The Jiangsu Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology has recently unveiled the 2026 list of provincial advanced-level smart factories, and 35 companies from our city have been selected, a figure roughly three times that of the previous year.
The smart factory gradient cultivation system is structured into four tiers: foundational-level, advanced-level, excellence-level, and pioneering-level. As the backbone of this framework, advanced-level smart factories require enterprises to achieve interconnectivity of production and operations data, precise control over critical production processes, and coordinated management of key links through the widespread deployment of intelligent manufacturing equipment, industrial software, and systems, thereby reaching leading standards at the regional and industry levels.
From a citywide perspective, the 35 selected enterprises span sectors such as high-end equipment, automotive components, advanced materials, aerospace, and medical devices. These companies extensively utilize cutting-edge technologies like "AI+" and "5G+" to bolster R&D and production, workforce management, smart warehousing, supply chain collaboration, and green transformation initiatives, highlighting the strength of our city's manufacturing sector in digital and intelligent upgrading.
Let's take a closer look at some of these factories to see their advanced practices in action.
AI and IoT-Based Smart Factory for Specialty Logistics Equipment
Taicang CIMC Specialty Logistics Equipment Co., Ltd. is one of the key R&D and production bases in East China for China International Marine Containers (Group) Co., Ltd., a world-leading logistics equipment supplier. The factory centers on "AI and algorithm-driven smart manufacturing of specialty logistics equipment," building a fully intelligent process system. For instance, industrial robots and intelligent specialized machines have been deployed on the shop floor, creating the industry's first fully robotic welding and assembly production line. A "5G dual-domain private network plus industrial IoT" enables full interconnection of equipment and sensors, integrating data interfaces. AI models are applied to key processes such as intelligent production scheduling, logistics distribution, process optimization, intelligent quality inspection, and predictive equipment maintenance, enabling data-driven decision-making across the entire process. Thanks to this intelligent construction, the company has established an industry benchmark model of "automated production plus IoT connectivity plus AI-driven optimization," boosting overall production efficiency by approximately 10%.
YunSheng Intelligent's Fully Autonomous Manufacturing Smart Factory for Low-Altitude Equipment
Jiangsu YunSheng Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd. is a key private enterprise in the province's low-altitude equipment sector, offering integrated "machine, network, and cloud" system solutions for low-altitude infrastructure. The smart factory's core technology focuses on the highly intelligent coordination and system integration of robotic arm workstations and AGV carts. The robotic arms achieve micron-level assembly positioning through high-precision sensors, adaptive control algorithms, and 3D vision systems. AGVs, guided by IoT and 5G dynamic scheduling, autonomously plan routes and handle automatic loading and unloading, cutting material turnover time by 40% and increasing overall production efficiency by more than 35%. The two are combined through digital technology in a central control platform to form flexible manufacturing cells that can simulate and optimize production processes in real time, quickly respond to design changes, and achieve full-process quality traceability through data-driven closed-loop control. This keeps the product qualification rate stable at over 99.8%.
Smart Manufacturing Factory for Drive Components Based on Intelligent Sensing and Quality Decision-Making
IMA Gears (Taicang) Co., Ltd. integrates 5G technology, artificial intelligence, and "Internet+" approaches to build a green, environmentally friendly, intelligent, and temperature-controlled smart manufacturing workshop. The company has now established an intelligent application system covering production planning, workshop scheduling, quality inspection, equipment maintenance, and warehouse management, with both production efficiency and equipment utilization rate improving by approximately 10%, alongside significantly enhanced product yield and market competitiveness. As "AI+" continues to deepen across factory operations, IMA Gears is not only connecting infrastructure but also exploring ways to unlock greater data value. As an international leader in gear transmission technology, the company's R&D division is actively exploring how to systematically convert "human experience, paper-based documents, and equipment operational data" into "digital resources," thereby providing more precise support and guidance for the development of new technologies.
Smart factories serve as a critical pillar for developing new quality productive forces and building a modern industrial system. A growing number of enterprises are transitioning from "passive transformation" to "proactive advancement." To date, the city has cultivated a cumulative total of 48 provincial-level advanced smart factories.
The city's 15th Party Congress proposed deepening the "AI+" initiative and intensifying the integration of "AI and manufacturing." Taicang will continue to optimize and refine its smart factory cultivation repository, provide tiered guidance to enterprises within it, and improve the gradient cultivation mechanism to elevate the overall standard of smart factory construction in the city, actively striving for excellence-level smart factory recognition. At the same time, leading benchmark enterprises will serve as guides to accelerate the deep application of AI technology across R&D, production, and operations, continuously building the "Taicang Smart Manufacturing" engine into a powerful force with broad enterprise participation, strong output capabilities, and extensive service coverage.
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