On March 7 2025, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China (MIIT) and the National Standardization Administration(SAC) jointly releases the newly revised National Guidelines for the Development of the Intelligent Manufacturing Standards Systems (2024 Edition) (hereinafter referred to as the ‘guideline’). This is the fourth revision of the guideline since its inception in 2015, replacing the previous edition released in 2021. The new guideline defines the overall requirements for intelligent manufacturing standardization in the new stage, optimizes the framework of the intelligent manufacturing standards system, and outlines the key focus areas for future standardization efforts.

Revised upon the previous edition, the new guideline retains the original skeleton which includes overall structure and framework of the planned standards system and major development content, but with additional new industry focus area. SESEC has drawn comparison between the 2024 edition and 2021 edition.

  • Shifts in Development Goals from emphasizing the completeness of the macro-level design of the standards system to a real-world, practical perspective and the result-driven implementation.
2021 Edition

2024 Edition
1. Strengthen macro-level design of standardization work,

2. Increase the effective supply of standards, reinforce standards application and implementation, and

3. Coordinate domestic and international standardization efforts.

Continuously improve the national intelligent manufacturing standards system, guide the development of sub-sector intelligent manufacturing standards systems, and fully leverage the supporting and guiding role of standards in advancing intelligent manufacturing.

 

 1. Strengthen the supporting and guiding role of standards,

2. Coordinate domestic and international standardization efforts, and

3. Continuously improve the macro-level design of intelligent manufacturing standardization.

High-quality intelligent manufacturing standards will support the development of a modern industrial system, accelerate the growth of new quality productive forces, promote high-quality new-type industrialization, and drive the transformation and upgrading of the manufacturing sector toward higher-end, smarter, and greener development.

 

 

  • New Directions for Standard Development are driven by industrial needs rather than by a macroeconomic outlook, with the aim of covering uncovered details in the full production life cycle. Moreover, there is a clear intent to encourage enterprises’participation in accelerating the implementation and operation of the standards system
2021 Edition

2024 Edition
By 2023, more than 100 national and industry standards will have been developed or revised, continuously improving a forward-looking and applicable intelligent manufacturing standards system.

Efforts will be accelerated to formulate the following standards:

1. Intelligent equipment standards:
– human–machine collaboration systems,
– process equipment, and
– inspection and testing equipment;

2. Smart factory standards :
– factory design, and
– integrated optimization;

3. Smart supply chain standards:
– supply chain collaboration, and
– assessment;

4. Intelligent service standards:
– networked collaborative manufacturing;

5. Intelligent enabling technology standards:
– digital twins, and
– AI applications;

6. Industrial network standards:
– network convergence—all supporting the advancement of intelligent manufacturing to a new level.

 By 2026, more than 100 national and industry standards will be developed or revised to establish an intelligent manufacturing standards system that aligns with the needs of new-type industrialization.

Efforts will be accelerated to formulate the following standards:

1. Intelligent equipment standards:
– intelligent inspection, and
– intelligent logistics;

2. Industrial software standards:
– R&D design and production;

3. Smart factory standards:
– intelligent design and intelligent management;

4. Smart supply chain standards:
– supply chain development and operations;

5. Intelligent enabling technology standards:
– digital twin equipment,
– industrial AI applications, and
– industrial data circulation;

6. New intelligent manufacturing model standards:
– networked collaborative manufacturing, and
– integrated production–sales operations; and

7. Industrial network standards:
– industrial wireless networks, and
– network convergence.
By 2025, a relatively complete set of standards will be established in key areas including digital twins, data dictionaries, human–machine collaboration, smart supply chains, system reliability, network security, and functional safety.

A standards system will gradually take shape that aligns with technological innovation trends, meets industrial development needs, and benchmarks against international best practices.

 New approaches to standards development will be explored, and successful practices and innovations will be codified into standards for system-level solutions in typical application scenarios.

Enterprises will be encouraged to adopt and apply these standards in practice, build their own intelligent manufacturing standards systems, and contribute to the high-quality development of intelligent manufacturing.

 

  • Changes in the Standards System Architecture: 2024 Edition is an upgrade from the 2021 edition.
2021 Edition

2024 Edition
1. From Intelligent Service Standards in 2021 to New Intelligent Manufacturing Model Standards in 2024.

2. Inclusion of Chemical Industry and Light Industry applications on top of the 2021 framework.

3. Inclusion of Integrated Production and Marketing Operation under the new intelligent manufacturing model standards system.

 

  • Other Industries to Focus On:
2021 Edition

2024 Edition
Food Industry

Agricultural Machinery and Construction Machinery

Printing Industry

Civil Explosive Industry

Nuclear Energy Industry

Light Industry

Home Appliance and Furniture

 

 Food Industry

Agricultural Machinery and Construction Machinery

Printing Industry

Civil Explosive Industry

[New]Photovoltatic Industry

 

 

  • New Priorities in Organization and Implementation of the Guidelines:
2021 Edition

2024 Edition
Strengthen Overall Coordination.
Under the guidance of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the Standardization Administration of China, the National Coordination and Promotion Group for Intelligent Manufacturing Standardization, the General Working Group, and the Expert Advisory Group will play key roles in enhancing the planning and development of the intelligent manufacturing standards system.		 Strengthen Overall Coordination.
Under the guidance of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the Standardization Administration of China, the National Coordination and Promotion Group, the Expert Advisory Group, and the General Working Group for Intelligent Manufacturing Standardization will play a central role in enhancing top-level planning of the standards system.[New]Greater efforts will be made to coordinate work related to smart factory cultivation, the reward mechanism for enterprises with innovation intelligent manufacturing system solutions, and pilot programs for the application of intelligent manufacturing standards.

These efforts aim to promote the standardization of successful practices and innovations.

 
Accelerate Standards Development.
Leverage multi-agency coordination mechanisms and collaboration among various standardization technical organizations.Mobilize the joint efforts of industry, academia, research, and end-users to strengthen testing and validation of key technical indicators, accelerate the development of urgently needed standards, and ensure the effective implementation of the standards system.		 Accelerate Standards Development.
Make full use of cross-department coordination and multi-agency collaboration among standardization technical organizations.Integrate resources from industry, academia, research, and end-users to explore new approaches for tackling key standardization challenges.

[New]Encourage enterprises to actively participate and propose standards projects based on practical experience, especially those with independent intellectual property rights.

[New]Strengthen pre-research and test verification for key technologies and industry application standards. Speed up the revision of priority early-stage standards, reduce duplication and overlaps, and improve the effectiveness and supply of standards.

 
Enhance Publicity and Training.
Make full use of the roles played by local authorities, industry associations, standardization technical organizations, and professional institutions to improve outreach and training on standards.Guide enterprises to align with relevant standards across R&D, production, and management processes.

 

 Enhance Standards Application.
Continue selecting and promoting exemplary cases of intelligent manufacturing standards application.[New]Foster a group of industry leaders in standard implementation and expand the promotion of successful outcomes.

Leverage the roles of local authorities and industry associations to carry out standard implementation actions across regions and sectors.

[New]Strengthen outreach and training efforts, develop sets of standards targeting typical application scenarios, and encourage both upstream and downstream enterprises—including SMEs—to engage in benchmarking activities and improve their capacity to apply standards effectively.

 
Implement Dynamic Updates.
Closely align with technological advancements and industrial development needs in intelligent manufacturing.Revise the National Guidelines for the Development of the Intelligent Manufacturing Standards System in a timely manner to effectively and systematically guide standards formulation and implementation.

 

 Implement Dynamic Updates.
[New]Establish a feedback mechanism linking standards development and application.[Modified] Identify standardization needs based on technological advances and industry development trends, address emerging issues in intelligent manufacturing, and enhance planning and development of the standards system.

Timely updates to the National Guidelines for the Development of the Intelligent Manufacturing Standards System will be carried out.

[New]More industries will be encouraged to conduct sector-specific standards system research, and enterprises will be supported in building their own intelligent manufacturing standards systems.

This will fully leverage the standards system’s role in supporting and guiding industry development.

 
Strengthen International Cooperation.
Regularly host international forums on intelligent manufacturing standardization, actively participate in international standardization activities organized by ISO, IEC, ITU, and other bodies, and deepen international cooperation in the field of intelligent manufacturing standards.		 Strengthen International Cooperation.
Regularly host international forums on intelligent manufacturing standardization and actively participate in international standardization activities led by organizations such as ISO, IEC, and ITU.[New]China will continue to contribute its proposals to the international standardization community.

[New]Bilateral and multilateral cooperation mechanisms—such as those with Germany, France, BRICS countries, and the Belt and Road Initiative—will be further deepened to enhance international collaboration in the field of intelligent manufacturing standards.

 

 

To sum up, a general observation from the comparison is that China is demonstrating a greater confidence in the maturity of its intelligent manufacturing standards framework. The country is shifting from a macro-level approach to a more granular, industry-specific perspective, emphasizing on tailoring standards development to specific characteristics and needs of the industries. It can be anticipated that China aims to push enterprises to take up initiative and empower them to be able to independently implement standards system, eventually achieving self-sustaining, industry-driven standardization model that reduces reliance on direct government intervention.

Meanwhile, notably speaking, China will fuel up their international standardization efforts in promoting this intelligent manufacturing standards system through existing cooperation mechanism, particularly BRICS and the Belt and Road Initiative. It can be anticipated that China will become more active in the international standardization arena to amplify its voice and expand its global influence.

On April 22, 2025, the MIIT published an infographic explanining the strategic directions and work priorities of the guidelines to assist the general public and other relevant stakeholders with comprehending the lengthy document. SESEC has translated the infographic which can be found in the below:

SESEC Translation – Int…facturing Standard System

As of now, China has released a total of 472 national standards and over 50 international standards for intelligent manufacturing and supported the development of 135 pilot projects for standards application. These efforts have accelerated the implementation of standards, guided industrial applications, and deepened international cooperation, providing strong support for the sustained advancement of intelligent manufacturing.

According to an official from MIIT, the next steps will include strengthening the promotion and interpretation of the guidelines, accelerating standards development, deepening standards application, and enhancing international cooperation. These measures aim to expand the scope, deepen the integration, and elevate the maturity of intelligent manufacturing across sectors.

SESEC will continue monitoring China’s standardization in the intelligent manufacturing sector. European stakeholders are welcome to submit your feedback and comment pertaining to the topic to us at any time.