There are a total of 170,000 market entities in Optics Valley of China in Wuhan, Central China's Hubei province. [Photo/Optics Valley of China]

The 2021 List of China's Top 50 Smart Manufacturing Firms was announced on April 6 by authoritative research institutes administered by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and three companies based in the East Lake High-tech Development Zone (also known as Optics Valley of China, or OVC) made the list – YOFC, FiberHome, and Wuhan Huazhong Numerical Control Co.

Smart manufacturing is meant to improve upon traditional manufacturing processes via 5G networks, internet of things, big data, and artificial intelligence. It minimizes repetitive manual labor, reduces human resource costs, and increases efficiency and quality for manufacturers.

As a listed company owned by CICT, FiberHome is a globally renowned information and communication network product and solution provider. It is currently home to 11 global delivery centers and 30 overseas missions, and its products and services are offered to more than 100 countries and regions.

YOFC, an international forerunner of optical fiber preforms, optical fibers, optical cables and integrated solutions, has a large business that covers not only the communication sector, but also public utilities, transportation, petrochemical engineering, and medical services. Last year, YOFC achieved 9.54 billion yuan ($1.49 billion) in sales revenue, up nearly 15.99 percent year-on-year.

Optical fiber preforms independently developed by YOFC are on display. [Photo/WeChat account of Optics Valley of China]

Wuhan Huazhong Numerical Control Co mainly operates businesses involved in numerical control systems for machine tools, industrial robots, new energy vehicles, and education. In 2020, its market share in the domestic high-end numerical control system market hit nearly 50 percent, ranking first in China.

Other firms that made the list include Huawei, BYD, Midea, BOE, Alibaba, CATL and DJI.