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In the past two years, the most notable terms on China’s \"internet buzzword list\" have been \"Industry 4.0\" and \"Internet+\". “We all know about “Internet+”; it’s a concept with profound connotations and a wide scope. “\"Internet+\" can refer to \"Internet+finance\", \"Internet+retail\", \"Internet e-commerce\", and so on. But you surely don’t know that “Internet + manufacturing” is Industry 4.0. “Since the concept of “Industry 4.0” was introduced at the Hannover Messe in Germany, it has quickly gained popularity around the world. As the world’s largest manufacturing country, China is naturally greatly affected by it. The advancement of Industry 4.0 lies in utilizing the Internet to revitalize traditional industrial processes, enabling factory equipment to “speak and think”. This, in turn, achieves three key functions: significantly reducing manufacturing’s reliance on labor, better meeting users’ individual needs, and minimizing distribution costs. Unlike Germany, Chinese society today features parallel development of the manufacturing sector and the internet industry. The manufacturing sector boasts the largest scale in the world, while the internet economy is ahead of that in Europe and roughly on par with that in the United States. China’s national conditions are different from those of Germany; its internet industry is already at the world’s leading level. By exploring a development path that suits China’s circumstances rather than following others, it is possible to truly seize the opportunities offered by Industry 4.0 and achieve rapid progress. Perhaps this is the fundamental reason behind China’s introduction of \"Internet+\". Simulation technology is a comprehensive technology that uses computers and specialized physical effect devices as tools to conduct dynamic tests on actual or hypothetical systems through system models. Its impact has gradually expanded from the initial few fields such as aviation, aerospace, and the nuclear industry to various sectors of the national economy, including machinery manufacturing, electricity, transportation, healthcare, and education. Before industrial products are physically produced, simulation technology can be used to study and evaluate various aspects such as design concepts, potential product performance, **value, usability, and adaptability. This significantly reduces the development risks and timeline, as well as the costs associated with product development.** A chief simulation engineer once said in an interview with the media: \"At the beginning of the product design process, a digital prototype of the product is created first (rather than a physical prototype). Then, various simulation analysis software tools are used on a computer to simulate the product’s performance characteristics, thereby minimizing the product development time, improving its performance, reducing issues associated with physical prototypes, and thus enhancing the efficiency of the design process.\" ”For example, in the past, designing a car required repeated crash tests, during which several actual cars were destroyed, and the development process took several years. With simulation technology, however, it is sufficient to enter data into software, and various crash results can be calculated quickly. The greatest advantage of simulation technology is its ability to \"recreate\" in a virtual world what people think about in their daily lives. As an important aspect of industrial production, the innovation capability in product design determines, to a certain extent, the market reception of the products. The novelty of a product design depends mainly on the talent of the product designer. However, a designer’s talents need space to be fully expressed. The rapid development of simulation technology has provided product designers with vast opportunities to express their creativity, giving them wings of imagination. Currently, simulation technology has become an indispensable tool for analysis, research, design, evaluation, decision-making, and training in any complex system, especially in high-tech industries. It is also a crucial technical means for China to transform itself from a major manufacturing country into a powerful one in this field. Data shows that China spends between 3 billion and 5 billion yuan annually on software and hardware for simulation technology. Some of the world’s largest companies also make extensive use of simulation technology in various aspects of industrial intelligent manufacturing; this plays an important role in helping these companies improve their development efficiency, enhance their capabilities in data collection, analysis, and processing, reduce decision-making errors, and lower operational risks. When designing and manufacturing the Boeing 777, the American company Boeing used simulation technology. By wearing a head-mounted display, designers could enter a virtual version of the aircraft and examine its various performance characteristics. From the conceptual design stage through to the simulation phase, the final product was ready for testing right away, which reduced the development time by half and saved hundreds of millions of dollars. Headquartered in the UK, Virtalis uses virtual reality technology to enable manufacturers to experience projects that are in the construction phase in a realistic way, such as submarines or apartment buildings. Companies such as BAE in the UK, Leyland Motors, and Rolls-Royce have all used simulation technology to improve the quality of product manufacturing, reduce errors, and avoid rework. Dean Brown of the British company BAE said, “It’s no exaggeration to say that people can ‘walk’ inside buildings that are still under construction, and inspect every detail accurately.” ”Simulation technology also plays a significant role in **manufacturing**. The latest flight simulators incorporate state-of-the-art electronic instruments, computers capable of high-speed big data processing, precise tracking devices, and high-quality graphic simulators. They provide immersive flight instruction and training for novice pilots with limited flying experience, enabling them to develop solid skills and refined techniques in a controlled environment. These simulators play a significant role in enhancing the overall combat capabilities of pilots. For this reason, the United States considers simulation technology to be an important technique in the field of defense, and even lists simulation environments as one of the seven key requirements for modern localized wars. Currently, many have **regarded simulation technology as a priority development area in the defense industry and elevated it to a strategic level**. Intelligent manufacturing is a long-term and systematic process that cannot be achieved overnight; it must be implemented using the theories of input-output economics, taking into account the enterprise’s performance factors such as quality, cost, and delivery times. At the current stage, China’s equipment manufacturing industry still needs to strengthen scientific and information-based management, and there is still a long way to go before it can achieve intelligence; the development of intelligent manufacturing requires talent in all areas. Based on his academic research and practical investigations, Mr. Shen Liechu has summarized the main aspects of Germany’s Industry 4.0: Version 1.0 represented mechanization; Version 2.0 entailed electrification and semi-automation; Version 3.0 was characterized by informatization, meaning high levels of automation with fewer workers involved. Version 4.0, on the other hand, involves digitization, networking, and intelligence, through cyberphysical systems – CPS, which are also referred to as information-physical systems. Shen Liechu believes that it is necessary first to understand the national conditions of our country. China’s manufacturing level is different from that of Germany; to promote the development of intelligent manufacturing in China, Industry 4.0 can serve as a reference but cannot be simply replicated. It is necessary to find our own path to success through practice and reflection. Intelligence requires a high degree of informatization first. Shen Liechu said that Industry 3.0 is characterized by informatization, a high level of automation, and minimal human involvement; whereas Industry 4.0 should feature a high degree of informatization (i.e., digitization and networking) and intelligence, thus forming a CPS system. “The “three modernizations” develop in a sequential manner: the highly informatized stage transitions to the intelligent stage. This process takes a very long time to complete. He described it very vividly as digitalization being the process of converting the characteristics of objects or manufacturing processes into digital descriptions or mathematical models. The Internet can be regarded as an information superhighway, said Shen Liechu; a network without information is like a superhighway without cars. Without the Internet, information cannot be transmitted at high speeds or interconnected. Informatization is the integration of digitization and networking, encompassing information acquisition, information transmission, information processing, information regeneration, and information utilization. The Internet of Things refers to the digital representation of entities such as people or objects, enabling interconnectedness in four directions: between objects, between objects and people, between people and objects, and between people, all through the Internet. The simplest way to distinguish between informatization (digitalization, networking) and intelligence is that the former is an open-loop system in management, while the latter is a closed-loop system in management. Intelligence involves achieving self-organization, self-memory, self-diagnosis, self-decision-making, and self-adaptation of systems based on informatization, so that the systems can operate under better or optimal conditions. Therefore, it is necessary to establish numerous databases, as well as various mathematical models or expert systems; moreover, information must be collected, processed, transmitted, and handled in real time. It can be seen from this that the development of intelligence is a long-term process of continuous improvement and refinement, and it is not something that can be achieved overnight; nor can it be transformed into intelligent manufacturing simply by implementing one or two specific measures. “The ten high-end equipment categories outlined in \"Made in China 2025\" are required to be based on digitalization, networking, and intelligence, which in turn demands that their production and manufacturing processes also adopt \"three-in-one\" management approaches. In Shen Liechu’s view, the “three aspects” of intelligent manufacturing are digitization, networking, and intelligence; whereas the “three aspects” of the manufacturing process actually refer to two distinct areas: those that provide the equipment for product manufacturing and those related to the manufacturing process itself. First is the \"three modernizations\" of equipment, and second is the \"three modernizations\" of the manufacturing process; these two concepts are quite different, yet they are both related and distinct from each other. Intelligent manufacturing refers to the \"three modernizations\" in the product manufacturing process. It is built upon the \"three modernizations\" of equipment supply, and it is only with such \"intelligent agents\" as a prerequisite that intelligent manufacturing can be achieved. The level of \"three modernizations\" in equipment largely determines the level of \"three modernizations\" in various industries as well as the difficulty of achieving them. Shen Liechu also emphasized that the manufacture of individual machines does not constitute productive forces; only complete sets of equipment can truly exert such forces. Therefore, during the process of implementing the “three modernizations” for individual pieces of equipment, attention must be paid to communication interfaces, so as to enable interconnection and interoperability with upstream and downstream equipment, as well as timely information exchange and sharing. For sets of equipment sourced from different enterprises, how to achieve the “three modernizations” becomes even more important. Viewing physical manufacturing and virtual manufacturing dialectically, Shen Liechu said that the lesson I have learned over my lifetime is that, when it comes to technology alone, it is very difficult to truly drive technological progress and development. Virtual design and virtual manufacturing are methods that serve physical design and physical manufacturing. With the development of information technology, it is now possible to use computers to simulate thousands of different solutions for comparison; once the best solution is identified, it can be turned into a physical design and manufactured to create a new product, which can then be tested, revised, and improved. This can **shorten the R&D cycle and save R&D costs. After the new product is finalized, computer simulations are used to determine the optimal manufacturing process, thereby planning the techniques and production steps for physical manufacturing. Nevertheless, there is a continuous process of improvement, as the R&D and manufacturing processes are affected by various internal and external factors. Experienced designers, engineers, and manufacturing specialists are still needed to make decisions and take action in order to produce high-quality products, ensure quality, reduce costs, and shorten production cycles. The massive amounts of data processed by computers must be collected from practical applications and real-world entities. Concepts such as big data and cloud platforms involve analyzing this large volume of data to extract useful information, which is then used to support manufacturing and design processes in the real world. Only physical manufacturing can produce products to meet people’s needs in terms of clothing, food, shelter, transportation, and daily use. Different stages of intelligence development require distinct top-level designs and implementation steps. At present, most of China’s equipment manufacturing industry is still in the Industrial 1.0 or 2.0 era (with only a few companies at stage 3.0 or early stage 3.0). Due to significant differences in industry, region, company size, ownership structure, innovation capacity, and development stage, it is necessary to provide differentiated guidance to advance intelligence development. Shen Liechu believes that reference models serve only as a guide for corporate practices, as intelligent manufacturing is a long-term process. The intelligent management of many enterprises is still in its initial stages, at the planning phase, and is far from achieving a high level of informatization. It is important to understand that the prerequisite for intelligence is a high level of informatization (digitalization, networking); and the prerequisite for informatization is scientific management methods, such as Lean Production LP and Just-in-Time management JIT. Shen Liechu warned that if the data in production management is not standardized or comprehensive, it will be impossible to achieve real-time information-based management. In the companies he visited for inspections, most of them generated inaccurate data that could not be provided in real time; so what sense does information-based management have in such a situation? At the current stage, enterprise management does not reject the gradual introduction and use of technologies such as CAD, CAM, CAPP, CAE, SCM, and CRM in specific areas like inventory management, finance, and payroll, in order to train employees and make the production process more scientific. Whenever possible, these separate information silos are connected to one another. This requires enterprises to have a top-level design, implement it in stages, carry out partial operations, accumulate experience, train personnel, and ultimately achieve highly automated management. When designing the system, it is important to leave accessible ports between various information silos in order to ensure compatibility in information exchange. Standardization and modularization are the foundations of intelligent manufacturing; they are closely related to the modular design of products, as well as production organization structures and models. German product design has always adopted a modular approach, with standardized dimensions for its components, in order to meet the demands of large-scale industrial manufacturing. This technical approach dates back to before World War II. Shen Liechu used his experience from studying in Germany to explain that an industrial structure based on socialized, specialized mass production can save resources and reduce costs, and it also enables rapid transformation and upgrading, which helps to shorten the development cycle of new products. Due to the modular design of the products, production organization within enterprises must change accordingly. Shen Liechu explained that Germany had already widely adopted the production cell model in the 1980s: components with similar structures and processing requirements were manufactured within a single \"production cell\", which represented a further development of group technology (GT). Today, some German companies still adopt the “manufacturing island” production model; with the implementation of information-based management, this model has acquired new connotations. “The interconnection among the field devices on the “Manufacturing Island” constitutes what is known as secondary management “agents”. China’s manufacturing management models come in various forms, and their level is different from that of Germany. Taking the machine tool industry as an example, two different models of production management were employed as early as the 1960s: specialized workshops focused on parts, and closed workshops focused on products. Today, these two different production organization models still exist in machine tool companies. It is conceivable that the information management models implemented on this basis will also vary greatly. In Shen Liechu’s view, to achieve the modern production model of Industry 4.0 – one that is customized, specialized, end-to-end, vertically and horizontally integrated, and combines hardware and software – it is necessary to carry out reforms in the design process, adopting standardized and modular designs in order to minimize non-standard designs and production. He said that in today’s era of economic globalization, information-based management in areas such as research and development, design, production, and sales is all oriented toward the global market. It is necessary to make full use of both domestic and foreign resources—including human and material resources as well as information—and both domestic and foreign markets and funds, adhering to the principle of \"taking ourselves as the foundation while learning from others without idolizing them,\" in order to realize the dream of building a strong nation. There is an urgent need to develop autonomous and controllable industrial software and system integration. As is well known, the development of informatization and intelligence relies not only on hardware but also on software. The shortcomings in the research, development, and application of industrial software within the country must be completely addressed in order to establish a self-sufficient and controllable system for such software; only then can intelligent manufacturing continue to develop. In response, Shen Liechu suggested that large enterprises or integrators should have their own software developers. General-purpose software such as CAD, CAPP, CAM, CAE, and ERP can be purchased, but application software tailored to specific on-site processes and production needs must be developed in-house. Relevant staff must have knowledge of informatization and intelligent technologies; they must also understand the products and processes related to their work. Otherwise, the integration of these two aspects simply cannot be achieved. In his view, in any enterprise that has succeeded in implementing information-based management, the application software is developed in-house. The practices of many companies show that independently developed application software is both cost-effective and conducive to maintaining business confidentiality. Shen Liechu continued to use sensors for key components as an example, explaining that for a long time sensors have remained under the control of developed countries; due to their importance, they sometimes even cause political and commercial problems. In the development strategies for the equipment industry, both in the past and today, sensors have been regarded as core technologies that require focused effort to develop. At present, although they receive significant attention, the results achieved so far are not obvious. Shen Liechu stated outright that whether it is virtual manufacturing or physical manufacturing, or a bridge between information and physical systems, sensors are what play that role. Without sensors, there can be no intelligent manufacturing. Without the digitization, networking, and intelligence of equipment, there can be no Internet of Things, and the Internet cannot fulfill its role. Shen Liechu believes that in the advancement of information-based management, another key element is the integrator, which connects enterprises with ever-changing needs to software and hardware suppliers. Currently, many international manufacturers have entered into cooperation agreements with large Chinese enterprises and groups; by selling their software, hardware, and application systems, they are able to gain insight into and gain control over the operational data of these Chinese companies. Here, Shen Liechu noticed the issue of information security. He believes that ensuring the security of China’s national economy requires a large number of integrators who can promote intelligent manufacturing. He suggests that capable enterprises establish information technology companies that can not only serve internal needs but also provide system solutions and implementation services for enterprise information management on an external scale. A in-depth description of intelligent manufacturing: Shen Liechu believes that, overall, China’s equipment industry is still in the informatization phase and has not yet entered the era of intelligence. He suggested that in the process of promoting intelligent manufacturing, one should take into account one’s own actual circumstances and, drawing on Germany’s eight priority action plans for Industry 4.0, make systematic considerations regarding relevant aspects such as standards, safety, training, regulation, and resource efficiency. For example, in terms of talent, not only should high-end scientific and technical talents as well as management professionals be given due attention, but also the role of skilled craftsmen who possess specialized skills and extensive experience in manufacturing should be utilized, thereby promoting the \"craftsman spirit\". Especially in the process of achieving networked manufacturing, it is crucial to better protect trade secrets and intellectual property rights within the framework of laws and regulations, to strengthen quality control over products, and to provide support through reforms to fiscal and tax systems in light of changes in different manufacturing models, industrial structures, and value chains. It is also important to improve regulatory frameworks and the relevant legal and regulatory documents. Finally, Shen Liechu specifically pointed out that under the current downward pressure on the economy, corporate profits are declining continuously, and product quality issues remain unresolved; it is very difficult to transform products that are merely \"functional but not very reliable\" into ones that are both \"useful and reliable\". Therefore, given the difficulties in the transformation and upgrading of new products, it is even more important to adapt measures to local conditions, to the specific characteristics of each enterprise, as well as to the nature of the products and production methods. Plan uniformly and implement in stages, starting with the easier tasks before moving on to the more difficult ones. It is necessary to consider the efficiency of the enterprise (referring to quality, cost, and delivery times), and to apply input-output economic theory when evaluating implementation – smart manufacturing should not be pursued merely for its own sake. The current stage of development in the equipment industry lies in scientific and information-based management; emphasis is placed on effectiveness rather than reputation.