Chongqing - The second session of the sixth Chongqing Municipal People's Congress will be held on January 21, 2024, and will last four days.

Zhou Hua, deputy to the sixth Chongqing Municipal People's Congress and general manager of China Unicom (Chongqing) 5G Convergence Innovation Center said, "This year, my focus will be on how 5G technology can better empower industries, helping enterprises improve quality, reduce costs, and increase efficiency."

Zhou Hua, NPC Chongqing Deputy and General Manager of China Unicom (Chongqing) 5G Convergence Innovation Center, (Photo/cqnews.net)

Last year, Zhou submitted a suggestion on accelerating the construction of 5G fully connected factories to promote high-quality development in manufacturing, urging the promotion of industrial internet infrastructure construction, increased support for local platforms, and the formulation of a comprehensive policy.

The 5G fully connected factory integrates the new generation of information and communication technologies, with 5G as a representative, to create a new industrial internet infrastructure. 

Specifically, it involves the construction or transformation of production scenes at the line, workshop, and factory levels, forming advanced factories with widely connected production units, deep integration of information technology and operational technology, full utilization of data elements, and efficient empowerment through innovative applications.

As a new form of "5G + industrial internet" technology, the 5G fully connected factory will extensively integrate into diverse industrial production sectors, fostering high-quality, cost-effective, green, and secure development in traditional industries.

Elevating "5G + Industrial Internet" to new heights

"For example, in the traditional car purchasing process, consumers place orders at 4S dealerships, and the order completion depends on the 4S dealership contacting the higher-level distributor or the car manufacturer," said Zhou. 

After 5G technology empowers manufacturing, consumers can customize their desired configurations and colors, and relevant order data can be synchronized with the automobile factory.

According to Zhou, Chongqing, an early adopter of large-scale 5G networks and a key national node for industrial internet identification resolution, should play a more significant role in advancing "5G + industrial internet" on a broader, deeper, and higher standard.

Zhou Hua is conducting research at the factory. (Photo/cqnews.net)

Through his investigation, Zhou observed an incomplete convergence between information and communication technology and traditional industrial systems, causing bottlenecks in the computing industry. On the market demand side, some companies resist change due to unwillingness, fear, or a lack of knowledge about digital transformation, leading to a lack of confidence in the process.

Zhou recommended promoting new industrial internet infrastructure, strengthening the manufacturing industry's digital foundation, supporting local platform businesses, and creating comprehensive policies for 5G fully connected factories. These measures effectively advance the high-quality development of the city's manufacturing industry.

"5G + industrial internet" is now moving from the periphery to the core of production in Chongqing. A comprehensive industrial big data database has been established, and initiatives are underway to speed up the adoption of Chongqing's intelligent manufacturing diagnostic assessment platform. This supports collaborations between manufacturing enterprises, digital transformation service providers, third-party assessment, and consulting agencies.

By 2027, Chongqing aims to build 50 5G fully connected factories and 50 innovative demonstration factories.