Key words for industrial economic development in 2026: major projects, emerging industries

On March 16, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology held a cadre meeting to convey and study the spirit of the National Two Sessions, and to deploy implementation work. The meeting emphasized the need to thoroughly implement this year’s key tasks, promote a good start for the 14th Five-Year Plan, including launching major projects for the “14th Five-Year Plan,” building emerging pillar industries such as integrated circuits, aerospace, and biomedicine, and establishing mechanisms for future industry investment growth and risk sharing. It also called for appropriately ahead-of-schedule deployment of new information infrastructure like 5G and intelligent computing, and cultivating a batch of characteristic intelligent entities.

The “14th Five-Year Plan” proposal places “building a modern industrial system and consolidating the foundation of the real economy” as the top strategic task, proposing to “construct a modern industrial system with advanced manufacturing as its backbone.”

The meeting proposed to fully consolidate the steady and positive trend of the industrial economy. It called for the in-depth implementation of the new round of the ten key industry stabilization work plans, supporting industrial powerhouses to take the lead. Major projects for the “14th Five-Year Plan” will be launched. Policy tools such as ultra-long-term special government bonds and special re-lending for technological transformation will be utilized to encourage and guide healthy private investment.

“Against the backdrop of accelerated reform measures, this year’s industrial economy will continue to develop towards high, new, and green directions,” said Guan Bing, Director of the Industrial Economy Research Institute at CCID Consulting. He believes that with the launch of major projects for the “14th Five-Year Plan,” investment environment optimization, and increased financial support, industrial investment growth is expected to stabilize.

Focusing on promoting industrial system optimization and upgrading, the meeting proposed implementing actions to revitalize traditional industries, deploying major technological transformation and upgrading projects, piloting new technological transformation cities, and strengthening standards, quality, and brand building. It also emphasized cultivating and expanding emerging and future industries, building new pillar industries such as integrated circuits, aerospace, and biomedicine, and establishing mechanisms for future industry investment growth and risk sharing.

Recently, a relevant official from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology stated in an interview that in recent years, China’s development in key future industry sectors has achieved new breakthroughs. Superconducting quantum computers and optical quantum computers have demonstrated quantum supremacy; key products like single-atom catalytic materials and atomic-level manufacturing equipment have annual sales exceeding 10 billion yuan; laser manufacturing technology has reached the world’s top level; biomanufacturing products are expanding in healthcare, daily chemicals, cosmetics, and green energy industries. These fields have solid technological foundations and broad market prospects, and are expected to become new benchmarks showcasing China’s manufacturing strength and supporting the development of new productive forces.

The official also noted that future industries are characterized by foresight, strategy, and disruption. It is necessary to unblock “bottlenecks” in science and technology, industry, finance, and talent. Establishing a regular mechanism for future industry technological foresight, periodically releasing frontier technology research directories, and guiding capital and talent resources to core research areas are essential. Strengthening financial support, addressing practical concerns about investment, and vigorously developing “patient capital” are also crucial. Governments at all levels can set up special funds for future industries, leveraging government-guided funds to attract more social capital, and building a capital support system from angel investment and venture capital to industrial investment.

This year’s government work report first proposed to “create a new form of intelligent economy,” explicitly stating to “promote the rapid adoption of new-generation intelligent terminals and intelligent entities,” “implement ultra-large-scale intelligent computing clusters and collaborative computing infrastructure,” and “accelerate the development of satellite internet” among specific paths.

In line with implementing the spirit of the Two Sessions, the meeting proposed to deepen the integration of informatization and industrialization, appropriately ahead-of-schedule deployment of new information infrastructure such as 5G and intelligent computing, and to build an upgraded version of “5G + Industrial Internet.” It also called for advancing digital transformation in manufacturing, implementing the “Artificial Intelligence + Manufacturing” initiative, and cultivating a batch of characteristic intelligent entities. The development of satellite internet will be accelerated.

Currently, China’s industrial internet applications cover all 41 major industrial categories. Progress has been made in the gradient construction of smart factories, with 504 excellent smart factories and 1,260 high-level 5G factories cultivated.

Gu Weixi, Director of the Intelligent Research Institute at the China Industrial Internet Research Institute, believes that cultivating and expanding new forms of intelligent economy must be guided by the deepening and expansion of “Artificial Intelligence +.” This involves strengthening fundamental AI research, deploying frontier directions such as embodied intelligence and general intelligence to solidify the technological foundation of intelligent economy; deepening the integration and application of “Artificial Intelligence +,” expanding large-scale application scenarios in key fields like manufacturing, building high-quality industrial data sets, and developing industrial intelligent entities. Innovation in scenarios will drive technological iteration, industrial upgrading, and model innovation. It is also necessary to cultivate and expand the intelligent industry ecosystem, promote the coordinated development of large, medium, and small enterprises, and continuously lower the barriers for small and medium-sized enterprises to transform intelligently.