Vigorously promote the new model of industrialization; key focuses of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology in 2024

The Central Economic Work Conference emphasized the need to "vigorously advance the new model of industrialization" and "extensively apply digital and intelligent technologies, as well as green technologies, to accelerate the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries." So, what achievements have been made in the transformation and upgrading of China's manufacturing and other industries in 2023? And what specific measures will be taken in 2024 to better empower economic development with digital technologies and expedite the process of new industrialization? In our series report "Economic Observations at the Start of the Year," let's listen to the authoritative interpretations from relevant officials of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and experts in the field of information and communications.

The year 2023, which has just passed, witnessed "new industrialization" become a highly frequent and popular term in China's economic development landscape. From the central to local levels, efforts have been continuously made to leverage the characteristics of new industrialization, such as high technological content and low resource consumption, by strengthening scientific and technological innovation and promoting industrial digitization, resulting in a series of significant progress.

Digitalization, intelligence, and greening are distinct features of new industrialization and also important directions for the transformation and upgrading of the manufacturing industry. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology stated that in 2024, it will strengthen policy guidance, consolidate foundational support, and improve service systems to deepen the integrated development of digital technologies and the real economy, thereby advancing new industrialization through digital transformation.

Jiang Mingtao, Deputy Director-General of the Information Technology Development Department at the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology:
We will promote the introduction of policies related to the digital transformation of the manufacturing industry, leading enterprises towards technological progress, management reform, and model innovation. We will cultivate system solutions and service providers tailored to industrial scenarios and enterprise needs, strengthen supply-demand alignment, and build a cooperative and win-win ecosystem for digital transformation.