July 04, 2019 Source: Economic Information

As an important support for the high-quality development of national and regional economies, advanced manufacturing clusters are welcoming the central government's intensive deployment, and relevant supporting policies will be introduced. The "Economic Information Daily" reporter was informed that the relevant departments are studying and formulating policies for cultivating and developing advanced manufacturing clusters, promoting the transformation and upgrading of various industrial clusters to cluster development, and concentrating on cultivating a group of advanced manufacturing clusters. Emerging industries such as artificial intelligence, integrated circuits, and new energy vehicles will become important directions for the development of advanced manufacturing clusters.

In addition, with the new edition encouraging foreign investment industry catalogues to support foreign investment in high-quality manufacturing development, advanced manufacturing clusters will further expand foreign investment space. Experts pointed out that the next step in smart manufacturing, electronic information and other fields will be expected to become the focus of advanced manufacturing clusters to attract foreign investment and industrial cooperation.

The central region is preparing to support the New Deal

China attaches great importance to the advanced manufacturing clusters. In May, the State Council issued the "Opinions on Promoting Innovation in National-level Economic and Technological Development Zones to Create a New Height in Reform and Opening-up", clearly implementing advanced manufacturing cluster cultivation actions, and supporting the establishment of national-level economic development zones. National new industrialization industry demonstration base to cultivate advanced manufacturing clusters.

Multi-sectors are currently implementing support policies intensively. The Ministry of Commerce said that it will actively support the state-level economic development zone to gather, intensively and cluster development of advanced manufacturing industries, and jointly implement advanced manufacturing cluster cultivation actions with relevant departments. The National Development and Reform Commission said it will cultivate world-class advanced manufacturing clusters and increase research and development of key basic materials, core infrastructure components, and industrial technology foundations.

The reporter learned that the next step will be to introduce more policies to support the policy. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology is working with relevant departments to study and formulate policy documents for cultivating and developing advanced manufacturing clusters. It will promote the transformation and upgrading of various industrial clusters to cluster development in the field of advanced manufacturing, and focus on cultivating a group of advanced manufacturing clusters to become a manufacturing high. A model of quality development.

At the local level, this year, Jiangsu will vigorously promote the development of industrial core technology and major scientific and technological innovation platforms, and accelerate the cultivation of advanced manufacturing clusters with international competitiveness. Shanghai is striving to build a number of world-class advanced manufacturing clusters by 2020. Qingdao City has proposed to build 2-3 world-class advanced manufacturing clusters by 2021.

The industry pointed out that clustering is the only way for the manufacturing industry to move towards the middle and high end, and it is also the inherent requirement for improving regional competitiveness. Hou Yanquan, deputy director of the Regional Development Research Office of the CCID Research Institute of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, told the Economic Information Daily that the advanced manufacturing clusters can effectively reduce transaction costs through the accumulation of space within a certain area of enterprises and various institutions, thus achieving significant The scope of the economy and economies of scale. At the same time, enterprises in the advanced manufacturing clusters can effectively promote the agglomeration and development of industries, talents, capital, and innovation capabilities through the integration of specialized division of labor, logistics, and information, complemented by the efficient collaboration of government, scientific research institutions, and financial services. Leading technological innovation and industrial change.

Emerging industries become local hot spots

It is worth noting that emerging industries are becoming an important area for local cultivation of industrial clusters.

Guangdong Province recently proposed that by 2022, it will basically cultivate five world-class advanced manufacturing clusters such as electronic information, automobiles, smart home appliances, robots, and green petrochemicals. This year, Zhejiang Province will focus on cultivating and developing a number of advanced manufacturing clusters such as digital security and new energy vehicles, striving for new advantages in artificial intelligence, integrated circuits and new materials. Shandong Province vigorously promoted "modern advantageous industrial clusters + artificial intelligence", fostered the formation of a number of landmark industrial clusters, and became an important gathering place for artificial intelligence industry in the country.

Hou Yanquan said that technological innovation is the main engine for the development of advanced manufacturing. New generation information technology such as artificial intelligence is leading the profound changes in the manufacturing industry, promoting the deep integration of the Internet, big data, artificial intelligence and manufacturing, and accelerating the innovation and application of advanced technologies is an important direction for the development of advanced manufacturing clusters.

Ji Fengwei, deputy director of the National Engineering Laboratory of Industrial Big Data Application Technology, told the reporter of the Economic Information Daily that on the one hand, the deployment of advanced manufacturing clusters around emerging industries such as artificial intelligence and integrated circuits is conducive to occupying the commanding heights of industrial development; Intelligent manufacturing, artificial intelligence and other means will accelerate the development of industrial clusters and technological iterations, and promote the transformation of the original manufacturing clusters into advanced manufacturing clusters.

Many places have also increased financial support to foster emerging industrial clusters. Shandong Province recently issued the "Guiding Opinions on Promoting "Modern Advantageous Industrial Clusters + Artificial Intelligence"" to explicitly increase fiscal and tax support, co-ordinate existing special funds, and increase investment in relevant key areas. Guangdong proposed to arrange funds to support the construction of the cluster and give full play to the role of various government funds such as the Industrial Development Fund.

However, Hou Yanquan also said that it is necessary to select the leading industries with competitive advantages according to local conditions, and build advanced manufacturing clusters rooted in the localities. Do not blindly pursue hot spots, and prevent repeated construction and resource fragmentation caused by the rush. Ji Fengwei also pointed out that it is necessary to do a good job in top-level design and planning, form an industrial plan with good synergy and complementary layout, and realize the overall advantages of advanced manufacturing clusters.

Will become an important direction for foreign investment

In accordance with relevant deployments, cultivating and developing advanced manufacturing clusters will adhere to market-oriented operations and domestic and foreign-funded enterprises will treat them equally. A number of interviewed experts said that the publication of the Encourage Foreign Investment Industrial Catalogue (2019 Edition) will effectively promote the participation of foreign capital in the development of advanced manufacturing clusters.

"The advanced manufacturing cluster is not a closed industrial organization, but an open system rooted in local characteristics." Hou Yanquan said that the cooperation between China's advanced manufacturing clusters and internationally renowned industrial clusters will usher in new opportunities and further accelerate The “going out” and “introducing” of enterprises and scientific research institutions in the cluster provide a broad “localization” space for foreign-funded enterprises and institutions and create a good investment atmosphere.

According to the 2019 edition of the encouraged catalogue, foreign companies will be encouraged to participate in the high-quality development of manufacturing industries, and a number of entries have been added or modified in advanced manufacturing areas such as electronic information, equipment manufacturing, biomedicine, modern medicine and new materials. At the local level, such as Guangdong, by 2022, the five major clusters of electronic information, smart home appliances, and robots will be more open, gathering and deploying global wisdom and resources, and fully participating in the global industrial division of labor.

Zuo Shiquan, director of the Policy Planning Division of the Equipment Industry Development Center of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, told the Economic Information Daily that advanced manufacturing clusters will create more opportunities and space for foreign-invested manufacturing. By encouraging investment in electronic information, high-end manufacturing, intelligent manufacturing and other fields, we will guide foreign-invested enterprises to localize their R&D, production and assembly, and enhance the high-end manufacturing talent training and industrial support level through technology spillover effects; Such as the cultivation and development of emerging industries, allowing Chinese companies to grow in competition and cooperation.

Hou Yanquan said that 5G core components, industrial robots, new energy vehicles, and new aerospace materials will be the focus of future foreign companies. Cultivating and developing advanced manufacturing clusters in these areas will effectively promote foreign investment to optimize regional distribution, expand new space for Sino-foreign cooperation, and enhance the international competitiveness and influence of the cluster.