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According to Sinochem New Network, from November 23rd to 25th, the 2025 China International Coatings Intelligent Manufacturing Industry Chain Development Conference and the annual meeting of the Coatings Equipment Branch of the China Coatings Industry Association were held in Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu. At the meeting, industry experts had in-depth discussions on the green, intelligent, and high-end transformation of the coatings industry, and agreed that intelligent manufacturing is the key approach for this industry to overcome development bottlenecks and foster new forms of productivity. Li Yuanyuan, Secretary-General of the Digital Transformation Promotion Center for the petrochemical industry under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, pointed out that as a pillar industry of the national economy, the petrochemical sector faces challenges such as a slowdown in investment growth; digital transformation has thus become a key approach to enhancing competitiveness, achieving cost reduction and efficiency improvement, as well as promoting green and safe development. Zhang Weizhong, vice president of the China Coatings Industry Association, president of the Equipment Branch of this association, and chairman and general manager of Jiangsu Yangtze River Coatings Co., Ltd., said that the core driving force behind a series of changes in China’s coatings industry is the deep integration of intelligence, digitalization, sustainability, and automation. The upgrading of coating equipment is a key measure for the industry to overcome development bottlenecks and stimulate internal momentum; it serves as the core mechanism for fostering new forms of productivity in the coating industry. In response, Zhang Weizhong put forward three suggestions: first, use technological innovation to address the pain points in the industry. Focusing on key areas, strengthening collaboration among industry, academia, research institutions, and end-users, accelerating breakthroughs in critical technologies, and promoting the advancement of intelligent manufacturing from \"point-based applications\" to \"comprehensive intelligent control\". Second, use standards to guide the path of standardized development. Actively implement standards such as the general technical requirements for smart factories and digital management specifications, carry out assessments of the digital transformation maturity level of coating enterprises, promote the establishment of an industry consensus featuring \"advanced processes, safety and controllability, traceable quality, and appropriate performance,\" and guide the healthy and orderly development of intelligent manufacturing. Third, it is to pool development efforts through coordinated action in order to create an open, inclusive, and mutually beneficial industrial ecosystem. Zhao Huidong, chairman of Suzhou Tonghui New Material Equipment Manufacturing Co., Ltd., believes that the coating equipment industry will see three main development trends over the next 5 years: first, sustainability and low carbon emissions, achieved through the development of energy-saving technologies for such equipment, to help the industry meet its carbon reduction targets ； Secondly, it is intelligent and efficient: it uses artificial intelligence and digital technologies to break down \"data silos\" and achieve seamless data flow throughout the entire process ； Third is flexible customization, to establish an equipment system that can respond quickly to demands for small batches and a variety of products. At the meeting, guests such as Qu Ting, Executive Director and Professor of the Management Committee of Jinan University’s Zhuhai Campus; Yang Jinmu, Chief Engineer of Suzhou Tonghui New Materials Equipment Manufacturing Co., Ltd.; Gou Jingsheng, General Manager of Beijing Weipu Shixin Technology Co., Ltd.; Xu Yongwei, Operations Director for North Asia at Haihong Elderly Paints; and Ye Wei, Deputy Director of the Supply Chain Digital Operations Center at Nippon Paint Investment Co., Ltd., shared their insights and experiences regarding practical applications and technical achievements in areas such as the Distributed Synergistic Manufacturing System (DSMS) and digital twin-based intelligent management, the upgrading of online dispersion and grinding machines, fully automated solutions for pipeline cleaning and batch material extraction in paint factories, the construction of digital factories based on seamless communication, and intelligent factories that integrate digital technologies with Nippon Paint’s green, high-performance water-based paints. During the conference, the launch ceremony for the “Digital Transformation Maturity Assessment for the Petrochemical and Chemical Industry (Coatings and Pigments)” was held.