China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology will step up support for open-source base models and industry-specific vertical models as part of its effort to embed artificial intelligence deeper into manufacturing, Vice Minister Xin Guobin said, according to IT之家.
The remarks were reported by IT之家 on Sunday, September 20, 2026, alongside coverage of the 2026 World Manufacturing Convention, which opened in Hefei, according to 新华网.
Xin framed the model development as part of a broader push to solidify the software and hardware foundations of a new generation of intelligent manufacturing, 凤凰网 reported.
Context for the announcement comes from adoption figures reported by 新浪财经, which said the penetration rate of AI applications in key manufacturing scenarios exceeded 34 percent in the first half of the year. That number suggests a substantial share of monitored factory use cases have already integrated AI tools, though the reporting did not break down which scenarios or industries were counted.
The ministry's emphasis on open-source base models points to a strategy of building shared model foundations that companies can adapt, while vertical models would target specific industrial tasks. Together, the two tracks are presented as complementary: broad base models for general capability, narrower models tuned to particular manufacturing domains.
The convention in Hefei provided the setting for the policy signal, with state media covering the event and related manufacturing technology themes, including quantum computing, under the banner of manufacturing innovation.
What to watch next: whether the ministry follows the statement with concrete funding, standards, or pilot programs for open-source and vertical models in factories.