China's Manufacturing Innovation Centers: A Benchmarking Report for the Manufacturing USA Network

Published

May 5, 2025

Author(s)

Michael Molnar, Kelley Rogers, Frank Gayle, Susan Ipri-Brown, Mai Tran, Joseph Long, Clifton Ray, Albert Shih, Douglas Thomas

Abstract

This review of China's Manufacturing Innovation Centers (MICs) describes the status of the country's flagship manufacturing innovation program. At least 33 MICs have been established to date, suggesting that China is within reach of its goal of 40 MICs by 2025, as stated in the "Made in China 2025" national strategy. This review discusses the motivation, structure, and results of the implementation of the Manufacturing Innovation Centers so far, particularly with respect to their 14th Five-Year Plan, and compares China's approach to manufacturing innovation with that of the Manufacturing USA program and Germany's Fraunhofer Institutes. China views strategic investment in critical advanced manufacturing technologies as a focal point for furthering national interest and technical leadership.

Citation

Advanced Manufacturing Series (NIST AMS) - NIST AMS 600-17

Report Number

NIST AMS 600-17

NIST Pub Series

Advanced Manufacturing Series (NIST AMS)

Pub Type

NIST Pubs

Download Paper

https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.AMS.600-17

Local Download

Keywords

China industrial centers. Manufacturing Innovation. Manufacturing USA. Manufacturing Innovation Center. Made in China 2025. Advanced Manufacturing.

Citation

Molnar, M. , Rogers, K. , Gayle, F. , Ipri-Brown, S. , Tran, M. , Long, J. , Ray, C. , Shih, A. and Thomas, D. (2025), China's Manufacturing Innovation Centers: A Benchmarking Report for the Manufacturing USA Network, Advanced Manufacturing Series (NIST AMS), National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, [online], https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.AMS.600-17, https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=959925 (Accessed May 7, 2025)