Breaking into the future and riding the waves globally—what is the drive behind Zhejiang's manufacturing "persistence"?

Zhongxin Net, Hangzhou, March 29 (Lan Yini) - In the first year of the “14th Five-Year Plan,” Zhejiang’s first industrial report card was recently released. The data shows that from January to February, the province’s industrial added value above designated size grew by 9.8% year-on-year, not only exceeding the national average but also ranking first among the major eastern coastal economic provinces.

Industry is the “ballast stone” of economic development, and early-year data particularly reflects the development trend. Standing at a new starting point, Zhejiang is starting strong; where does this “fighting” spirit come from? Exploring its development trajectory, the answer may be revealed from three dimensions.

Seizing Opportunities: Full-Spectrum Efforts in the New Race

This year during the Spring Festival, Yushu Technology’s robot performance on the Spring Festival Gala amazed the world, showcasing new breakthroughs in embodied intelligence technology. Beyond the spotlight, from urban economic circles to mountainous counties, Zhejiang’s presence in tackling new racing tracks is visible everywhere.

Zhejiang enterprises’ developed robotic dogs climb stairs in testing scenarios.　Lan Yini Photo

In recent years, the province has made synchronized efforts in various regions to develop new productivity tailored to local conditions, achieving multiple breakthroughs in emerging and future industries.

In Hangzhou, relying on a “tropical rainforest”-like innovation ecosystem, a number of leading companies in embodied intelligence are accelerating their development, promoting the scaling of industries. Hangzhou Juwei Technology Co., Ltd., celebrated as one of the “Hangzhou Four Little Dogs,” is a representative among them.

“Our robotic dogs can operate stably in scenarios ranging from -40 degrees Celsius to 85 degrees Celsius, with dynamic and static loads 4 to 5 times the industry average,” said the company’s head. The company has surpassed 500 million yuan in orders just one year after its establishment.

It is reported that the company has completed three rounds of financing, and the funds will be used to deepen scenario layout, strengthen R&D capabilities, and expand production capacity reserves, preparing well for a new round of development.

Taking the field of embodied intelligence as an example, Zhejiang has formed an industrial landscape of “whole machine traction, component support, and regional collaboration.” Data shows that Zhejiang has gathered 18 whole machine enterprises and over 130 core component manufacturers, forming a complete industrial chain covering whole machines, components, and software systems.

What better reflects the province’s vitality and resilience is that even mountainous counties with relatively unfavorable resource endowments are breaking through on the racing track of new productivity.

In western Zhejiang, Quzhou Longyou has achieved over 85% localization of core components for humanoid robots. From motors and reducers to sensors, one can basically assemble a robot’s “body” just by taking a tour in this small city.

“Since landing in Longyou last July, we have built a complete technical chain of ‘modules—whole machines—algorithms,’ achieving independent control over software, algorithms, mechanical design, and key components,” said Wang Pengcheng, executive general manager of Zhejiang Jingge Zhihang Technology Co., Ltd. The local forward-looking layout for the embodied intelligence industry is accelerating the gathering of high-tech enterprises.

Lishui Economic Development Zone has introduced over 40 semiconductor projects, with a total investment exceeding 70 billion yuan; Taizhou Jiaojiang has formed a biopharmaceutical industry chain covering intermediates, raw medicines, and finished medicines, with a scale exceeding 10 billion yuan… Across Zhejiang province, various regions are cultivating new productivity with differentiation, accumulating new momentum for development.

This year, Zhejiang also proposed to support the layout and construction of new productivity projects, implement special incentives for future industries, and cultivate a batch of leading areas for future industries, aiming to run faster and further on the new productivity track.

Pooling Forces: Smooth Circulation to Fully “Mobilize” Innovation Elements

In developing new productivity, Zhejiang is not seeking “short-term excitement,” but is focused on addressing deep-seated bottlenecks, building a sustainable innovation ecosystem.

In the past, issues such as uneven regional resources, the non-circulation of innovation elements, and the poor transformation of scientific and technological achievements constrained the transformation and upgrading of manufacturing. Now, Zhejiang is promoting the deep integration of technological innovation and industrial innovation, with the “dual employment” system of “schools (institutions) and enterprises” becoming key to breaking through talent bottlenecks.

Following this system innovation, Hu Wei, who holds dual identities as a “researcher at the Liangzhu Laboratory” and “technology vice president at Taizhou Daozhi Technology Co., Ltd.,” has started a new round of “dual-city life.”

He travels weekly between Hangzhou and Taizhou, transforming specific industrial problems into tasks that artificial intelligence models and intelligent agents can optimize and learn, while also “translating” cutting-edge laboratory research into operational logic that engineers can understand and machines can execute.

Hu Wei introduced that Daozhi Technology focuses on the intelligent research and production of medical chemical equipment. The medical AI algorithms and intelligent agents developed by the team are expected to improve production efficiency by 25%.

Now in Zhejiang, talents like him who are “mobile” are constantly emerging. In January, the fourth batch of 16 groups of “dual employment” cases in Zhejiang province was signed, with Li Zhiguang, general manager of Zhejiang Erge Energy Co., Ltd., reaching a dual employment agreement with Hangzhou University of Electronic Science and Technology, also starting his “busy journey.”

In his view, this model helps to integrate innovative resources: “Students can intern in enterprises, guided by experienced R&D personnel, forming a tiered cultivation model; enterprises can also share university instruments and equipment, accelerating R&D through cooperation and addressing technological shortcomings.”

By 2026, Zhejiang plans to add more than 4,000 high-level talents for shared mobility and select more than 2,000 “industry professors” and “technology vice presidents.” The deep promotion of this mechanism will also provide significant institutional dividends for mountainous counties to develop new productivity, allowing innovation elements to unleash maximum value through regional mobility.

Broadening Perspectives: Looking Globally to Foster New Opportunities in Openness

Currently, as the global industrial chain and supply chain accelerate restructuring, Zhejiang’s cultivation and development of new productivity is no longer limited to meticulous cultivation on its own soil but actively seeks opportunities and deeply embeds itself in the global industrial chain, accumulating development momentum through open collaboration.

As emerging industries continue to grow and future industry layouts become increasingly refined, high value-added products are becoming a new engine for Zhejiang’s foreign trade growth. The wave of the new energy industry’s overseas expansion is a vivid example.

在2026 Asia International Battery and Energy Storage Technology Exhibition, Zhejiang’s Chamber of Commerce for the Promotion of International Trade specially created an “exhibition within an exhibition.” The entire industrial chain of Zhejiang’s new energy was showcased, reaching intention orders exceeding 16 million USD.

“The Brazilian merchants we met at the exhibition visited the factory a few days ago,” said Wang Ming, overseas sales manager of Zhejiang Aifeike Electric Technology Co., Ltd. After inspecting the entire process of R&D, production, quality inspection, and packaging of industrial high-frequency intelligent chargers, they were very satisfied, and both parties expect to sign a contract soon.

In addition to “building a platform” to expand the market, Zhejiang is also releasing its attraction with an open posture, promoting higher-level international collaboration. Recently, global leading robot companies like Qualcomm and Tesla visited Zhejiang during the fourth Chain Expo promotion conference, and the solid strength showcased by Zhejiang’s embodied intelligence companies made global giants see the potential for collaboration.

Qualcomm’s global vice president Xia Quan stated, “The robotics industry is a blue ocean for future development and an important opportunity for Chinese manufacturing. Qualcomm is comprehensively laying out the robotics industry and hopes to deepen innovative collaboration with Chinese enterprises.”

Transitioning from “individual enterprises fighting alone” to industries banding together to go global and deepening global collaboration, Zhejiang’s role in the global manufacturing landscape is also quietly changing.

Zhejiang’s “fighting” spirit—from the aggressive ambition to seize new racing tracks, to the systematic synergy that smooths the circulation of elements, to the open-mindedness to embrace the global market—essentially represents a developmental consciousness led by new productivity, a vivid practice of reform, innovation, and open inclusiveness resonating in harmony.

This year’s “New Spring First Meeting” in Zhejiang province proposed, “We must highlight breaking through difficulties, promoting development, and increasing advantages through reform and innovation,” once again anchoring the direction and boosting confidence for the path forward.

Starting strong leads to lasting success. In the wave of global industrial transformation, Zhejiang is continuously solidifying the robust foundation of a strong manufacturing province through practical efforts, collaborative strength, and open boundaries, steadily advancing on the path of high-quality development and writing a new chapter in the transformation and upgrading of Chinese manufacturing. (End)