The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and five other departments have launched the 2024 Smart Factory Gradual Cultivation Initiative.

According to the "Implementation Plan for Intelligent Factory Gradient Cultivation Action" and "Element Conditions for Intelligent Factory Gradient Cultivation" (Attachments 1 and 2), gradient cultivation of intelligent factories will be carried out in four levels: basic, advanced, excellent, and leading. Among them:

(1) Manufacturing enterprises are encouraged to formulate intelligent factory construction improvement plans based on the results of intelligent manufacturing capability maturity assessments and conduct self-construction and self-assessment against the basic intelligent factory element conditions.

(2) Provincial industrial and information technology authorities, together with relevant departments, formulate local plans and support measures for intelligent factory cultivation, organize advanced intelligent factory review and recognition, and recommend qualified applicants for excellent intelligent factories.

(3) The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, together with the National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Finance, State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, State Administration for Market Regulation, and National Data Administration, jointly organize the cultivation of excellent intelligent factories.

(4) Excellent intelligent factories with willingness and conditions are encouraged to actively apply for leading intelligent factories, recommended by their regions or affiliated central enterprises to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and other departments, and carry out construction under the guidance of the National Intelligent Manufacturing Expert Committee.

(1) Application Conditions

1. The applicant must be registered within the People's Republic of China, have independent legal person status (for industries with special circumstances such as petroleum, petrochemical, and non-ferrous metals, branch offices of legal persons are allowed to apply), and meet the basic requirements of the "Element Conditions for Intelligent Factory Gradient Cultivation."

2. The applicant must have completed intelligent factory construction, with intelligent manufacturing levels leading domestically, and in principle should have been rated as an advanced intelligent factory and meet the requirements of the excellent intelligent factory element conditions.

3. The applicant must be willing to cooperate with on-site inspections, technology promotion, and typical case exchanges.

(2) Organization and Implementation

1. Applicants should refer to the "Reference Guide for Typical Intelligent Manufacturing Scenarios (2024 Edition)" (MIIT Joint Letter [2024] No. 361) and the "Element Conditions for Intelligent Factory Gradient Cultivation," prepare the application according to the "List of Application Materials for Excellent Intelligent Factory Projects" (Attachment 3), and complete the online application by November 22, 2024. Applicants are responsible for the authenticity of the application content and must ensure that the application materials do not involve state secrets or trade secrets.

2. Local industrial and information technology authorities, together with development and reform, finance, state-owned assets, market regulation, and data authorities, organize project recommendation work in their regions; relevant central enterprises organize project recommendation work within their groups. Each province (region, city) may recommend no more than 20 projects; cities specifically designated in the state plan, the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, and relevant central enterprises may recommend no more than 5 projects.

3. Recommending units should complete online review by November 29, 2024, fill in the recommendation summary form (Attachment 4) according to the priority order of recommended projects, and submit one stamped paper version of the application (which must be consistent with the online submission) and one copy of the recommendation summary form to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (Equipment Industry Division One). Relevant central enterprises should simultaneously submit to the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council (Science and Technology Innovation Bureau).

4. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, together with the National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Finance, State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, State Administration for Market Regulation, and National Data Administration, organize the review, recognition, and promotion of excellent intelligent factories.

5. Local industrial and information technology, development and reform, finance, state-owned assets, market regulation, and data authorities, as well as relevant central enterprises, should strengthen graded guidance and supervision of intelligent factories and encourage corresponding policy support.

6. Project application, review, management, and evaluation work will be carried out based on the Intelligent Manufacturing Data Resource Public Service Platform (https://www.miit-imps.com).

General Office of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology

General Office of the National Development and Reform Commission

General Office of the Ministry of Finance

General Office of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council

General Office of the State Administration for Market Regulation

Comprehensive Department of the National Data Administration

October 28, 2024