US-based industrial automation company bullish on China's emerging industries

Rockwell Automation, a US-based industrial automation company, is banking on opportunities from China's digital and green transition, as the future growth drivers of China's economy will increasingly come from emerging industries such as green technology, smart manufacturing and the digital economy, a senior executive said.

The keywords of "innovation, green, and digital" will remain as the focus of the company, aligning with China's strategic priorities for sustainable and high-quality development, Ian Shih, president of Rockwell Automation (China) Ltd, said in a recent exclusive interview with China Daily.

According to him, the core of new quality productive forces is to drive innovations and create value continuously. "Rockwell focuses on building differentiated solutions that address fundamental industrial and societal challenges such as energy transition, food security, water management, and environmental protection," he noted, while highlighting that digitalization and green transformation are central to this effort.

By enabling manufacturers to upgrade their intelligent operations and by developing replicable business models in emerging industries like new energy, next-generation information technology, high-end equipment, which are recognized as the key drivers of new quality productive forces, Rockwell helps cultivate scalable innovations that drive both industrial and social progress, he said.

The company has built collaborative platforms such as the joint innovation center with Caohejing Hi-Tech Park in Shanghai, which integrates technologies, patents, and industrial use cases in areas like energy transition and smart operations.

"Rockwell not only helps establish differentiated solutions for the China market but also brings these local innovations to our global network, creating value through growth and sustainability."

According to Rockwell's newly released 10th annual state of smart manufacturing report, 95 percent of manufacturers have invested in, or plan to invest in, artificial intelligence and machine learning over the next five years, underlining that AI has become a central driver of global industrial transformation.

He said against this backdrop, China shows even greater potential as it provides rich application scenarios, and boasts all the industrial categories listed in the UN industrial classification, providing fertile ground for scaling AI applications.

"By leveraging digitalization and intelligent manufacturing technologies, Rockwell focuses on China's strategic industries while simultaneously shaping solutions that resonate across international markets. This dual role — serving China and inspiring the world — defines our outlook for new growth drivers," he said.

Shih applauded China's continuous efforts to expand high-standard opening-up and stabilize foreign trade and investment, adding that with its global R&D footprint and supply chain resources, the company not only supports China's industrial upgrade, but also helps Chinese companies integrate into the global innovation and industrial ecosystem.