E China's Ningbo accelerates toward a global advanced manufacturing hub

Robotic arms assemble elevator components at the production facility of Ningbo Hosting Elevator Co., Ltd. in Ningbo, east China's Zhejiang province. [Photo/Hu Xuejun]

One out of every three Android smartphones worldwide is equipped with optical lenses made in Ningbo, east China's Zhejiang province. More than 90 percent of global sewing machine manufacturers rely on rotary hooks produced in the city. Ningbo also supplies 40 percent of the cutting wire used globally by high-precision machine tools for producing precision molds and components.

Through a dedicated focus on specialized precision manufacturing, Ningbo-based companies have secured a strong foothold in the global industrial chain. In recent years, the city has been accelerating its efforts to build a world-class hub for advanced manufacturing, steadily enhancing its industrial capabilities.

Fostering champions of specialized manufacturing

Ningbo has cultivated a robust ecosystem of manufacturing champions, with a strong emphasis on nurturing highly specialized sectors.

"Orders are already booked through 2027," said Zhu Mengxing, co-founder of Ningbo Zhongke Xianglong Lightweight Technology Co., Ltd. According to Zhu, the company's operating revenue doubled year on year in the first half of this year, with full-year growth projected to reach 220 percent.

As a pioneer in lightweight solutions for the commercial aerospace industry, the company manufactures major components for aircraft engines and civilian aerospace systems. It has achieved a 42 percent weight reduction in critical aerospace structures, significantly boosting performance and efficiency.

In 2024, the company undertook 27 commercial aerospace projects, securing a leading share of China's commercial aerospace market.

Ningbo has established a tiered support system for enterprises at every stage of development, including potential startups, key enterprises, "little giant" enterprises (specialized SMEs with strong innovation capacity) and individual manufacturing champions. This system encourages synergy among companies of all sizes, promoting comprehensive upgrades across technologies, products, and supply chains. The city is currently home to 104 nationally recognized individual manufacturing champion enterprises.

A technician inspects automated fastener production equipment at a workshop in Zhenhai district, Ningbo, east China's Zhejiang province. [Photo/Hu Xuejun]

Emerging industries on the rise

Ningbo's emerging industries have maintained strong momentum. In the first half of 2025, the added value of high-tech manufacturing, the digital economy-related manufacturing, and equipment manufacturing rose by 13.1 percent, 7.7 percent and 6.5 percent, respectively.

A key driver behind this growth is the city's emphasis on collaborative innovation across industrial chains and clusters, which has significantly enhanced overall production capacity.

In the Ningbo-Zhoushan Port, new energy vehicles (NEVs) are being prepared for global shipment. According to Ningbo Customs, the port exported 107,000 NEVs in the first half of this year, up 275 percent year on year.

The export boom is supported by one of China's most concentrated automotive ecosystems, featuring approximately 5,000 auto parts suppliers within a 50-kilometer radius of the city.

Since Chinese automaker BYD established its east China production base in Ningbo, local parts sourcing has jumped from 35 percent to 68 percent in just six months, enabling same-day delivery of critical components.

Currently, Ningbo is home to more than 8,800 high-tech enterprises, with the added value of high-tech industries accounting for more than 60 percent of the total value-added industrial output of enterprises above the designated size. The city has independently or jointly built several national-level advanced manufacturing clusters and specialized SME industrial clusters.

Enhancing digital and green transformation

Ningbo is strategically integrating digitalization and sustainable practices to drive new economic growth.

On an intelligent production line for air fryers, a robotic arm powered by renewable energy installs a precision smart control module. From injection molding to stamping and coating, the entire process takes just 30 seconds before the appliance is ready for packaging and export.

At Zhejiang Biyi Electric Appliance Co., Ltd. in Yuyao, a county-level city under Ningbo's administration, a 5-megawatt rooftop solar panel system glistens in the sun.

"Thanks to solar energy and our new high-efficiency compressed air system, we're saving over 1.7 million yuan (about $236,719) a year," said Pan Zaiming, chairman of the company's board of supervisors.

Photo shows a busy scene at a container terminal at Beilun Port of the Ningbo-Zhoushan Port in Ningbo, east China's Zhejiang province. [Photo/Hu Xuejun]

As a major advanced manufacturing hub in China, Ningbo is charting new paths for industrial transformation by integrating digitalization with sustainable practices.

For instance, a local textile company has developed a flexible, intelligent workshop capable of identifying carbon-intensive and polluting processes, while a local new materials firm is applying digital solutions to eco-friendly product design.

In 2024, Ningbo implemented over 2,700 digital transformation projects for industrial enterprises above the designated size, achieving full coverage. The city added 11 national-level 5G smart factories and six provincial-level pilot "future factories."