Ningbo’s digital economy to drive traditional industry

Peter Major, vice chairman of the United Nations Commission on Science and Technology for Development, addresses the opening ceremony of the World Digital Economy Conference 2023 in Ningbo on Oct 13. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn] 

As digital technologies have been intertwined with economic development, the melding of the physical realm with digital technology has been flourishing in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, which is famed for its strong manufacturing industry. 

The just-concluded 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou created opportunities for dozens of Ningbo manufacturing companies to showcase their smart products. 

The main torch that swimming ace Wang Shun and the digital torchbearer lit at the opening ceremony was produced by Zhejiang Dafeng Industry Co Ltd, a smart manufacturer in Ningbo. 

"The main torch facility has 19 torches, with the highest reaching 19 meters. It was asked to ensure the stability of flames in strong winds while stretching smoothly. To fulfill the demanding requirements, we created a bionic skeletal system that ensures accuracy of each movement within one millimeter," said Feng Jialong, Dafeng’s executive director. 

Soundking Group, another manufacturer from Ningbo, contributed smart sound systems for 80 percent of the venues for the Hangzhou Asian Games. 

"Equipped with advanced technologies such as 5G and internet of things, the systems can be changed to fit various scenarios, from competitions to conferences, with just one click. And the real-time conditions of all the sound systems can be monitored," said Wang Xianggui, the company’s chairman. 

Fotile Group, which provided over 2,000 torches for the Hangzhou Asian Games, boasts China's largest smart kitchen appliance factory. Digital technologies, such as industrial robots, internet of things, big data, and digital twin, are utilized in the factory to achieve unmanned, paperless, and fault-free production. 

Take the production line for cooker hoods as an example. It consists of 11 procedures that are carried out by 13 industrial machines. It takes just 13 seconds to produce a cooker hood. 

He Donghui, executive director of Fotile, said that since the establishment of the factory in 2022, the average productivity of its workers has increased 22 percent, while defects in products have been reduced by 37 percent.  

Since 2016, Ningbo has been promoting digital transformation among local companies through the "point-line-plane" model – utilizing machines at production points, revamping production lines, and building digital workshops.

After years of efforts, more than 11,000 enterprises above designated size - firms with an annual revenue of 20 million yuan ($2 million) or more each - in Ningbo have carried out digital transformation projects. 

In 2022, the  added value of the city's digital economy surpassed 800 billion yuan, making up more than 51 percent of its total GDP. 

According to a ranking released by market research firm CCID Consulting, Ningbo was named a new first-tier city in China in terms of the development of the digital economy in 2022. 

To figure out innovative methods to accelerate the integration of digital technology in the real economy, experts and leading digital companies gathered at the World Digital Economy Conference, which kicked off in Ningbo on Oct 13 and is slated to run until Oct 15.

The conference coincides with the 13th China Smart City and Intelligent Economy Expo, which kicked off in Ningbo on the same day.