GUi lecture focuses on pathways towards industrial digitalization, intelligence

The 26th GUi Frontier Dialogue, a flagship event of the Grand Union of Innovation (GUi), took place on Sept 10. Ian Shih, president of Rockwell Automation China, gave a lecture about pathways toward industrial digitalization and intelligence.

Ian Shih, a national advisory expert for the UNIDO Fourth Industrial Revolution Alliance (4IR Alliance) and vice-chairman of the Shanghai Intelligent Manufacturing Industry Promotion Center for the Yangtze River Delta, shared his insights on tackling current industrial challenges through practical case studies involving digital and intelligent solutions.

Ian Shih shares insights about industrial upgrading. [Photo/GUi]

Faced with economic slowdown, carbon neutrality pressures, and shifts in population structure, China's industries are undergoing a structural transformation, with AI technology acting as the main driver of industrial upgrading.

Industrial large models utilize digital intelligence to transform experience into accurate, measurable, and optimizable algorithms, thereby enhancing industrial efficiency.

He also stated that genuine industrial breakthroughs typically arise from cross-sector integration and the development of new demands, highlighting Shanghai's smart green parking as an example of successful efficient operation.

The core of revenue growth is integrating technology with application scenarios, where technological innovations break industry barriers and scenarios unlock new value, naturally creating new market opportunities.

Shih said that the essence of industrial transformation lies in the profound integration of digitalization and intelligence with new energy and new materials. This integration aims to boost the efficiency of production factors, ultimately reshaping business models, industrial ecosystems, and value networks.

The intense rivalry in the food delivery sector exemplifies this transformation, highlighting a move away from basic commission models toward comprehensive supply chain integration, he added.

A deeper change is happening in the traditional manufacturing sector, with digital and intelligent transformation now an ongoing industrial revolution rather than just a concept.

As a collaborative innovation platform integrating government, industry, academia, research, finance, and application, GUi provides an ideal testing ground for such systemic transformations.

It promotes not only the development of new technologies and products but also new paradigms and ecosystems, providing extensive support for innovation in vital fields like next-generation information technology, artificial intelligence, and advanced manufacturing.