The high-end equipment manufacturing has become the core driving force for promoting the economic development of countries and regions in the current global economic landscape. As one of the most dynamic, open, and innovative regions in China's economy, the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region is witnessing the vigorous development of its advanced manufacturing clusters, which, like a dazzling pearl, illuminates the development of China's manufacturing industry.
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The development trend of the high-end equipment manufacturing clusters in the YRD region is extremely robust. Up to now, the region has successfully established 26 national-level advanced manufacturing clusters, accounting for 32.5% of the national total, holding an important position in the national advanced manufacturing industry. These clusters widely cover strategic emerging industries, such as large aircraft, biomedicine, integrated circuits, new materials, and high-end equipment. They serve as key forces in promoting industrial upgrading and enhancing regional competitiveness.
The large aircraft industry cluster is one of the typical representatives. The successful commercial flight of the domestic C919 is of great significance, and behind it is the strong collaborative advantage of the YRD region. On June 7th, the economic and information technology departments of Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui signed the Cooperation Framework Agreement on the YRD Large Aircraft Industry Cluster at the 7th High-Level Forum on YRD Integration Development. Relying on its core advantages in the final assembly manufacturing and system integration of large aircraft, Shanghai undertakes important tasks. Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) and other enterprises gathered here not only bear the responsibility of the mass production of C919 but also actively drive the development of four high-end industrial sub-chains: most of the structures and composite materials, aero-engines, airborne systems, and manufacturing equipment. At the same time, Jiangsu has significant advantages in 3D titanium alloy printing technology and composite materials. Zhejiang stands out in fuselage assembly and precision parts manufacturing, while Anhui focuses on key components. These three provinces have formed an efficient "material-component-system" division of labor system in Shanghai. Currently, this cluster has attracted nearly 1,000 enterprises related to the industrial chain, with an output value exceeding 100 billion yuan, and more than one-third of the large aircraft installation and supporting suppliers in the country are concentrated here.
The new energy vehicle industry has also achieved remarkable achievements. The YRD region gathers 40% of the national new energy vehicle production capacity, and the enterprise density reaches three times the national average. In the latest ranking of new energy vehicle production, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui have all ranked among the top seven in the country, with Anhui ranking first in the country. In addition to the large aircraft and new energy vehicle industries, the YRD region has also made fruitful achievements in the field of high-end equipment manufacturing, such as ships and marine engineering equipment, integrated circuits, biomedicine, and artificial intelligence. In the field of ships and marine engineering equipment, the Shanghai ship and marine engineering cluster has successfully been selected into the national advanced manufacturing cluster. With Shanghai as the core, a "marine engineering matrix" cooperating with Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui has gradually taken shape.
The high-end equipment manufacturing clusters in the YRD region can achieve such excellent results due to various factors. The region is rich in resources from universities and scientific research institutions, providing strong intellectual support and a source of technological innovation for industrial development; the convenient transportation network and perfect infrastructure promote the efficient flow and agglomeration of factor resources; the three provinces and one municipality have actively introduced industrial support policies to create a good industrial development environment; the in-depth promotion of the YRD integration development strategy has broken down administrative barriers and accelerated inter-regional industrial coordination and optimal allocation of resources.
Looking to the future, the high-end equipment manufacturing clusters in the YRD region are expected to stand out in global industrial competition. On the one hand, with the deep integration of new-generation information technologies such as 5G, artificial intelligence, and big data with manufacturing, the production efficiency, product quality, and innovation capabilities of cluster enterprises will be further improved. On the other hand, the establishment of the YRD Advanced Manufacturing Cluster Alliance will build a cooperation network for the industrial chain and supply chain on a larger scale, promoting the high-quality development of advanced manufacturing clusters. It is believed that with the joint efforts of all parties, the advanced manufacturing clusters in the YRD region will continue to lead China's manufacturing industry to new heights and inject a stable and strong driving force into China's high-quality economic development.
