"Ningbo · Magnet Innovation Capital" officially launched as the city's first industrial name card.

On-site at the Event

On December 27th, at the Regional (City) Industrial Branding Initiative Conference, "Ningbo · Magnet Innovation Capital" was officially launched as Ningbo's premier industrial name card.

According to the plan, the city will fully leverage the strengths of its magnetic materials industry cluster to significantly enhance regional soft power. The goal is to establish Ningbo, by 2025, as a globally leading high-end manufacturing base for magnetic materials, a world-class collaborative innovation hub for the sector, and a key global demonstration zone for the magnetic materials industry ecosystem. These efforts aim to fully polish the "golden name card" that is "Ningbo · Magnet Innovation Capital".

On-site at the Event

An industrial brand, as the term suggests, is a regional industrial symbol that takes industry and region as its carriers, fully reflects the local cultural heritage, industrial foundation, and urban characteristics, and possesses strong appeal to talent, capital, enterprises, and other key factors.

At the end of last year, the Industrial Culture Development Center of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology designated seven cities, one district, and one county as the first batch of pilot regions to explore the upgrading and development of industrial brands. Among them, Ningbo is one of the first pilot cities.

"The creation of 'Ningbo · City of Magnetic Innovation' represents a pioneering effort in Ningbo’s industrial brand development," said Dong Wenyan, Director of the Industrial Culture Integration Division at the Industrial Culture Development Center of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. In her view, "Made in China" is still not synonymous with high-end, high-quality products in the eyes of some consumers. The reason lies in the lag in China's industrial culture development, insufficient cultural empowerment of industry, and weak cultural soft power.

Ningbo needs to build a shining industrial brand.

Against this backdrop, Chinese manufacturing must employ a combination of strategies—encompassing culture, branding, standards, design, and communication—to drive the high-end development of its industrial and value chains, thereby enhancing the cultural soft power of the nation as a manufacturing powerhouse.

Currently, global industrial and supply chains are undergoing accelerated adjustments, and China’s development logic is shifting. The traditional model, which relied on cost advantages, policy benefits, and abundant resources, is no longer sustainable. There is an urgent need to innovate, explore new approaches, and forge a path that highlights regional cultural and industrial characteristics, integrates into major regional strategies, and fosters complementary strengths and optimized development.

Focusing on development positioning to build an industrial brand will be an essential path forward.

Industrial brands can establish a distinctive industrial image that highlights regional strengths.

Prior to Ningbo, several other cities have already taken pioneering steps in this regard. Examples include "Wuhan · China Optics Valley," "Hangzhou · China Visual Valley," "Hefei · China Sound Valley," and "Jiangyou · Hometown of Li Bai · Special Materials New City." The development of these brands has not only shaped industrial images that clearly reflect regional advantages and characteristics but has also made significant contributions to the rapid growth of their local economies.

Taking "Wuhan · China Optics Valley" as an example, this industrial brand serves as a symbol of Wuhan’s manufacturing prowess and strength. It not only provides assurance for Wuhan’s related manufacturing brands but has also made the city synonymous with innovation and industrial excellence in the field of optical electronics. The successful establishment of Optics Valley has enabled Wuhan to continuously attract capital, talent, and enterprises from related industries, creating a siphon effect.

Ningbo boasts a comprehensive range of industries.

"Ningbo has a solid manufacturing foundation and a well-rounded industrial structure. While it is large and comprehensive, it lacks a distinctive and influential industrial brand," said Wei Jianling, Deputy Secretary-General of the China Brand Planning Institute. As a frequent visitor to Ningbo, she holds unique insights into the city's brand development. In her view, industries such as green petrochemicals, high-end equipment, and new energy vehicles in Ningbo each possess their own distinctive features. "The stars are shining brightly, but what is regrettable is the absence of the brightest star."

Currently, as China's economy transitions from a phase of rapid growth to high-quality development, the role of cultural empowerment in the economy is becoming increasingly important. Industrial brands not only highlight regional culture, industry, and urban characteristics while promoting the tangible expression and value realization of cultural resources but also contribute to the clustering of specialized industries and the establishment of a regional industrial image.

"Although Ningbo previously held the titles of 11 'industrial capitals,' even locals find it difficult to name a few, reflecting a lack of recognition and brand impact," industry insiders pointed out. They emphasized that Ningbo needs to concentrate its efforts, mobilize all resources, and forge a path that highlights its regional culture and industrial strengths. By focusing on its development positioning, the city must create a unique industrial brand.

Sintering Workshop

The Ningbo Magnetic Materials Cluster is one of China's 45 national advanced manufacturing clusters. Ningbo accounts for over 40% of the country's total magnetic materials output. It is the only city in China with a complete industrial chain spanning "rare earth magnetic materials – magnetic material components/permanent magnet motors – high-end equipment," hosting more than 20% of the nation's magnetic materials manufacturing enterprises.

"This is Ningbo's strength and the foundation for building its industrial brand," said a relevant official from the Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology. According to the plan, the city will consolidate and enhance the development advantages of its magnetic materials industry, focus on cultivating high-performance soft magnetic materials, accelerate the development of cutting-edge magnetic materials, and deepen downstream applications of magnetic materials. By 2025, it aims to achieve a total output value exceeding 70 billion yuan for the magnetic materials industry, increase its share of national magnetic materials output to over 45%, and reach an annual import-export volume surpassing 10 billion yuan.

Reprinted from Yongpai/China Ningbo Network. Please contact us for removal if there is any infringement.