Trucks produced at Zoomlion Smart Industrial City.

Changsha emerges as epicentre of China’s intelligent manufacturing revolution

Changsha, China: -- Intelligent manufacturing is rapidly reshaping the global industrial landscape, and nowhere is this evolution more evident than in Changsha district, Hunan province.
Zoomlion Smart Industrial City has emerged as a powerhouse of Chinese technological development, showcasing groundbreaking production techniques that are driving unprecedented levels of efficiency and global market expansion.
Recently, a group of overseas media personnel visited the massive industrial complex as part of the “Exploring Changsha, Experiencing a Dynamic China 2025 Overseas Media Tour”. What they witnessed was not just a factory, but a sophisticated ecosystem where cutting-edge technology orchestrates production.

The core of Zoomlion’s success lies in its deep integration of advanced automation and industrial intelligence. The facility has mastered high-speed production, with items such as an excavator rolling off the line every six minutes, an aerial work platform completed every 7.5 minutes, and a mobile crane manufactured every 18 minutes.
Inside the concrete machinery smart manufacturing park, the scale of automation is striking. Thirty-two intelligent production lines run at full capacity, supported by Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) and a synchronised fleet of industrial robots.
Crucially, over 90 percent of the key production processes are automated, a testament to the facility’s advanced engineering. This efficiency allows for a complex machine, like a concrete pump truck, to be produced in just 27 minutes.
Zoomlion has transitioned from conventional manufacturing to a fully intelligent production process by leveraging next-generation technologies.
The park employs intelligent production scheduling, Industrial AI, and digital twins, a virtual replica of physical assets that monitors and optimises the manufacturing process in real-time.
The four main host parks, dedicated to concrete, earthmoving, aerial work, and hoisting machinery, along with the key components centre, are all in full operation, creating an integrated, high-capacity supply chain.
This technological edge has directly translated into global commercial success. Li Bin, Deputy General Manager of Zoomlion’s overseas company, said the company’s international business is thriving.
In the first half of 2025, Zoomlion’s overseas revenue hit a record high of 13.815 billion yuan, accounting for more than 55 percent of its total revenue.
To cater to diverse global requirements, the company has established 13 overseas R&D and manufacturing bases and over 30 primary business hubs, covering 170 countries and regions.
In the Southeast Asian market, Zoomlion equipment has been pivotal in major infrastructure development, including Indonesia’s Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway, Vietnam’s Long Thanh International Airport, and Thailand’s Landmark Waterfront skyscraper in Bangkok.
By consistently innovating, Zoomlion has introduced world-leading equipment, such as the world’s longest 101-metre carbon fibre boom pump truck and the globe’s largest tower crane with a capacity of 23,800 ton-metres.
These achievements firmly position the company as a technology-driven pioneer, not just a product manufacturer, and underline the burgeoning strength and appeal of “Intelligent Manufacturing in China” on the world stage.

By Lamphone Pasanthong
(Latest Update November 10, 2025)