Building on Equipment, Leading with Technology: Industry Leaders Explore New Pathways for High-Quality Automotive Development

SUZHOU, China, Nov. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report from Xinhua Finance:

The 2025 Automotive Technology and Equipment Development Forum was held in Suzhou from November 6 to 8. Framed around the theme "Equipment as the Foundation, Technology as the Path Forward", the event was jointly organized by the Equipment Industry Development Center (EIDC) under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Suzhou Municipal People's Government, and China Automotive Engineering Research Institute Co. Ltd. (CAERI). The forum served as a venue for policy briefings, technical exchanges, showcases of applied results, and matchmaking sessions—with the aim of transitioning the auto sector toward closer integration of manufacturing equipment with intelligent technologies and building an industry ecosystem that is open, partnership-based, and aimed at shared gains.

During the forum, the EIDC released the "China Automotive Industry and Technology Development Report (2025)". The report said China's automotive industry has posted notable gains in recent years and has been a steadying factor for the broader industrial economy. From January to September this year, nationwide automobile output and sales came in at 24.333 million and 24.363 million units, respectively, up 13.3% and 12.9% year-on-year. The electric-vehicle segment stood out in particular, with production reaching 11.243 million units and sales 11.228 million units over the same period—more than 35% higher and accounting for 46.1% of all new passenger- and commercial-vehicle combined sales.

Looking ahead to the future of the automotive industry, several industry experts at the forum offered systematic recommendations. Su Bo, Director of the National Expert Committee on Intelligent Manufacturing and former Vice Minister of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, said China needs to channel resources toward clearing core technology chokepoints, notably automotive-grade chips, high-safety solid-state batteries, and in-vehicle operating systems. He added that China should make fuller use of national-level science and technology platforms, including the National Innovation Center of Intelligent and Connected Vehicles, to make sure it keeps control over the pace and direction of technology upgrades.

The forum also saw the launch of a series of initiatives aimed at strengthening the global competitiveness of China's auto industry. These include the "Standards Lead the Way, Quality Drives the Future" campaign, which seeks to lift the international profile of Chinese auto brands through tighter and more export-ready quality benchmarks; the "China Chip" Joint Research Lab, set up to reinforce China's semiconductor capabilities for intelligent and connected electric vehicles; the "Upgrading Automotive Manufacturing with Domestic High-End Equipment" program, designed to raise quality and efficiency through the use of domestically produced advanced machinery; and the "15^th Five-Year Plan Synergy for Automotive Technology and Equipment" initiative, which is intended to keep future advances in vehicle technology and supporting industrial equipment on the same track. Taken together, these measures are expected to add momentum to priority areas such as quality, chips, and high-end equipment—key drivers shaping the industry's future. 

SOURCE Xinhua Finance