On the path of high-quality manufacturing development, the city of Ningbo has been competing in speed, strength, and ambition, with its industrial economy reaching a new level. It has been successively selected as one of the first national pilot cities for SME digital transformation, pilot cities for new-type technological transformation in manufacturing, and pilot cities for “5G + Industrial Internet” integrated application, among other national-level pilots.

In 2024, Ningbo’s total industrial added value ranked fifth among Chinese cities, and it was ranked fourth for two consecutive years among China’s Top 100 Advanced Manufacturing Cities. Twenty-two enterprises made it onto the 2024 list of China’s Top 500 Manufacturing Enterprises, a record high. The city is home to 104 national “single champion” manufacturing enterprises, making it the first city in China to surpass 100 such enterprises.

New progress in stabilizing industrial production and improving efficiency

Focusing on expanding demand, strengthening momentum, and improving quality and efficiency, Ningbo continues to reinforce the “8+4” economic policy support system. It has solidly carried out industrial economic operation monitoring, optimized the coordination of production, inventory, orders, and electricity supply, and ensured that enterprises maintain stable, increased, and full-capacity production. In 2024, the city’s total industrial output value above the designated size reached 2.61 trillion yuan, with the industrial sector contributing 55.1% to GDP growth.

New advantages in collaborative industrial clusters

Ningbo has fully undertaken the national advanced manufacturing cluster strategy and the provincial “415X” cluster cultivation project, successfully establishing (or co-establishing) four national-level advanced manufacturing clusters and six national SME speciality industry clusters, ranking first in the province. It has also created 17 provincial “415X” speciality industry clusters and three provincial future industry pilot zones; 18 enterprises were included in the province’s first list of industrial chain “chain leader” enterprises, and a total of 55 upstream and downstream enterprise communities in provincial-level industrial chains, both ranking first in the province.

New achievements in effective industrial investment

In 2024, leveraging its role as one of the first national pilot cities for new-type technological transformation in manufacturing, Ningbo thoroughly implemented the provincial 100-billion-yuan technological transformation investment project, vigorously advanced the “two priorities” and “two innovations” initiatives, and ranked first in the province in both the number and financing scale of projects included in the special ultra-long-term treasury bonds and re-lending program for industrial equipment upgrades. The city’s total investment in technological transformation remained the highest in the province. The practices of Ningbo’s “Home of Equipment” one-stop service platform were included in the China Reform 2024 list of typical cases of comprehensive local deepening reforms, as well as in the list of best practice cases for optimizing and enhancing the provincial business environment.

New results in integrated digital and green transformation

Ningbo implemented the “Four Full Coverage” actions for intelligent upgrading and digital transformation, achieving full coverage of digital transformation 1.0 for all industrial enterprises above the designated size in the city. It has built a total of 18 national 5G factories, ranking first in the province, and rolled out China’s first large-scale petrochemical industry large-scale model application. For green transformation, it has advanced the “Three Full Coverage” initiative, establishing 121 national-level green factories (ranking second nationwide) and 82 provincial-level green factories (ranking first in the province).

Source: Zhejiang Provincial Department of Economy and Information Technology
Editor: Ye Ke