On the evening of January 15th, the World Economic Forum released its latest list of “Lighthouse Factories” with Jiangsu Yueda Textile Group Co., Ltd. and Faurecia (Yancheng) Automotive Parts Systems Co., Ltd. both being selected. This marks a breakthrough for Yancheng in achieving its first “Lighthouse Factories”. Notably, Yueda Textile has become the first “Lighthouse Factory” in the global cotton textile industry, while Faurecia’s Yancheng plant is the first in the global automotive seating sector.

The concept of “Lighthouse Factory” originates from Germany’s Industry 4.0 strategy and represents the pinnacle of intelligent manufacturing capabilities in the industrial sector. Launched in 2018 by the World Economic Forum (WEF) in collaboration with McKinsey & Company, the selection identifies factories recognized as “the world’s most advanced”. These factories not only achieve technological and operational innovations internally but also provide replicable and learnable models for the broader manufacturing industry. In this round, 23 global enterprises were selected as “Lighthouse Factories” with 16 of them based in China.

The recognition of two “Lighthouse Factories” in Yancheng is a testament to the city’s solid manufacturing foundation. In recent years, Yancheng has tailored its approach to develop new quality productive forces, accelerating the establishment of a modern industrial system anchored by advanced manufacturing. The city’s total industrial output has surpassed the trillion-yuan milestone, giving rise to several hundred-billion-yuan industrial landmarks. Over the past five years, the number of high-tech enterprises has increased by over 1,800, while the count of national-level specialized and sophisticated “Little Giant” enterprises has grown 4.2-fold in the last three years. The photovoltaic industry cluster in Yancheng has been selected as a national advanced manufacturing cluster, showcasing sustained dynamism in industrial transformation and innovation.