Shandong province in East China has been promoting the upgrading of industrial internet platforms and the boosting of collaboration with national-level platforms to further its digital transformation, local media reported.

An intelligent factory of Haier Group is powered by COSMOPlat [Photo by Fu Yuting/dzwww.com]

The industrial internet refers to a network of combined, advanced machines with internet-connected sensors that collect and analyze data from consumers, suppliers, and factories. It is designed to allow companies to customize products at speed and scale while boosting productivity and reducing costs.

COSMOPlat is a large-scale customization platform developed by home appliance giant Haier Group, based in Qingdao, Shandong province. The industrial internet platform allows users to engage in the industrial process across 15 vertical industries, including manufacturing, agriculture, clothing, culture, and tourism. The term "vertical industry" refers to a group of companies that focus on a shared niche or specialized market spanning a number of industries.

However, compared with the consumer internet, which has been developing for nearly 30 years, the domestic industrial internet is still "an ongoing revolution", said Chen Yu, secretary general of the Shandong Provincial Industrial Internet Association.

Chen noted that the industrial internet seeks to connect humans, equipment, data, and technology and requires leading internet technologies, supporting hardware, and personalized service capabilities.

According to Shandong officials, the province will promote the application of leading industrial internet platforms developed by Haier and Inspur to boost smart manufacturing, optimize the traditional industrial process, and improve production efficiency.