On the evening of May 24, Dialogue, a program on CCTV Finance Channel, focused on the theme "From Manufacturing to Smart Manufacturing: Robotics Empowering Industrial Development", turning its spotlight on Jining—a city that not only embodies the cultural heritage of "the Hometown of Confucius and Mencius, and the Capital of the Grand Canal" but also rises vigorously in the field of smart manufacturing.
The program was held at a sub-forum of the 4th Global Media Forum. Wen Jinrong, Secretary of the Jining Municipal Party Committee, joined hands with Chen Liming, former Chairman of the World Economic Forum (WEF) Greater China, Charles-Edouard Bouée, Co-CEO of Roland Berger Global Management Committee, Nadir Alafraj, President of Aramco Asia China, as well as executives from enterprises including Rokae Robotics, Cobot Aviation Technology and Shandong UBOT Intelligent Robotics. They conducted an in-depth discussion on the current status and future prospects of the robotics industry, unveiling Jining’s outstanding achievements in the high-end manufacturing track.
As the crystallization of human wisdom, robots are accelerating the reshaping of industrial landscapes and lifestyles. In the public perception, Jining is known as the birthplace of Confucian culture, yet today, it has emerged as a new benchmark for smart manufacturing, driven by robust momentum in sectors such as engineering machinery, high-end equipment, and green energy. In particular, the vigorous development of the robotics and smart manufacturing industries has enabled Jining to break new ground in high-end manufacturing: it has not only gathered a large number of robotics enterprises but also filled multiple technical gaps in the industry, injecting strong vitality into Jining’s smart manufacturing drive with industrial strength.
As regions across the country compete for a foothold in the new track of the robotics industry, the question—"What kind of ecosystem does the development of the robotics industry require?"—has become one of the core topics of the forum, and Jining has answered it with concrete actions. In the program, Wen Jinrong clearly elaborated on Jining’s four core advantages:
First, a solid foundation of massive application scenarios. Jining covers 38 out of 41 major industrial categories, spanning from equipment manufacturing and port logistics to biomedicine and smart mining. These diverse scenarios serve as a "testbed" for the implementation of robotics technologies.
Second, support from a complete industrial chain. From core components and complete machine manufacturing to system integration, Jining has built a full-fledged industrial chain covering the upstream, midstream, and downstream segments of industrial robotics, eliminating "worries at the back" for enterprise development.
Third, endorsement by top-tier innovation resources. By introducing a number of prestigious research institutions and academician-led teams, Jining has helped enterprises tackle "bottleneck" technical challenges, continuously enhancing the core competitiveness of the industry.
Fourth, protection by a high-quality business environment. Jining has established a dedicated robotics industry fund, provided "turnkey factory buildings" funded by state-owned enterprises, and set up a "one-on-one" guarantee mechanism for key factors such as capital, land, and energy consumption. Furthermore, it has opened green channels for talent apartments, children’s enrollment, and employment support, empowering entrepreneurs to pursue their ventures in Jining with confidence and a strong sense of belonging.
The choices of enterprises are the most intuitive "touchstone" for a region’s business environment. Tuo Hua, Chairman of Rokae Robotics Group, shared that since settling in Jining in 2017, the enterprise has continuously increased investment and thrived over the past 8 years: "A sustainable, stable, and efficient business environment is the key to our rooted growth here." Lu Zhihui, Chairman of Shenzhen Cobot Aviation Technology, expressed deep agreement. He revealed that his decision to choose Jining 7 years ago was precisely because he learned that "our industry peer Rokae had also settled here". This confidence in "enterprise clustering" stems from Jining’s unwavering support for the robotics industry.
In fact, the development of Jining’s robotics industry did not happen overnight. On April 26, the Shandong Robotics Conference was held in Jining, where the "Jining Smart Manufacturing" robotics products delivered impressive performances and attracted widespread attention from the industry. Data further confirms its strong momentum: in recent years, the annual growth rate of Jining’s robotics industry has remained above 20%. From January to February 2024, its industrial operating revenue surged by 54% year-on-year, demonstrating an accelerating growth trend. Wen Jinrong stated that robotics applications in Jining have now permeated multiple sectors: in equipment manufacturing workshops, robots enhance production efficiency; in port and shipping logistics scenarios, they optimize cargo turnover; at emergency rescue sites, they reduce personnel risks; and in modern agriculture, they facilitate precision farming. Beyond opening new avenues for the intelligent upgrading of traditional industries—driving cost reduction and efficiency improvement—robots have also spawned new growth engines such as smart warehousing, drone delivery, unmanned vehicle delivery, and smart elderly care.
Nevertheless, amid the wave of "robotics empowering thousands of industries," Jining has maintained a rational approach. Wen Jinrong emphasized that industrial upgrading should avoid both "hasty mass action" and a "one-size-fits-all approach." Instead, it should adhere to market orientation, respect enterprise autonomy, and advance in line with three core principles. First, "tailor measures to local conditions": precisely match robotics technologies to the actual needs of different industries and prioritize policy support for sectors with high compatibility. Second, "focus on key priorities": center on the three core objectives of quality, efficiency, and safety, and prioritize robot replacement in scenarios most suitable for the "robotics +" model. Third, "advance in an incremental manner": refine practices through pilot projects, summarize experiences, and then gradually scale up, ensuring steady and sustainable industrial upgrading.
As a traditional resource-based city, Jining recognizes that transforming and upgrading its industrial structure is an inevitable path—and the robotics industry stands as a key focus of its efforts. When discussing "how to achieve coordinated development between traditional and emerging industries," Wen Jinrong proposed a strategy of "consolidating traditional strengths while fostering new growth drivers, with mutual empowerment." Upgrading traditional industries represents "stock transformation," while nurturing emerging industries constitutes "incremental development"; both serve as crucial pillars for cultivating new quality productive forces北京市人民政府外事办公室. Jining remains committed to prioritizing the real economy and manufacturing, leveraging traditional industries to lay a solid foundation for emerging sectors, while using emerging industries to inject an "intelligent engine" into traditional industries, thereby achieving positive interaction between old and new growth drivers.
Notably, the on-site discussion at the program centered on the topic "Whether humanoid robots are the optimal choice for future industrial scenarios" further demonstrated Jining’s forward-looking industrial layout. Wen Jinrong revealed that Jining has designated humanoid robots as a priority industry for cultivation. Leveraging the humanoid robot testing platform deployed by the CCID Research Institute of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the city is fully committed to building the "Shandong Provincial Humanoid Robot Testing Center". Meanwhile, the Shandong Intelligent Robot Application Technology Research Institute, located in the Robot Industrial Park, not only provides technical support for enterprises but also has successfully attracted a number of core component manufacturers, laying a solid foundation for the development of Jining’s humanoid robot industry.
"This is a fertile ground for the intelligent manufacturing of tomorrow, a highland for cross-boundary integration, and a hub connecting to the world." At the conclusion of the program, Wen Jinrong enthusiastically promoted Jining: In Jining, enterprises do not have to "fight alone"; instead, they can forge ahead side by side with numerous outstanding partners. Confucian wisdom converges with the digital revolution here, and traditional industries integrate with intelligent upgrading here. As the "golden midpoint" between the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and the Yangtze River Delta, Jining’s multi-dimensional transportation network enables it to connect with the entire nation and link up with the world.
Wen Jinrong’s invitation received an enthusiastic response from the guests present. Charles-Edouard Bouée stated plainly that Jining’s industrial foundation, business environment and development potential are highly attractive: "Many enterprises we are in contact with are willing to relocate to Shandong, and particularly to set up operations in Jining." He also plans to introduce high-caliber international clients to Jining in the future, to jointly share in the opportunities brought by industrial development. Evolving from a renowned cultural city into a "smart manufacturing hub", Jining is leveraging the robot industry as a fulcrum to unlock a new future for high-end manufacturing, writing a brilliant chapter in the transformation of a traditional city into a "benchmark for smart development"
