Shanghai pursues advanced automated manufacturing by 2028

A three-year action plan has been unveiled to support the transformation and upgrade of Shanghai's advanced manufacturing sector in the coming three years, with ambitious goals including nurturing 100 manufacturing enterprises each with an annual output of above 1 billion yuan ($143.39 million) and raising the city's robot density to 650 robots per 10,000 employees by 2028, according to official sources.

Consisting of 17 detailed measures, the action plan is designed to accelerate the formation of a modern industry system centering around advanced manufacturing, therefore fully developing companies in a coordinated and integrated manner. The plan was released by the municipal government of Shanghai on Friday.

Effective from Jan 1 through Dec 31, 2028, the plan aims to establish 100 new manufacturing enterprises each with an annual output value exceeding 1 billion yuan, bringing the total to over 600. This initiative also seeks to drive the industrial chain to create 500 new industrial enterprises above the designated size, or those with an annual revenue of 20 million yuan or above. Additionally, the proportion of R&D spending to revenue for manufacturing enterprises above the designated size will see a significant increase.

Such targets will be achieved through a series of structural upgrades ranging from the optimization of traditional industries' strengths, accelerated development of strategic industries, and expansion of key industries and emerging sectors. It is also important to unleash companies' innovative capabilities and vitality, as well as promote transformations on technology, digital and intelligence, according to the plan.

In terms of advancing AI in manufacturing, large enterprises are expected to achieve full digital and intelligent application by 2027. Concurrently, the city aims to increase its robot density to 600 per 10,000 employees by 2028.

Robot density, a key gauge to measure the adoption of automation in manufacturing, is the number of robots per 10,000 people in the manufacturing industry. Currently, Shanghai's robot density is above 500 robots per 10,000 employees from 260 in 2023, according to Xinhua News Agency.