Equipment Manufacturing is the foundation and hope of industry. In Yichang, this industry is undergoing rapid development during transformation and upgrading and becomes the major industry among the top six industries.
According to Yichang Municipal Commission of Economy and Information Technology, Yichang equipment manufacturing enterprises have reached to 207 in 2012, realizing 77.952 billion RMB gross industrial output and 22.582 billion RMB industrial added value. This industrial added value accounts for 17.38 percent of Yichang municipal industrial added value, which is second to chemical engineering industry.
Hydropower Industry contributes a lot to Yichang’s development, but many doubts come after the completion of the Three Gorges Project. One doubt is “What is Yichang’s core competitiveness in Post Three Gorges Era?”
Although hydropower industry still plays an important role in Yichang industrial development, six top industries including equipment manufacturing and other industries have replaced its place in recent years.
May 16, 2013 will undoubtedly be remembered in Yichang\'s industrial development history. Yichang Government, GAGC (Guangzhou Automobile Group Corporation) and ZX AUTO Yichang Base signed an cooperation agreement on that day, and Urban Ark AUV, the first passenger car of ZX AUTO, officially rolled off the assembly line. It means that Xiaoting auto industry of Yichang High-tech Zone with the investment capital of 100-billion RMB was in full swing and Yichang has become a new pivot in the Yangtze River Auto Industry Corridor besides cities like Shanghai, Wuhan, Chongqing and Nanjing. Four national auto industries, FAW（First Auto Works）, Dongfeng Motor Corporation, SAIC(Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation) and GAGC have settled down in Hubei Province.
It is reported that with the 10 billion RMB joint investments of GAGC and ZX AUTO , GAGC will produce 300 thousand cars annually, 450 thousand cars annually in the long term and its output will reach to 30 billion RMB annually, which will drive industries of 180 billion RMB.
The industry attraction is always charming. At the same time, GAGC will draw over 15 affiliated enterprises into Yichang, which will make Yichang Auto Industrial Park have the coverage of 528 hectares, forming a complete auto and accessories industry chain. Financed by China Auto Parts and Accessories Corporation, the construction of China Auto Parts and Accessories Industrial Base (Yichang Branch) will be finished soon, forming three parts, such as testing, R&D and production of auto parts and accessories, R&D and production of new energy automobile, auto parts and accessories market. When they are in operation, the annual sales revenue of auto parts and accessories industry chain will reach more than 100 billion RMB.
Chen Minren, Director of Yichang Municipal Commission of Economy and Information Technology, said that equipment manufacturing industry is of strategic importance to the construction of provincial sub-central city and modern megacity. It is the intrinsic requirement for promoting industrial core competitiveness and the industry where the competitiveness of Yichang lies in.
Specifically, Guangzhou Automobile Group Co., Ltd., ZX Auto and China Auto Parts Industry Company’s entering just proves that Yichang is catching the chance brought by rising strategy of central China, promotion of equipment manufacturing industry and transferring of international and domestic industries.
To promote the rapid development of equipment manufacturing industry, Yichang is building the characteristic base of equipment manufacturing industry through ways including upgrading and rebuilding, recapitalization, integration and extension of industry chain and external introduction. By 2016, such industrial parks as Xiaoting Auto Industrial Park, Dongshan Machine Tool Building Industrial Park, Dianjun New Material Manufacturing Industrial Park, Yiling Electric Cable Industrial Park, Baiyang Ship Supporting Industrial Park and Jiangnan Equipment and Machine Manufacturing Industrial Park will support the equipment manufacturing industry of Yichang.
Just like building national model city, the advantage of Yichang lies in the confidence and capability to overcome the difficulties. In the process of industrial development of Yichang, there were “Yichang Phenomena”, “Made in Yichang” and “Created in Yichang” that made Yichang people proud. While at present, a batch of world-class products emerge, including technology of diving in deep water, image and shaping match processing and long-distance image scanning and tracing; the first 3.5-meter milling numerically-controlled machine tool; the internationally accreditated world first powerful low speed diesel engine for intelligent ship made by Yichang Marine Diesel Engine Co., Ltd.; and the compound silent saw blade that can reach the international level. A large number of enterprises and products also rank the top in China.
According to the Implementation Scheme of Promoting the Accelerate Development of Equipment Manufacturing Industry of Yichang, from 2013 to 2016, the industrial chain of equipment manufacturing industry will be extended to a new level by ways of developing high-tech production like the production of automobiles and auto parts, ships and corollary equipment, precision machinery and electric wire and cable. In 2015, the output value of equipment manufacturing industry will be over 160 billion RMB and reach to more than180 billion RMB in 2016.
This is Yichang Dream of Industry that is as exiting and inspiring as Yichang Dream.
The space for equipment manufacturing industry to improve is large.
Expert Review
There are over two hundreds equipment manufacturing enterprises in Yichang at present. With superior products appearing constantly and innovation system set up initially, if constraints, such as scattered distribution, shortage of investments and elites, were solved, a great development would be achieved. The following five aspects must be pay attention to in order to solve these problems.
The first aspect is to establish the mechanism for technical talents’ development. Yichang is the third-tier city in mainland, having no good geographical advantages for talents. Therefore, enterprises should take more responsibilities and risks of talents’ cultivation, and adopt gradually the incentives for technical talents’ devotion to their professions.
The second aspect is to build the mechanism for innovations. It has rules to follow for innovations of equipment manufacturing. At first, enterprises should build a good atmosphere for innovation and endure failures. Then, technical talents should master innovation theories, have better consciousness and responsibility for enterprises. The constant creation of first-class techniques and products is the embodiment of innovation.
The third aspect is to set up the platform for academic researches. Through multiple parties’ strengths and intellects, Yichang equipment manufacturing enterprises should have closer cooperation with local China Three Gorges University (CTGU) and research institutes in technology research, patents declaration, achievement transformation, talents’ cultivation and so on.
The fourth aspect is to establish a perfect quality assurance system. Any factor that effects products’ quality in the entire process, involving product development, manufacture, sales services and information feedback, can be controled to form a quality management integrity of mutual coodination and promotion, with clear tasks, responsibilities and rights.
The fifth aspect is to build industrial groups. Enterprises’ quantity is the basis and precondition for it. Municipal Government should make preferential policies and restrictions, design well and plan specialized industrial parks to attract influential enterprises from home and abroad to invest in Yichang.