Amid COVID-19, companies of all kinds seek digital solutions

BEIJING — For Rong Juchuan, the owner of a textile company facing the long-term impact of COVID-19. This year has been another challenging one. But in the eyes of industry veterans. Emerging digital technologies offer a glimmer of hope for his company and the textile industry as a whole.

Zhejiang Chaoyue Group, a manufacturing base in East China. Vowed to put more energy into digitalization this year.

Ambitious plans have been finalized to drive the transformation. Rong said that the company will use the live broadcast platform to expand sales. Explore the application of industrial Internet in production lines, and reduce operating costs.

Beyond's digital drive offers a glimpse into how Chinese manufacturers. Especially those in traditional industries, are trying to navigate the economic woes by following trends.

Rapidly advancing digital technologies, from big data to 5G, are pervasive in manufacturing and are reshaping the broader economic landscape. In 2020, China's digital economy grew by 9.7% year-on-year to 39.2 trillion yuan ($6.16 trillion), accounting for 38.6% of the country's GDP.
For manufacturers in particular, digitalization means reducing information asymmetry and increasing supply chain transparency. Enabling quality growth and better response to market volatility.

During the recent COVID-19 recovery, digitalization has become even more important in ensuring a dynamic and uninterrupted real economy.

Parts of the industry chain are under enormous pressure as a highly contagious variant of Omicron has caused COVID-19 outbreaks in several parts of the country. In hard-hit cities, the flow of goods for some small and medium-sized businesses became congested until smart transportation technology unblocked supply networks.

"Since March, we have processed many times more orders than usual. Most of them from small and medium-sized enterprises with stranded goods." said Ma Feng, sales manager of JD Logistics.

Ma Yun said that through the digital collaboration of merchants. Warehouses, operations and other links, it is possible to efficiently deploy products from different places and maximize the performance of the supply chain.

Recently, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has held several meetings. In particular, it is required to make good use of digital technologies such as 5G. Industrial Internet to help enterprises resolve difficulties and stabilize the industrial chain and supply chain.

Given the growing role of digital technologies, more policy support is being developed.
Tian Yulong, chief engineer of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. said the digital transformation action plan is underway. Including experiments aimed at further combining information technology and manufacturing capabilities.


This year's government work report also includes support for the digital sector.

We will strengthen overall planning for the construction of digital China. Build more digital information infrastructure. Gradually establish an integrated system of national big data centers. Apply 5G technology on a larger scale," the report said.

Rong remains concerned about challenges as the pandemic continues. However, looking ahead, the seasoned businessman remains confident and dynamic.

"We need to be proactive, not waiting and reactive," Yung said.

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