14 municipal departments of Qingdao, including the municipal bureau of industry and information technology, the municipal development and reform commission and the municipal bureau of science and technology, have recently joined hands to print and release the Qingdao Implementation Plan for Pressing Ahead with Equipment Renewal in the Industrial Sector, which explicitly stipulates Qingdao’s goals and measures in pushing for equipment renewal in the industrial sector. According to the Plan, new and high-tech sectors in Qingdao will account for around 67% of the total output value of industries above designated scale by 2025; by 2027, the citywide investment on equipment in the industrial sector will gain by more than 28% from the level in 2023, and the rate of penetration of digital R&D and design tools and the proportion of numerical control for critical process among industrial enterprises above designated scale will surpass 93% and 76%, respectively.

To be specific, the initiative on replacement with sophisticated equipment is aimed at facilitating the renewal of backward and low-efficiency equipment, accelerating the application of high-end and sophisticated equipment, and upgrading testing and detecting equipment. The initiative on digital transformation is focused on improving digitally enabled empowerment and efficiency, shoring up intelligent manufacturing and creating better digital infrastructures. The imitative on promoting environmentally friendly equipment prioritizes intensifying energy conservation and carbon emission reduction in key sectors, moving faster to widen the application of green technologies and equipment, and practising thoroughly environmentally conscious manufacturing. The initiative on enhancing safety ranges from pushing ahead with renewal of key equipment in the chemical industry, upgrading safety technology in the civil explosive industry, and widen the application of safety equipment. The initiative on ensuring the supply of high-quality equipment includes ramping up the promotion of sophisticated equipment, stepping up equipment R&D and innovation and fostering brands of quality equipment.  (Sun Xin)

Digital transformation is an important goal Qingdao seeks in promoting equipment renewal in the industrial sector. The Double Star Tire “Industry 4.0” base in the photo.