demonstration line operates smoothly with efficient equipment coordination and real-time data uploads. What was once a dusty piling workshop is now a model of smart manufacturing.
"Comprehensive digitalization has made our 'old piling' smarter," said Qiu Fenglei, Chairman of Zhongchun High-Tech, pointing to the central control screen. The company has fully implemented MES and data platforms, innovatively using micro-acoustic marker chip technology to precisely identify each production mold. This enables full-process control from raw material intake to warehousing and dispatch. Through unmanned weighing systems and fully automated robotic welding equipment, frontline operational staff has been reduced by 15%, achieving "less labor in production, precision in construction, and visual management."
Digital control extends to construction sites, where key data like drilling depth and grouting pressure are updated and traceable in real-time on control screens. "We used to rely on experience, which could lead to deviations. Now we rely on data, resulting in more stable quality and higher efficiency," Qiu Fenglei noted. Zhongchun High-Tech is steadily advancing toward becoming a future factory for the industry.
This digital shift also encompasses Yinzhou's other traditional strengths. Apparel manufacturer Asia Vets (Note: This is a placeholder translation based on provided symbol; original Chinese name is 舒普智能技术股份有限公司) leverages "whole-factory intelligence" and a mature smart production system to build core competitiveness for overseas markets.
In its workshop, fully automatic heat transfer label machines run at high speed alongside intelligent hanging systems. Various equipment is being assembled and tested for overseas shipment. The company has deep expertise in textile and apparel intelligent equipment, and its whole-factory intelligent solutions have been deployed in batches in countries like Vietnam, Cambodia, India, Brazil, and Egypt.
Rapid Progress in Artificial Intelligence
In Yinzhou, a cohort of innovative AI enterprises is emerging.
At Zhejiang University's Software College, a university-affiliated enterprise has become a "potential stock" in electrical safety early warning through core technological breakthroughs. Ningbo DianShang Intelligent Detection Technology Co., Ltd. has independently developed an AI-powered early warning system for electrical fires, addressing the industry pain point of high false alarm rates in traditional devices.
"High false alarm rates not only affect user experience but can also delay response," explained founder Dr. Zhang Tao. The team innovatively adopted an "AI + process parameters" approach, using non-invasive sensors and proprietary AI algorithms to achieve "auscultation-style" monitoring of electrical circuits, reducing false alarms to below 3% and shifting from post-incident alerts to pre-incident warnings.
In high-end chips, breakthroughs by Ningbo Yuanxin Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd. are equally encouraging. In a yellow-lit cleanroom, technicians operate lithography machines. This seven-year-old company is dedicated to solving "bottleneck" challenges in high-end optical chips.
General Manager Wang Lei used a tunable laser chip the size of a fingernail as an analogy: "With the AI computing power explosion, computing centers across campuses and cities need coordination. Our product is like building a 'fast lane' for the information highway." From its first batch shipment in 2022 to over 100 million yuan in意向 orders on the first day of this year, the company has doubled its growth for four consecutive years.
As the brain-computer interface (BCI) industry approaches industrialization, upstream core hardware technology is a key competitive battleground. SynSense Technology, based in Yinzhou, is focusing on this upstream core BCI赛道, striving to overcome domestic technological bottlenecks.
"Yinzhou's business environment and完善的 industrial配套 have removed our worries about development," said Chairman Qiao Ning. The company is leveraging local industrial advantages to全力冲刺 BCI industrialization. With multiple exclusive core technologies, it has established a solid competitive edge. For instance, its self-developed ultra-low-power chip solution significantly improves data transmission efficiency, reduces device能耗, and provides全套 integrated hardware-software solutions for the industry.
"This year, we are全力打造 a first-class innovation ecosystem, deeply integrating into the Shanghai (Yangtze River Delta) International Science and Technology Innovation Center," said Xie Dengfeng, Party Secretary and Director of the Yinzhou District Science and Technology Bureau. "We have issued an implementation plan to optimize the innovation生态 and improve the科技投入 mechanism, and launched activities like the 'Yinzhou District Technological Innovation Challenge.' In Q1, the added value of high-tech industries in Yinzhou reached 10.36 billion yuan, up 13.5% year-on-year; R&D expenses of规上工业企业 totaled 2.24 billion yuan, up 4.7%."
The Power of Agricultural "Chips"
The force of technological innovation thrives not only in urban workshops but also in fields. At the Weimeng Seed Industry research and breeding base in Jiangshan Town, Yinzhou, purple tomatoes hang from vines in greenhouses equipped with sensors and precise drip irrigation systems, showcasing technology-empowered modern agriculture.
"This is our self-developed 'Zixiaoke' tomato, with a sugar content up to 13 degrees and a per-mu yield of 22,000 jin, double that of普通 tomatoes," said technician Wang Ningdong, holding a晶莹剔透, fragrant fruit.
Inside the greenhouse, environmental control systems联动遮阳 nets and湿帘 fans based on light and temperature; coconut coir soilless cultivation搭配精准水肥 systems enables fully automated management, creating a pure growth environment. With advantages like high quality, yield, and storage tolerance, "Zixiaoke" won a gold medal at a Zhejiang tomato新品种 conference. In the first five months, it drove seed sales of 2 million yuan, selling well in Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Fujian.
Seed industry is the "chip" of agriculture, and self-sufficiency is crucial. In the 10,000-square-meter digital breeding A+ greenhouse, technology is evident. Over ten independent temperature-controlled zones and artificial climate chambers are arranged for breeding茄科 and葫芦科 crops.
"We used to manually adjust temperature and light, which was time-consuming and inaccurate. Now the smart system monitors in real-time, 'customizing' the growth environment for each plant, improving breeding efficiency over threefold," explained technician Wu Changjiang, pointing to real-time data on a screen. This system, selected as a national digital agriculture innovation application base, enables intelligent control of the entire breeding process via cloud connectivity, shifting breeding from "relying on experience" to "relying on data."
From facing "bottlenecks" to achieving "self-strength," Weimeng's breakthroughs stem from persistent innovation. "Seed R&D has long cycles and high investment. Sometimes breeding a variety takes over 10 years, but we must tackle this hard nut no matter how difficult," said Bo Yongming, General Manager with nearly 30 years in melon and vegetable seeds.
The company now holds 137 plant variety rights. Its "Meidu" and "Yuhui" watermelons are gaining market share, its hybrid greens have achieved import substitution,推广 across 2.5 million mu nationally. Last year, its R&D investment exceeded 10% of revenue, demonstrating the "big energy" of "small seeds."
Wang Bin, Chief Agronomist of the Yinzhou District Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau, noted that as the "headquarters" for Ningbo's seed industry, Yinzhou has established a "R&D inside, seed production outside" structure, building a national digital seed industry innovation base, co-establishing a breeding center with Zhejiang University, and setting up a provincial key agricultural enterprise research institute. The district's seed industry output value has exceeded 1 billion yuan, expected to grow 10% this year. Companies like Weimeng Seed Industry are using一粒粒 "golden seeds" to激发 new momentum for comprehensive rural revitalization.
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