Ningbo taps 'smart' manufacturing

Port city banks on cutting-edge technology for industry upgrade and better growth

Ningbo, a port city in East China's Zhejiang province, has been harnessing opportunities from advanced technologies and globalization to transform and upgrade its traditional sectors, bolstering the city's high-quality development.

The city on China's eastern coast, which is one of the economic hubs in the Yangtze River Delta, recently rolled out a plan to double its current foreign trade volume by 2025, allowing both its imports and exports to each hit 1 trillion yuan ($142.1 billion).

Ningbo has a solid foundation in traditional manufacturing industries such as textiles, chemical engineering, auto parts, rubber and plastic goods. Those industries have been a major engine for its economic growth for years. The city is one of the province's economic powerhouses.