The "A Date with China" media tour pays a visit to the headquarters of Haier Group in Qingdao, East China's Shandong province, on June 3. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]

A group of China-based foreign correspondents and social media influencers paid a visit to the headquarters of Haier Group in Qingdao, East China's Shandong province, on June 3.

The visit was part of the "A Date with China 2024: Meet Shandong" international media tour, co-hosted by the Information Office of the Shandong Provincial People's Government and China Daily Website.

They first visited the Haier's predecessor - the Qingdao Refrigerator Factory. Since it was established in 1984, Haier Group has established 10 major research and development centers, 71 research institutes, 35 industrial parks, 143 manufacturing centers, and a sales network of 230,000 worldwide.

In 2017, Haier Group launched the Haier COSMOPlat, one of the first smart manufacturing demonstration platforms in China, which has driven industrial manufacturing towards more intelligent and efficient large-scale personalized customization.

The platform allows customers who order Haier-branded air conditioners to design products themselves. With buyers' permission, the platform can also monitor the operation of air conditioners, give energy saving tips and identify faults.

The platform has connected 900,000 enterprises, covered 15 industries, and served 160,000 companies. By 2023, it had benefited 5,000 companies in Qingdao, generating an additional output value of 35 billion yuan ($4.83 billion).

To date, the Haier COSMOPlat has empowered manufacturing enterprises in several cities in Shandong, including Jinan, Zibo, and Dongying. The industrial powerhouse is accelerating its transition from "Made in China" to "Intelligent Manufacturing in China".