Digitalization and intelligentization of manufacturing industry

Abstract

China has entered a new historical period in her development. In order to achieve scientific development and to accelerate transformation of economic development pattern, the most fundamental issue is to rely on the power of science and technology, and the most crucial element is to improve the capability of independent innovation. The key for promoting China’s economic and social development is to embark on the innovation-driven track as soon as possible. Since the 2008 global financial crisis, the landscape of the global competition has undergone profound changes. On the one hand, the strategic significance of the industrial economy has once again become prominent, as major developed countries are refocusing on the industrial economy and implementing a strategy of re-industrialization. In 2009, the U.S. enacted the Framework for Revitalization of U.S. Manufacturing Industry and Congress passed the Manufacturing Promotion Act. In late 2011, the U.S. initiated the ‘‘Advanced Manufacturing Partnership Plan’’ and released a five-year plan to revitalize and double the exports of the manufacturing sector. In February this year, the U.S. again promulgated an Advanced Manufacturing National Strategic Plan, under which she proposed to once again recognize the status of the advanced manufacturing sector in the national economy and maintain international leadership and dominance in the field of advanced manufacturing. Germany, Britain, Japan and other developed countries have launched a series of major initiatives to revitalize their manufacturing sector. On the other hand, a new round of industrial revolution is deepening, and developed countries in the West are proposing new ways of revitalizing their manufacturing sector, by relying on scientific and technological innovation, seizing the commanding heights in international industrial competition, and enhancing their core competencies in economic development in order to seize the initiative in future development. For example, through product model innovation, integration and incorporation of the latest technologies, Apple has successfully pioneered the development direction for IT products. Another example is the breakthrough of shale gas development in U.S. which brought about a ‘‘shale gas revolution’’. It had a profound impact not only on the world’s energy situation but also on the political and economic development. Recently, scholars in the U.S. have published a number of articles. Firstly, they emphasized the impending round of industrial revolution with ‘‘digitalization in manufacturing’’ as its core technology. Secondly, their viewpoint was that the U.S. had substantial advantage in information technology which should be vigorously developed and widely applied using digitalization and intelligentization as the core technology in advanced manufacturing, in order to achieve revolutionary changes in the manufacturing sector. Thirdly, they pointedly noted that with the emerging technologies, in 20 years’ time China’s manufacturing industry will very likely experience the budding difficulties faced by the U.S. during the past 20 years. Very soon it will be China’s turn to be worried. After 60-plus years endeavors made after the founding of New China—in particular the struggles during economic reform and opening up over the past 30 years—China’s manufacturing industry has achieved historical leaps and J. Zhou (&) Chinese Academy of Engineering, Beijing, China