The two-day 2026 BRICS Forum on Partnership on New Industrial Revolution opened on Wednesday in Xiamen, Fujian province, marking the launch of an international cooperation initiative on intelligent manufacturing and a new partnership city network to boost cooperation.

The new manufacturing initiative, jointly launched by the International Coalition of Intelligent Manufacturing and leading companies to drive smart transformation, builds on recent BRICS progress in co-constructing smart factories, sharing digital solutions and aligning technical standards.

Concurrently, the China-initiated "Network of Partner Cities on New Industrial Revolution" was established to enhance urban policy alignment and industrial synergy, featuring a first cohort of 10 cities across five nations.

Co-hosted by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the Fujian provincial government, the forum drew representatives from over 20 countries and international organizations to focus on smart manufacturing solutions and developing-world industrial upgrades.

Delegates said artificial intelligence, the industrial internet and robotics are rapidly reshaping global supply chains and manufacturing competitiveness.

Tri Supondy, an Indonesian Ministry of Industry official, said that rapid technological advances, industrial restructuring, AI and robotics are actively reshaping global manufacturing supply chains and competitiveness, making this transformation urgent for the Global South.

Supondy said no single nation can navigate this transformation alone, and called for upgraded talent, international cooperation and technological modernization.

John Owan Enoh, Nigeria's Minister of State for Industry, said global industrial systems are being driven by AI, digital technology and green innovation, redefining the future of production processes and global value chains.

For developing economies like Nigeria, Enoh said these changes offer unique opportunities to leapfrog traditional paths and build resilient, competitive and inclusive industrial ecosystems.

Andrei Kuznetsov, Belarus Minister of Industry, said China's short product development cycles in the digital economy and smart manufacturing make it highly attractive for foreign investment and international cooperation, while significantly promoting experience-sharing among BRICS partners.

Zeng Yuqun, chairman of CATL, said that the new industrial revolution allows BRICS nations to transition from mere raw material suppliers to core participants and builders of the green value chain, leveraging their rich minerals and renewable energy.

Zeng said CATL's $6 billion investment with Indonesian firms for an integrated electric vehicle battery chain — spanning mining to recycling — is expected to create over 8,000 direct and 35,000 indirect jobs.

To turn volatile renewable energy into stable industrial power, CATL is advancing zero-carbon solutions, he said, adding that the company will officially launch the world's largest one-stop energy storage testing platform on Thursday in Xiamen.

Xiang Wenbo, chairman of Sany Group, called the BRICS bloc a primary growth engine for the group's overseas business, and its international sales topped $10 billion last year, with BRICS markets accounting for half.

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Sany has built industrial parks in four BRICS markets — including Indonesia and Kazakhstan — and the group aims to leverage industrial innovation to make green energy more efficient and universally accessible, he said.

Concurrently, the forum hosted an industrial exhibition and the "Golden Egret" scholarship workshop, bringing 25 participants from 14 countries for field studies at leading companies like Alibaba and Unitree Robotics.

The Xiamen-based BRICS Part-NIR Innovation Center has finalized 138 projects over five years, exceeding 62 billion yuan ($9.1 billion) in total investment.

Fujian's 2025 trade volume with BRICS markets reached 365.5 billion yuan, accounting for nearly one-fifth of the province's total foreign trade.

Contact the writers at zhangyi1@chinadaily.com.cn