Three manufacturers in Qingdao, Shandong province, have been selected as new members of the Global Lighthouse Network (GLN) by the World Economic Forum (WEF), taking the city’s total to seven and making it, alongside Suzhou in Jiangsu province, one of the two cities in China with the most lighthouse factories. This shows the growing manufacturing capabilities of the coastal city and reflects the pursuit of cutting-edge technologies and sustainable development by Chinese industries.
Hisense Hitachi Air-conditioning Systems Co in Qingdao implemented Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies in more than 40 applications, boosting the speed of product development by 37%, increasing labor productivity by 49%, and reducing manufacturing costs by 35%, according to a report on the WEF’s website. From pioneering unmanned heat exchangers to automated welding, Hisense Hitachi has created over 40 advanced applications, with more than 20 technologies being industry firsts. “This not only provides a competitive edge in the market but also injects new vitality and momentum into high-quality industrial development,” said Zhuang Junjie, Director of the Assembly Line Automation Division at Hisense Hitachi. The company has developed over 40 sets of adaptive automated welding equipment, which are widely used in the factory. “Our overall efficiency is approximately 23% higher than the industry average,” said Zhuang.
Led by intelligent digitalization, Tsingtao Brewery has earned recognition as the world’s first “sustainability lighthouse” in the food and beverage industry. By enhancing the integration of technologies like the industrial internet and the Internet of Things (IoT), the century-old factory has effectively addressed production constraints and improved overall resource utilization, energy consumption, and ecological performance. According to the WEF report, industrial beer brewing is traditionally high-energy and carbon intensive. Tsingtao Brewery leveraged advanced algorithms and IoT to deploy 25 applications aimed at reducing energy and carbon intensity in beer production. The factory has achieved a 25% reduction in unit energy consumption.
Qingdao Haier (Jiaozhou) Air Conditioner Co has also been shortlisted in the GLN, making global brand Haier the Chinese company with the largest number of lighthouse factories worldwide, according to the company. Exporting products to 130 countries and regions, the factory has not only met surging global demand, but also leveraged big data and advanced algorithms to resolve issues related to delayed responses in R&D, delivery, and after-sales service, the China Daily reports.
