A worker in a white uniform patrols the fully automatic workshop of Zhejiang Yiming company in Puyang county, Wenzhou. [Photo/Xinhua]

Great changes are taking place in companies across Zhejiang province as the provincial government's policies promoting intelligent manufacturing begin to kick in.  

Zhejiang invested 2.76 trillion yuan ($403.5 billion) to upgrade industrial technology used in the province between 2012 and 2016, with this investment growing nearly 20 percent per year on average, according to Xinhua.

In 2016, nearly 50 percent of the investment went to upgrading the equipment manufacturing sector, up 2.1 percent from 2012. High-tech industries received 30 percent of the investment, a 7 percent rise on 2012.

This has led to a significant rise in automated production, a crucial move if local companies are to stay competitive as labor costs rise in China.