Moving from the industrial age to the digital economy age is changing the world economy in every dimension, and industrial digitalisation is one of its most visible expressions: using big data, artificial intelligence and new-generation digital and communications technology to digitally upgrade, transform and rebuild all elements of traditional industry chains. It is the natural product of the internet’s development and diffusion, a defining trend of the future world economy – and pandemic-era demand for contactless economic activity accelerated it further.
Digital transformation runs on knowledge, information, data and technology. It is convenient, fast, open and equal: it lowers market entry barriers, generates new jobs and entrepreneurship opportunities, and restructures employment. Simplified data processing and decision-making not only offset transformation costs but cut operating costs overall and raise total-factor productivity, so output grows in an exponential, intensive pattern.
A shared policy consensus
Seeing the new momentum, the G20 Hangzhou Summit issued the Digital Economy Development and Cooperation Initiative, forming a basic policy consensus for global industrial digitalisation. The OECD reports that over 80% of member states have issued digital transformation strategies and action plans – the US National AI R&D Strategic Plan, the EU’s industrial digitalisation programme, the UK’s industrial strategy for AI among them. China’s 14th Five-Year Plan likewise commits to faster digital development, digital industrialisation and industrial digitalisation, and deep integration of the digital and real economies.
Definitions differ across national strategies, but the core content converges, and three trends stand out.
Three common trends
Accelerating digital and AI innovation is the shared strategic choice. National plans share a coordination mechanism of strategic guidance, planning, policy coordination and multi-party cooperation, with dedicated institutions driving implementation and close government-industry-academia collaboration.
Digital transformation of traditional manufacturing is the main track. Applying modern digital technology, advanced internet and AI across the full system – R&D design, production processes, management and sales service – through information network construction, industrial internet platforms and policy guidance, lowers costs, raises total-factor productivity and restores scale growth.
Digital upgrading of construction, agriculture, energy, mining, logistics and retail is rising fast, with application scenes expanding so every industry can catch the express train. Building information modelling offers new ways to manage construction projects; smart energy platforms covering production, transmission and consumption improve supply and use efficiency; intelligent equipment enables safe unmanned mining in complex geology; animal wearables open smart ranching; and digitalised wholesale, retail, warehousing and logistics speed goods flow while matching user needs in real time.
Global industrial digitalisation is entering a stage of acceleration and full competition, and each country’s position will have far-reaching effects. In this context, the sensible course is further consensus: not letting competition obstruct international R&D cooperation on digital technology or the organic integration of global industry chains, so that industrial digitalisation develops healthily worldwide.
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