On November 19, during the 2024 China 5G + Industrial Internet Conference, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) released the "2024 5G Factory Directory," selecting 400 high-level 5G factories. Among them, 11 enterprises from Huai'an, including Zenith Steel Group New Material and CEPAI, made the list, ranking fifth nationally, fourth in the province, and first in northern Jiangsu.

A 5G factory is defined as one that utilizes new-generation information and communication technologies, represented by 5G, to build a modern industrial internet infrastructure. This results in advanced factories characterized by widespread connectivity of production units, deep integration of information operations, full utilization of data elements, and efficient empowerment through innovative applications.

In recent years, Huai'an has been actively promoting the "Intelligent Transformation, Digital Upgrade, and Network Connectivity" three-year action plan. In line with the MIIT's guidelines for 5G factory construction, the city provides comprehensive services to support enterprises in building 5G factories, facilitating deep coverage of 5G networks, and assisting companies in establishing high-quality internal networks and industrial edge data centers. Additionally, Huai'an focuses on key industries such as intelligent equipment, brewing, and photovoltaics, enhancing the selection and capture of backup enterprises and dynamically establishing a key enterprise cultivation database. It is also concentrating on main processes, including research and design, production and manufacturing, testing and monitoring, warehousing and logistics, and operational management, to develop tailored construction plans for each enterprise and create local 5G application demonstration benchmarks. As of now, Huai'an has a total of 14 national-level 5G factories spanning 8 industries.