Intelligent and high-end manufacturing is increasingly taking center stage in China, with innovations ranging from new energy vehicles and smart robots to advanced photovoltaics and energy storage equipment. The 2025 World Manufacturing Convention, held from Saturday to Tuesday in Hefei, Anhui Province, east China, brings these frontier achievements together for global participants.
Noah Fraser, Senior Vice President of China Operations at the US-China Business Council (USCBC), said Anhui is focusing on cutting-edge and emerging industries, including smart manufacturing, biomedicine, electric vehicles, and renewable energy—areas where American businesses can collaborate. Carlo D’Andrea, National Vice President of the EU Chamber of Commerce in China and Chairman of its Shanghai Chapter, expressed eagerness to work with Anhui on joint R&D, technology transfer, and academic exchange.
Many multinational companies are expanding their presence in Anhui. Automotive parts manufacturer Marelli is installing new production lines to increase capacity, while BSH Home Appliances Group’s Chuzhou factory has been included on China’s first list of “excellence-level smart factories.” BSH CEO Matthias Metz emphasized that China has become the group’s global innovation engine. Tesla has launched its first energy storage gigafactory outside the U.S. in Shanghai, and BMW announced plans for an IT R&D center in Jiangsu focusing on smart driving and digital technologies.
According to official data, over 36,000 foreign-invested enterprises were established in China from January to July 2025, with actual foreign investment in high-tech sectors totaling 137.36 billion yuan (about 19.3 billion U.S. dollars). Experts note that China’s manufacturing sector is rapidly transitioning from the “world’s factory” to a “global innovation hub,” and its ongoing opening-up policies provide strong support for international collaboration.