The number of 5G base stations exceeds 2.22 million, accounting for more than 60% of the global total. A large number of pillar industries of the national economy, such as aircraft, ships, automobiles, electronics and mining, have carried out innovative practice of 5G+industrial Internet. There are more than 4,000 projects under construction across China. Recently, China 5G+Industrial Internet Conference 2022, co-hosted by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the People’s Government of Hubei Province, came to a close. The conference comprehensively showed that 5G+industrial Internet enables transformation and upgrading of thousands of industries and displayed the achievements in promoting high-quality economic development.

Zhang Yunming, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, pointed out that after years of exploration, China’s 5G+industrial Internet has gradually formed a “Chinese model” of government planning and guidance, local practical promotion and industrial linkage development, and is entering a new stage from initial exploration to large-scale development.

The year 2022 is the third anniversary of the issuance of China’s 5G license and the year of the end of 5G+Industrial Internet 512 project.

Over the past three years, 5G has continued to empower key industries in China such as mining, power, electronics and building materials. More than 4,000 5G+industrial Internet projects across China cover 41 major categories of the national economy. Among the seed projects of “5G full-connected factories”, projects with more than 60% of the 5G connection rate of industrial equipment account for more than half. The breadth and depth of the integration of 5G technology and industry continue to expand.

Yu Xiaohui, president of China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, said in the release of 2022 China’s 5G+Industrial Internet Development Effectiveness Evaluation Report (hereinafter referred to as the Report) that 5G is an important direction for the evolution and upgrading of the new generation of information and communication technology, the industrial Internet is the key support for the fourth industrial revolution, and both are important driving forces for the realization of the economic and social digital transformation.

According to the Report, China’s 5G+Industrial Internet 512 project has been completed with high quality. At present, the development of 5G+Industrial Internet in China has formed a new development pattern, led by the Yangtze River Delta region, Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and extended to the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region, the western region and the old industrial base in the northeast, with eastern, central and western China advance in echelon order.

“The integration and development of 5G and the industrial Internet has produced a huge multiplier effect, promoting the accelerated integration of digital economy and real economy, which is of great significance to the construction of a powerful manufacturing country and a powerful network country.” Yu Xiaohui pointed out that China’s huge industrial system and scenario needs, as well as the continuous enrichment and improvement of 5G+industrial Internet 512 project and other policy toolkits, have provided the advancement of industrial Internet with innovative development soil.

Up to now, more than 10 policy documents have been issued at the national level, and more than 100 supporting policies related to 5G and industrial Internet have been issued in 31 provinces (cities, autonomous regions) across China. The policy system of coordination between central and local governments has been basically established. At the same time, more than 20 provincial 5G+industrial Internet pilot projects have been formed nationwide.

“This has provided a good foundation for pushing forward the development of China’s 5G+industrial Internet and for the construction of a 5G full-connected factory in the next stage,” Yu Xiaohui said.

Zhang Yunming pointed out that the innovative development of the 5G+industrial Internet has not only led enterprises to improve quality, reduce costs, increase efficiency, green and safe development, but also opened up a new path for the upgrading of traditional industrial technology, accelerated the implementation and popularization of new production methods that fully connect people, machines and things, becoming an important support for advancing the high-end, intelligent and green development of manufacturing industry.

In the future, the development of traditional industrial manufacturing industry needs digital means to push forward, but many enterprises are facing many problems such as “dare not turn” in the process of digitalization.

Xu Jiajia, vice president of iFLYTEK and general manager of Ling Yang Industrial Internet, said that the data of Development Research Center of the State Council showed that 50.7% of domestic enterprises did not have any digital investment, and only 33.8% of enterprises invested less than one million. All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce surveyed more than 2,800 enterprises in one province, and found that only 27.7% of enterprises are undergoing or are about to undergo digital transformation.

In the opinion of Zhou Ji, an academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering, intelligent manufacturing needs the powerful industrial AI empowerment, the titanic industrial big data empowerment, and the mighty 5G+industrial Internet empowerment.

Zhou Ji pointed out that for intelligent manufacturing, without powerful 5G and industrial Internet, there would be no real big data, no new generation of artificial intelligence, and no new generation of intelligent manufacturing. Therefore, 5G+industrial Internet is the key support to promote intelligent manufacturing.

“In the past, industrial production relied on advanced production lines and experienced teachers. In the future, intelligent equipment, data, and algorithms will play an increasingly important core role in industrial development.” Xu Jiajia said, for example, 80% of the equipment in industrial scenarios are equipped with bearings, rotations, or electromechanical equipment, which will make abnormal noises once they fail. However, the industrial acoustics created by voice technology can make all the links that need to be heard in the industrial production process can be replaced by machines.

Zhou Ji said that it can be predicted that 5G+industrial Internet and the new generation of intelligent technology will open up a broader world for product and equipment innovation. By 2035, all kinds of products and equipment in China will develop from the digital generation to the intelligent Internet connection generation, and upgrade to the intelligent Internet connection products and equipment.