A symposium on sheet metal forming is held in the Nantong Economic and Technological Development Area in East China's Jiangsu province on June 16. [Photo provided to NETDA]

Authorities in the Nantong Economic and Technological Development Area (NETDA) in East China's Jiangsu province held a symposium on sheet metal forming on June 16.

The conference was aimed at attracting more sheet metal projects, which will be crucial to the area's intelligent manufacturing equipment industry.

Ninety upstream and downstream enterprises from across the country, including CRRC Corporation and Daming International Holdings Limited, attended the conference.

Wang Wenxian, deputy director of the NETDA administrative committee, outlined at the conference the area’s social and economic development in 2022 as well as its high-end equipment enterprises such as China International Marine Containers (Group) Co and Jiangsu Zhongtian Technology Co.

Dong Jingli, head of the area's investment promotion bureau, outlined the area's 11,400-mu (760 hectares) intelligent manufacturing industrial park as well as talent policies and business environment.

Xu Hao, secretary-general of the Guangzhou Sheet Metal Processing Industry Association, said that NETDA's living environment, business policies and pillar industries are important factors for investors when making investments in the area.

NETDA has in recent years been making efforts to bolster its intelligent manufacturing industry by focusing on shipbuilding, marine engineering, and intelligent robots. The area is currently home to 72 intelligent manufacturing enterprises above designated size and generated sales of 39.5 billion yuan ($5.45 billion) in 2022.