The Tongzhou district of Nantong city – located in East China's Jiangsu province – remains focused on cultivating an advanced manufacturing cluster and constructing key industrial chains, a process it has undertaken in recent years.

In 2021, it was rated as an area with remarkable achievements in the innovative transformation of the manufacturing industry in the province.

This impressive plant is operated by Guangdong Hongtu (Nantong) Die-casting Co Ltd, located in the Nantong National High-tech Industrial Development Zone in Tongzhou. [Photo/ntjoy.com]

The Tangzheng digital textiles industrial park, funded by Nantong Tangzheng Textile Technology Co Ltd, kicked off construction in Chuanjiang town in February this year. The company was formerly a traditional enterprise involved in the research and development, production and marketing of textiles products.

But in response to a call for the digital transformation of manufacturers in Nantong, it took the initiative with its planned digital textiles park.

As a result, by employing technologies – such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing and the internet of things – new types of financing, logistics and digital trading systems will be integrated into the home textiles sector.

Innovation is widely said to be key to improving the competitiveness of the manufacturing sector. In 2021, the output value of the high-tech industry in the district hit 47.04 billion yuan ($7.4 billion), accounting for 41.9 percent of the total output value of the manufacturing industry.

Tongzhou had two resident firms recognized as national "little giant" enterprises and six companies that have been conferred with the title of provincial little giant enterprise – the honorary appellation given to outstanding high-tech small and medium-sized businesses with high growth potential, advanced technology and a strong competitive edge.

In 2022, plans are for Tongzhou to lay equal emphasis on the high-quality development and the high growth rate of its manufacturing. It is felt that this will ensure that the total scale and development level of the sector will be significantly improved.