Chang'an boosts Chongqing's industrial growth with tech

On a production line at Chang'an Automobile, 140 robots and 60 workers collaborate efficiently, whereas previously, such a production line would have required around 200 manual workers.

As a key enterprise propelling the development of Chongqing's entire vehicle system, Chang'an exemplifies how technology empowers high-quality industrial development in the southwestern municipality in recent years. This empowerment has not only saved labor but also enhanced work quality.

"With the blended production method involving both humans and robots, we are able to produce an auto part every two to three minutes on average," said a worker from Chang'an surnamed Li on Tuesday, when a group of Chinese and foreign journalists visited the site.

Although the number of workers on the production lines has decreased, there is a rising demand for skilled workers, such as those with knowledge about robot maintenance and repair. In addition, the trajectory positioning of robots has been calibrated and adjusted repeatedly by the workers based on the actual operational process, which involves high technical requirements and a significant workload, according to Li.

In recent years, Chongqing has highlighted technological transformation to enhance the innovation level of traditional industries, said Wang Zhijie, director of the Chongqing Economic and Information Commission, at a news conference on Monday.

"Last year, the municipality's investment in industrial technological transformation increased by 24 percent, and in the first quarter of this year, it further grew by 27.4 percent," Wang said, adding that seven local automotive companies, including Chang'an and Seres, have been recognized as national mega factories of excellent level and Midea's Chongqing factory has become the municipality's first global "lighthouse factory".