In late June 2026, a conference in Yantai, Shandong, set the stage for the printing and dyeing industry's next five-year plan. The message was clear: digitalization and intelligence are no longer optional but essential for consolidating global competitiveness and achieving high-quality development.
Event Background
On June 29, 2026, the Printing and Dyeing Industry Management Innovation Annual Conference, co-hosted by the China Printing and Dyeing Industry Association and CHTC Fong's, convened in Yantai. The event attracted over 260 representatives from government, industry associations, research institutes, and supply chain enterprises. Zhang Zhenggong, Deputy Director of Yantai's Industry Bureau, noted that the industry is undergoing structural adjustments, with factor supply shifting from efficiency-first to resilience-first, and growth drivers from marginal improvements to cross-border integration.
Li Linshen, Vice President of the China National Textile and Apparel Council, emphasized that the textile industry has moved from 'following' to 'running alongside' and 'leading,' making the 15th Five-Year Plan period critical for building a modern industrial system. The printing and dyeing segment, with its high technical content and value-added potential, directly influences overall competitiveness through its digital readiness.
Industry Impact
The release of the first batch of the 'Practical Technology Directory for Intelligent Manufacturing in Printing and Dyeing' marked a milestone. Compiled by the association through extensive collection, the directory aims to implement the State Council's 'Manufacturing Digital Transformation Action Plan' and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology's 'Implementation Guide for Digital Transformation of Manufacturing Enterprises,' providing actionable technical guidance.
Simultaneously, the association, together with local industry bodies and leading enterprises, launched the 'China Printing and Dyeing Industry Self-Discipline Management Initiative' to regulate market order and prevent vicious competition from eroding transformation momentum.
On the enterprise front, Changzhou Xurong Knitting revealed that it established an IT department in 2003 and began exploring AI applications in 2024. On the garment side, it uses a 3D sampling platform to shorten prototyping cycles; on the fabric side, it integrates ERP for full data annotation and prediction. Zhejiang Meixinda built a clean zero-carbon workshop and a 24/7 intelligent logistics system, significantly improving space utilization, and uses the Style 3D platform to shorten design confirmation cycles.
These cases show that digital transformation is moving from isolated experiments to full-process coverage, from cost reduction to value creation. However, the industry still faces multiple challenges, including trade barriers, environmental compliance, and consumption upgrades. Qiao Baohua, Chief Researcher at the CCID Institute, noted in a special report that the industrial economy remains under pressure in the first half of 2026, with insufficient domestic and external demand and fragile profit foundations. Yet, high-tech manufacturing investment and intelligent green upgrade categories are bucking the trend, offering a window for structural optimization.