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Zhongnan Intelligent: Powering Lighthouse Factories, Illuminating the Future of Intelligent Manufacturing

Release date: 2025-02-25

The World Economic Forum (WEF) recently released its latest list of 189 global "lighthouse factories" (click to view the full list), with China continuing to lead the global intelligent manufacturing track—accounting for more than 40% of the entries. As a leading company in intelligent manufacturing, Zhongnan Intelligent, with its deep technical expertise and strong industry reputation, has in practice become an enabler behind many of these lighthouse factories—nearly 60% of the factories on the list are closely linked to Zhongnan Intelligent’s technologies and products. On the lighthouse factory list, Zhongnan Intelligent has established long-term partnerships with leading companies including China National Heavy Duty Truck Group, Sany Heavy Industry, Haier Group, Siemens, Weichai Group, CATL, China Resources Group, Procter & Gamble, and Mengniu Dairy. These collaborations span core areas such as industrial robot systems, intelligent logistics, laser processing, and digital services, underscoring the company’s outstanding competitiveness in industrial automation and digital transformation.

Deepening roots in the Chinese market to set industry benchmarks

In recent years, Zhongnan Intelligent has focused on leading enterprises, creating multiple industry benchmark cases, with its technologies and products becoming key support for clients building lighthouse factories. At Taiyuan Heavy Industry Group (Taizhong), Zhongnan Intelligent, centered on customer needs, developed comprehensive digital transformation and upgrade services for Taizhong Intelligent’s high-end hydraulic excavator industrial project and the digitalization, intelligence and automation of its intelligent warehousing, logistics and distribution system. At Haier Group, Zhongnan Intelligent deployed automation solutions across appliance production lines such as air conditioners and washing machines, enabling clients to achieve flexible production and personalized customization. At BAIC Foton, Zhongnan Intelligent built an automobile subassembly line characterized by high-end equipment, modular design, green energy savings and product flexibility, helping to construct a supercar factory.

Technology drives innovation, empowering industry transformation

Currently, Zhongnan Intelligent’s products and services for global lighthouse factories span diversified fields including home appliances, new energy, automotive, steel and construction machinery. With robust capabilities that cover solutions for more than 110 industrial scenarios, it meets industry needs through differentiated technical approaches: in the new energy and automotive sectors, Zhongnan Intelligent is focusing on new energy batteries and vehicle manufacturing automation, developing high-efficiency production lines and industrial robot systems; in the white goods sector, it is committed to providing flexible production lines and intelligent control systems to support large-scale customized production; in heavy industries such as construction machinery and foundry, Zhongnan Intelligent continuously optimizes production processes and reduces energy consumption through industrial robot technologies and digital twin technologies.

Expanding Overseas Markets, Opening a Global Perspective

Today, China has become the main battleground for intelligent manufacturing, and the rapid development of its Lighthouse Factories has set a benchmark for global manufacturing. As an intelligent manufacturing service provider deeply involved in building Lighthouse Factories, Zhongnan Intelligent has taken pioneering steps to export its technology and establish its products abroad. From its inception, Zhongnan Intelligent co-founded an Industry 4.0 Innovation Center with Germany’s Siemens, learning from and aligning with international standards to enhance its global technology compatibility. In 2023, Zhongnan Intelligent’s advanced laser equipment debuted at the Munich Optical Fair, drawing strong industry attention; in 2024, its overseas expansion began yielding results, with a breakthrough in the European market and new projects launched in Saudi Arabia, Canada and elsewhere.

Looking ahead, leveraging the deployment and construction of additional lighthouse factories, Zhongnan Intelligent will use industry leaders as pivots and full-scenario technology solutions to empower Chinese manufacturing. By promoting benchmark case practices to drive intelligent upgrades across the industrial chain, it will continuously set new standards in intelligent manufacturing through collaborations with top enterprises while deepening engagement with prospective clients. Driven by innovative technologies, it will deeply enable digital transformation across multiple industries and propel manufacturing upgrades through intelligent solutions, continuously leading a new wave of industrial intelligence. With a global perspective, it will pursue technology overseas and deep international cooperation, using flagship demonstration projects to drive global expansion and showcase the strength of Chinese manufacturing in high-end equipment exports and standards alignment, while steadily expanding the map of international intelligent manufacturing.

Keywords: Zhongnan Intelligent: Powering Lighthouse Factories, Illuminating the Future of Intelligent Manufacturing