In November 2025, Xiamen Jinlu’s latest benchmark – the “Qingluan” UP300 series general-purpose high-performance end mill – was successfully launched, achieving sales of tens of millions of yuan in its first year of operation with its high precision of ±5μm, internationally leading high strength, and long lifespan. The “Qingluan” soaring into the sky is a microcosm of the core strength of Xiamen’s machinery and equipment industry; such unique skills are not uncommon in the industry. For example, Xiamen Shipbuilding Industry’s roll-on/roll-off automobile ships are internationally known as “Xiamen-type,” Macody’s medium-voltage insulation components are domestically leading, Jiexin Precision leads the domestic high-precision stamping die field, and Yangsen CNC’s high-end machine tools are provincial benchmarks. As an important component of the manufacturing industry, the machinery and equipment industry is highly interconnected, technology- and capital-intensive, and has a strong capacity for employment; its overall level reflects the comprehensive strength of a city. As Xiamen’s largest manufacturing industry, the machinery and equipment industry plays a vital role in promoting the construction of the “4 + 4 + 6” modern industrial system. Latest data shows that this industry contributes 32.4% of the city’s total industrial output above designated size, and accounts for 40% of the city’s total number of enterprises above designated size, making it a “ballast” for the city’s steady economic development. Currently, amidst the wave of technological innovation and industrial integration, Xiamen’s machinery and equipment industry is leveraging its solid foundation, distinctive characteristics, and intelligent transformation to advance from “Made in Xiamen” to “Intelligent Manufacturing in Xiamen.” Xiamen has also become a global one-stop aviation maintenance base. What is the foundation? Steady growth in output value and continuous improvement of the support system. Xiamen boasts a solid foundation in the machinery and equipment industry. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the number of enterprises above designated size increased from 963 to 1219; output value grew from 196 billion yuan to 270.7 billion yuan, with an average annual growth rate of 8.9%, outpacing not only the growth rate of the regional GDP during the same period but also exceeding the average annual growth rate of the city’s industrial output value above designated size. Behind this high growth rate lies a two-way convergence of policy support and industrial ecosystem development. As one of the first pilot cities for digital transformation of SMEs and a pilot city for new technological transformation of manufacturing in China, Xiamen has tailored a full-cycle support system for the machinery and equipment industry. Policies have been successively introduced to accelerate the integration of new-generation information technology with manufacturing and promote the development of the artificial intelligence industry, injecting strong momentum into industrial upgrading through the digital economy; machinery and equipment talent projects precisely address the talent needs of the field; and financial support has been provided through initiatives such as the demonstration application of the first (set) of major technical equipment, the advanced manufacturing doubling plan, and the technology innovation fund, forming a comprehensive guarantee system for talent, capital, and technology. The robust growth of enterprises provides core support for the industry’s foundation. A total of 91 enterprises in Xiamen’s machinery and equipment sector have received national honors such as National Technological Innovation Demonstration Enterprise and National-level Specialized, Refined, and Innovative “Little Giant” Enterprise, while 18 enterprises have been recognized as manufacturing single-item champions. These enterprises are not only the main contributors to output value but also pioneers in technological innovation, injecting inexhaustible momentum into the development of Xiamen’s machinery and equipment industry, from core components to high-end complete equipment, from technological breakthroughs to成果转化 (technology transfer). What are its characteristics? Specialization and refinement, specialization and strength, with global leadership in multiple sub-sectors. Currently, Xiamen’s machinery and equipment industry has formed four distinctive industrial clusters: automobiles, aviation maintenance and manufacturing, high-end equipment and instruments, and power equipment. It has firmly established a leading position nationwide and even globally in multiple sub-sectors, and its industrial characteristics of “specialization and refinement, specialization and strength” are becoming increasingly prominent. Xiamen enterprises continue to demonstrate their core strength in the field of high-end equipment manufacturing. Jinlu Special Alloy, recognized by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology as a leading enterprise in the industry chain, has built a complete tungsten product processing system, from tungsten powder and cemented carbide products to cutting tools. Its products cover all fields of modern industry. It is not only a global leader in tungsten powder and cemented carbide, but also my country’s only leading high-end cutting tool company capable of competing head-on with top international brands. The company has established five major production bases and four sales and technical centers in Xiamen, China, Brazil, Japan, Germany, and Thailand, bringing “Xiamen Cutting Tools” to the world. Even “small parts” can unlock a “large market.” Yudian Automation’s intelligent temperature controllers are widely used as core components in semiconductors, photovoltaics, lithium batteries, and other fields. Since surpassing Omron of Japan in domestic shipments in 2023, it has consistently ranked first in China and second globally. In 2025, it successfully began mass shipments to leading domestic semiconductor equipment manufacturers, and it is projected to top the global shipment rankings in 2026.
In the subdivided industrial clusters, Xiamen’s “hidden champions” are equally impressive. Xiamen Shipbuilding Industry Co., Ltd.’s car carriers, renowned for their leading technology and reliable quality, have earned the international title of “Xiamen-type,” establishing Xiamen as a world-renowned car carrier manufacturing base. Swire Group’s aircraft maintenance man-hours rank third globally, and its comprehensive aviation maintenance industry chain makes Xiamen the largest one-stop aviation maintenance base in China. The Tong’an fitness equipment industry cluster, home to leading companies like Kanglejia and Qunxin Machinery, produces 6 out of every 10 home treadmills globally, with 80% of core components available within a 3-kilometer radius, solidifying its position as Asia’s largest fitness equipment manufacturing and export base. JTEKT’s steering systems hold over 20% of the global market share, and AOP Tiancheng’s Raman spectrometers have broken through foreign technological barriers. The long-term presence of global power transmission and distribution giants ABB and Schneider Electric further strengthens Xiamen’s global competitiveness in the machinery and equipment industry. Looking to the future, the focus is on intelligent upgrading and moving towards green and high-end development. Artificial intelligence empowers various industries, and intelligent transformation has become a consensus and conscious action for Xiamen’s machinery and equipment enterprises. In Yinhua Machinery’s 5G smart factory, robotic arms precisely grasp materials and automatically switch processes, reducing manual intervention. In the command and control center, a “3D digital twin factory,” a mapping of the real factory, is projected onto a large screen, displaying real-time information on equipment, personnel, and materials on the production line, allowing managers to have a comprehensive view. Xiamen Shituo Servo and Baigang Electric, among other high-end machinery equipment companies, are using big data, artificial intelligence, and other digital technologies to upgrade their factories intelligently, helping them optimize resource allocation, improve production efficiency, and enhance core competitiveness. Strengthening, supplementing, and extending the industrial chain promotes the integrated development of large, medium, and small enterprises, enhancing the competitiveness of the machinery equipment industry cluster. Recently, the 2025 Xiamen Smart Power Transmission and Distribution Industry “Four-Chain Integration” Matchmaking Conference was held, leveraging the demonstrative and leading role of “chain leaders” such as ABB and Schneider Electric to promote the deep integration of the innovation chain, industrial chain, capital chain, and talent chain, and improve the industrial collaborative support system. Meanwhile, green development and high-end products are pointing the way for the upgrading of Xiamen’s machinery equipment industry. Guided by energy conservation and carbon reduction policies, Xiamen’s machinery and equipment enterprises are actively implementing green manufacturing strategies, achieving energy conservation and emission reduction through intelligent production lines; they are also continuously focusing on tackling key technological bottlenecks, promoting product upgrades towards higher added value and higher technological content, and enhancing their core competitiveness.
