New Blueprint · New Momentum · New Pathways — Looking Ahead to the Road of Technological Development for China's Sewing Machinery Industry during the 15th Five-Year Plan Period

At present, China's sewing machinery industry stands at a critical juncture of "building on the past and opening the future." The release of the Technology Roadmap for China's Sewing Machinery Industry during the 15th Five-Year Plan is both a continuation of the tremendous achievements of the 14th Five-Year Plan and, more importantly, a proactive plan oriented toward a new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation. The rapid development of new technologies such as artificial intelligence and big data worldwide means that opportunities and challenges coexist for the sewing machinery industry. Strengthening top-level design, cultivating new quality productive forces, and building a modernized industrial system have become inevitable choices for the industry's high-quality and sustainable development.

New Development Blueprint: The 2030 Vision — From Scale Leadership to Capability Leadership

The roadmap clearly sets out an overall vision for 2030: keeping overall research strength, manufacturing capability, and technological level internationally leading; forming a relatively complete modernized sewing-industry technology system and industrial collaboration system; and possessing strong capacity to lead industrial development. This goal is broken down into five quantifiable and actionable specific indicators.

In terms of foundational investment: R&D investment among enterprises above designated size should account for no less than 5.5%; technical personnel should exceed 16% of total staff; and no fewer than 50 domestic and overseas institutes should participate in collaborative innovation each year.

In terms of new-product R&D: the proportion of intelligent products should reach over 80%; service-oriented manufacturing should account for over 35% of total industry output value; and more than 15 categories of intelligent sewing production lines should be developed to serve fields such as apparel, home textiles, and automotive interiors.

In terms of quality improvement: key indicators such as product noise, vibration, and failure rate should reach the advanced international level for comparable products, and the industry should lead the drafting of 1–2 international standards.

In terms of tackling core key technologies: enterprises above designated size should hold no fewer than 3 valid invention patents per RMB 100 million of main business revenue, and the industry should add more than 1,500 invention patents annually.

In terms of technical upgrading: high-precision machine tools, machining centers, robots, and similar equipment should account for over 70% of all processing equipment, and intelligent production lines should account for over 70% of capacity.

These targets are not castles in the air. Yang Xiaojing, Chairman of the China Sewing Machinery Association, noted that during the 14th Five-Year Plan the average R&D intensity of enterprises above designated size already reached 5.43%, far exceeding the manufacturing-sector average of 1.6%; total patent applications exceeded 36,000; and 6 enterprises won the China Patent Award. The proportion of automated equipment exceeded 90%, technical talent accounted for nearly 15%, 21 enterprises earned the "Little Giant" title for specialization and innovation, and nearly 10 enterprises earned the title of Manufacturing Single Champion. Jack, SGSB (Shanggong Shenbei), Shupu, and Pumeike have successively been recognized as Future Factory, Smart Factory, 5G Factory, and Green Factory.

Judging from the development practices of leading enterprises, these targets are being translated into tangible progress. Hu Wenhai, President of Jack Technology's Product Group, explained that Jack's 15th Five-Year Plan centers on four core strategies: humanoid robots, AI digital complete production lines, intelligent sewing, and green manufacturing. On quantitative targets, Jack has set R&D investment intensity to stay ≥8% during the 15th Five-Year Plan, striving for 10% by 2030; a target of ≥85% for the share of intelligent products; ≥500 new patents per year (invention patents) and ≥200 software copyrights; 30 new automated production lines with a CNC rate of ≥95% on key processes; ≥40% of revenue from new products; and ≥15% of revenue from AI- and robotics-related business. In 2025 Jack's R&D investment intensity already exceeded 8%, with intelligent products at about 68% and steadily climbing toward 85%.

Xie Ruiqing, Executive Deputy General Manager of Zoje Technology, said that Zoje's current R&D investment intensity is about 3%-plus, leaving some gap to the 2030 target, but the company plans to increase R&D investment and strive to reach an R&D intensity of no less than 5.5% and an intelligent-product share of over 85% before 2030. Over the next five years Zoje will focus on four core directions — automated sewing units, AI smart sewing machines, whole-plant planning, and humanoid sewing robots — comprehensively advancing the coordinated development of intelligent sewing, deep AI empowerment, and green manufacturing. By the end of the 15th Five-Year Plan it aims to launch 1–2 sewing robots that can enter the prototype-validation or small-batch trial-production stage.

Fang Haixiang, Deputy General Manager of SGSB, explained that SGSB's current overall R&D investment intensity is about 6% of sales revenue, with intelligent products at about 82%, basically meeting the roadmap's planned targets. Over the next five years the company plans to push its share of digital-intelligent products above 90% through means such as recruiting and internally cultivating high-end talent, building development tools and R&D laboratories, and developing new digital-intelligent and collaborative-robot products.

Ru Shuiqiang, General Manager of Dahao Technology, offered strategic thinking from another dimension. Dahao's 15th Five-Year Plan focuses on two major directions: first, the integration of intelligent sewing with AI; and second, green manufacturing. During the 14th Five-Year Plan, Dahao's R&D expenditure grew from RMB 147 million to RMB 213 million, with an R&D intensity of about 7%; over three years, new-product sales revenue accounted for over 80% of the total, and its intelligent-solutions business grew at over 40%. During the 15th Five-Year Plan, Dahao targets an R&D ratio of 7.5%, will continue to consolidate its absolute advantage of over 80% market share in embroidery-machine electronic controls, and will extend into new fields such as knitting and spinning.

Wang Ruren, Deputy General Manager of Meiji Technology, introduced Meiji's three strategic priorities: first, breakthroughs in AI intelligent sewing equipment, jointly developing a real-time AI vision system with universities to create a "zero-second machine-adjustment" AI lockstitch machine; second, upgrading the digital mother-machine platform, comprehensively advancing stepper-servo digital control and building a modular sewing-machine platform; and third, an interconnected ecosystem and whole-plant solutions, building an MES interconnected ecosystem and advancing whole-plant integrated intelligent solutions based on intelligent hanger systems.

Fushan plans that during the 15th Five-Year Plan its new products will exceed 50%, automated production lines will account for 20%, and patent applications will exceed 50. Its R&D investment is currently between 4.5% and 5%, and it will ensure it exceeds 5.5% by 2030.

From the strategic indicators and investment plans of enterprises such as Jack, Zoje, SGSB, Dahao, and Meiji, it is clear that the roadmap's quantitative targets are not suspended ideals but action guides being benchmarked, broken down, and implemented one by one. Whether it is R&D intensity, the share of intelligent products, patent positioning, or talent structure, leading enterprises have already internalized the roadmap's requirements as hard constraints on their own development, thereby ensuring a solid execution foundation for the 2030 vision.

Su Junqiang, Associate Professor at Jiangnan University, commented: the roadmap focuses on three main lines — intelligent sewing, AI integration, and green manufacturing — benchmarks against new quality productive forces, and establishes indicators that are highly forward-leading with clear implementation paths. The plan builds on the 14th Five-Year Plan's achievement of widespread adoption of intelligent standalone machines and precisely shores up weak links such as flexible processing, AI-process integration, and production-line collaboration, aligning with the industry's trend toward full-chain intelligent transformation. Green manufacturing is benchmarked against the dual-carbon strategy, with concrete levers such as lightweighting, low-power drives, and carbon-footprint control, achieving a strategic layout in which policy, industry, and R&D mutually reinforce one another.

Tackling New Tracks: Six Key Product Directions and Smart Manufacturing Breakthroughs

The roadmap delineates six key product and technology directions: household sewing machines, industrial sewing machines, embroidery machines, spreading and cutting equipment, intelligent material-distribution systems, and sewing digital workshops/factories. It clearly sets the overall goal that, by 2030, the industry will achieve continuous breakthroughs in key core technologies; keep overall research strength, manufacturing capability, and technological level internationally leading; further enrich its product range and service models; continuously improve product quality; form a relatively complete modernized sewing-industry technology system and industrial collaboration system; and possess strong capacity to lead industrial development. Around this goal, leading enterprises are rapidly "sewing" the roadmap from paper into reality.

For household sewing machines, key technologies such as intelligent control, human-machine interaction, and personalized customization are being continuously tackled, as household sewing keeps leaping from a traditional tool toward a smart-living terminal. SGSB has launched the E30 and E50 series of electronic household multifunction machines and the X60 series sew-and-embroider combination machine; Dahao's A15 household single-head machine personalized-embroidery electronic-control system integrates technologies such as cloud pattern-making, machine vision, and freehand doodling, enabling home embroidery to achieve "photo embroidery" and "doodle embroidery" to meet personalized and customized apparel needs.

For the flagship product category of industrial sewing machines, along the technical main line of "focusing on intelligent sewing and AI integration," products are iterating intensively and upgrading toward intelligence, while efforts on key links such as fabric self-adaptation, AI machine adjustment, and automated units are accelerating from single-point breakthroughs toward system integration. Jack Technology has launched products such as the Quick-Response King 2, the Seam-Crossing King, and the Ai10 AI sewing machine, featuring fabric self-adaptation, no speed reduction when crossing seams, and AI machine adjustment; Zoje has launched an intelligent and automated product matrix represented by the "Stitch Master" intelligent lockstitch machine, the lift-and-rotate sewing-head intelligent template machine, and the fully automatic laser welt-pocket machine; Meiji has launched products such as the dual-stepper "Quick Single King" large-space oil-free intelligent sewing machine, the 2nd-generation "Bump-Crossing King" adaptive digital overlock machine, and the horizontal cylinder-bed high-speed three-needle coverstitch machine; and SGSB offers a rich industrial-machine product line including the S60 "All-Rounder King 3" lockstitch machine, the N550 "Speed Pioneer King" overlock machine, the DA911 Revolve needle-bar/rotary-hook rotating pattern machine, the 755S series automatic welt-pocket machine, the Delta-Type series medium-to-heavy material sewing machine, the S110 series airbag automatic workstation, and the 3D automatic sewing workstation.

For embroidery machines, breakthroughs in technologies such as ultra-multi-head high-speed thread-break-free operation and fully automatic functional integration represent the precise implementation of the roadmap's goal of "enhancing automation and embroidery diversity," with efforts in multi-axis coordination and flexible process control advancing toward the international leading level. Promaker's 360-head ultra-multi-head embroidery machine has overcome the technical challenge of thread-break-free and thread-trimming operation at 1,500 rpm high speed on ultra-multi-head machines; Maya's fully automatic positioning combination-embroidery model highly integrates functions such as coiled tape/cording, multi-color sequins, cord embroidery, loose beads, cord cutting, and tape cutting, requiring no manual intervention to achieve full-process positioning and fabric-changing embroidery; and Sinsim's automatic tape-changing coiling-embroidery machine adds automatic switching between layered-tape embroidery and wrapping embroidery on top of large-tape coiling, raising the levels of automation and embroidery diversity.

In the area of spreading and cutting equipment and intelligent material-distribution systems, core links such as AI vision, flexible logistics, and high-speed high-precision cutting are being continuously tackled. Drawing on German Bullmer technology, Jack has launched an intelligent cutter + spreading machine + AI fabric-inspection combination that achieves zero-error cutting, while simultaneously developing AI production-scheduling hanger systems, intelligent sorting, and AGV logistics systems to connect the full process from pre-sewing to post-sewing. Enterprises such as Yuanyi, Kepu Yineng, and Yina also each play to their strengths, with a flourishing array of innovative products such as the S90 PRO's AI-CUT system, the S2025 cutter's 6,500 rpm high-speed head, and the LRT series flexible rapid-conveyance system. An integrated layout "from pre-sewing to post-sewing, from standalone machines to systems" is taking shape, working hard to bridge the "last mile" of the unmanned factory.

As the ultimate form of industry development, the progress of sewing digital workshop/factory construction is encouraging. Around the goal of "building intelligent production lines and achieving whole-plant autonomous coordination," breakthroughs are accelerating on key tasks such as full-chain unmanned operation, IoT platforms, and MES integration, driving the industry's comprehensive leap from standalone-machine intelligence to system intelligence. For example, Jack's "Aitu" AI digital complete production line achieves full-chain unmanned operation from fabric inspection to cutting, sewing, and warehousing; Zoje, through its acquisition of Wuxi Aibusi Intelligent Technology, has built an IoT platform and IEBOX system that can provide whole-plant digital-factory planning services for downstream enterprises; SGSB has built the QONDAC 4.0 intelligent industrial-sewing networked online production-monitoring system; Meiji adheres to "one factory, one solution," tailoring MES management systems for many enterprises to achieve full-process off-the-floor production; and Dahao's complete intelligent-production solution — "Dahao Cloud digital workshop management system + full-process production ERP system + intelligent warehousing system + intelligent transport system" — already covers over 400 customer factories, with more than 30,000 networked devices, raising end-factory production efficiency by an average of 25%.

Alongside breakthroughs in product technology innovation, Chen Ji, Vice Chairman and Secretary-General of the Association and Deputy Director of its Science and Technology Committee, offered a reminder: the high-end and intelligent upgrading of sewing machine products is a systems undertaking, and it is now very difficult for any single enterprise or individual to achieve fully effective breakthroughs alone, so enterprises must emphasize industry-research-application collaborative innovation. Furthermore, in terms of fundamental sewing theory, the industry still has many weak points: nonlinear mechanical models for various flexible fabrics, multimodal industrial models under complex operating conditions, process databases, software packages, and real-time monitoring and evaluation technology systems for sewing are all still incomplete. This directly affects the intelligence level and service-response capability of sewing, so everyone must place importance on research into fundamental theory and processes.

New Measures to Strengthen Foundations: Digital Empowerment Consolidates Manufacturing Capability Advantages

To ensure that high-end products can be "made — and made well," and to maintain the industry's capability and level advantages in global sewing-machine production and manufacturing, upgrading must proceed simultaneously at two levels: key Spare Parts machining and complete-machine assembly. The roadmap provides a clear plan and discussion on this. Spare Parts enterprises in the Ningbo region have carried out a great deal of valuable exploration in this regard: Deying, oriented toward high-end and international development, is raising its mid-to-high-end rotary-hook capacity and international market share in a drive to become the world's leading rotary-hook brand; Yuning, on the basis of refining and specializing in aluminum-type sewing-machine Spare Parts, is actively expanding into robotics and drones; Yongyao has built a "one item, one code" quality-traceability system around rotary-hook production, achieving full-process digital management of production and inspection; and Xiangrui continues to invest in high-end automation equipment, significantly improving production efficiency while ensuring product precision. In addition, Hongdu has achieved automated production of Spare Parts such as copper bushings through the coordinated operation of robotic arms and machining centers; Xiangfang has introduced automated production lines, high-end machining equipment, and digital management systems to achieve refined control and efficient operation of the production process; and enterprises such as Feilong and Junma, while advancing automation upgrades, have strengthened internal management and promoted the standardization of production processes and the systematization of quality control.

In machine-housing machining, enterprises such as Jack are working to advance the digital and flexible transformation of processing equipment; its 9 intelligent metalworking lines organically combine automation, informatization, virtual-simulation technology, and AI prediction technology, producing 3 million housings per year; and enterprises such as Zoje and Kaisi continue to update high-precision machining centers and related high-end equipment, optimizing machining process flows and enhancing their own processing capabilities.

In assembly, enterprises are comprehensively advancing digital assembly lines and closed-loop MES management. Jack has built a digital assembly line plus closed-loop MES, achieving automatic feeding, torque monitoring, online inspection, and intelligent marking, raising per-capita efficiency by 35%, lowering the defect rate by 60%, and shortening the delivery cycle by 30%; Zoje widely applies fixtures, torque wrenches, and gauges in the assembly process and is steadily advancing automated assembly equipment; and Dahao has built automated production lines through robotic arms, AGVs, and AI quality inspection, achieving intelligent upgrading of the assembly line. From precision machining of key Spare Parts, to the digital transformation of housing machining, to intelligent assembly lines for complete machines, the roadmap is guiding sewing enterprises along an upgrade path of "strengthening foundations and consolidating fundamentals, advancing from point to plane."

New Ecosystem of Joint Effort: Strong Safeguards Drive Coordinated Industry Development

Implementing the technology roadmap is inseparable from systemic safeguards in institutions, talent, capital, and intellectual property. The roadmap sets out measures ranging from strategic planning and R&D investment to talent recruitment, value-chain coordination, and intellectual-property protection, and also offers recommendations on related technical tackling and demonstration projects. Chairman Yang Xiaojing emphasized that industry enterprises must seize the main direction of developing new quality productive forces and advance systematically on four levels:

Focus on top-level design and serve national strategy. Closely link the national goal of scientific and technological self-reliance and self-strengthening with the industry roadmap, ensuring that enterprises' R&D directions resonate at the same frequency as national and industry-wide deployments. Adhere to a demand orientation and strengthen service response. Root scientific and technological innovation on the front line of users, accurately identify and effectively solve core pain points, and run this through the entire product lifecycle. Accelerate the research and integrated application of advanced technologies. Effectively improve learning and understanding of new quality productive forces such as artificial intelligence, human-machine interaction, and big data, and drive sewing machinery to upgrade toward high-end directions such as green intelligence, network interconnection, and complete solutions. Tackle the core barriers of "computing power — algorithms — data." Continuously expand competitive advantages in building intelligent units, intelligent production lines, intelligent workshops, and smart factories, using artificial intelligence to lead a transformation of the research paradigm.

Standing at the opening year of the 15th Five-Year Plan, the blueprint has been drawn; the key now lies in implementation. Chairman Yang Xiaojing emphasized: "Driven by new quality productive forces, build a world-leading modernized sewing-machinery industry technology system and achieve high-quality, sustainable development." This requires the industry to lay foundations through technological innovation, improve quality through application upgrading, pool strength through open cooperation, empower itself through digital-intelligent transformation, and safeguard development through standards. The blueprint is being sewn into reality stitch by stitch. From goal decomposition to product tackling, from demonstration projects to ecosystem safeguards, the technology roadmap is not a static document but a dynamic action framework and work guide. Guided and propelled by the Association, and through the solid efforts of the many sewing enterprises, by 2030 China's sewing machinery industry will surely be able to enter a new stage of development as a strong nation — shifting from leading primarily on products and scale to a new phase characterized at its core by capability leadership.