ABB and Weibojie Deepen Collaboration for Smart Factory Innovation
During the 8th China International Import Expo (CIIE), ABB and Weibojie Biotech Materials (Zhejiang) Co., Ltd. signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to further strengthen their partnership. The collaboration centers on Ethernet-APL technology, aiming to advance smart factory construction, drive intelligent transformation, and support China’s sustainable, high-quality industrial development.
Building the Future: From Digital Connectivity to Smart Operations
The renewed cooperation expands upon the two companies’ joint project launched earlier this year, which focused on Ethernet-APL-based automation control systems. The new phase goes further—leveraging digital applications, real-time data analysis, and AI-driven insights to transform the chemical industry’s automation capabilities.
This strategic move marks ABB’s continued commitment to technological innovation and to accelerating the formation of new productive forces in China’s industrial landscape.
Weibojie: Green Materials Meet Smart Manufacturing
As a leading manufacturer of environmentally degradable polymers, Weibojie specializes in caprolactone and polycaprolactone (PCL) materials. Its upcoming 30,000-ton annual capacity plant in Shaoxing will integrate ABB’s Ethernet-APL-based process automation solutions. These systems will ensure precise control of microchannel continuous flow processes and establish a solid data foundation for smart factory operations.
Chairman Mr. Wang Gang noted that this partnership reflects a shift “from data connectivity to intelligent decision-making.” By integrating AI-driven predictive maintenance, energy efficiency management, and intelligent operations, Weibojie aims to reduce operational costs, enhance safety and quality, and set a benchmark for green intelligent manufacturing in the biodegradable materials sector.
ABB: Empowering China’s Process Industry Toward Autonomy
According to Mr. Fan Xiaopeng, ABB Vice President and Head of Energy Industries China, the MoU represents a major milestone in ABB’s mission to enable digital and sustainable transformation across process industries.
By combining Ethernet-APL data channels, AI analytics, and digital twin technologies, ABB is helping enterprises move beyond automation toward autonomous operations. The partnership’s localized collaboration model and priority coordination mechanism will serve as a replicable blueprint for the broader industrial sector.
Strategic Cooperation for a Sustainable Industrial Future
Under the MoU framework, ABB and Weibojie will establish a regular coordination and communication mechanism to advance smart factory projects. This collaboration not only broadens their digital and intelligent innovation scope but also demonstrates the synergy between global technology leaders and China’s advanced manufacturing.
At the CIIE, ABB showcased its expanding collaboration network by signing multiple MoUs with chemical industry partners. These agreements—centered on Ethernet-APL—aim to explore new models for intelligent factory construction.
With its strengths in automation, electrification, and digitalization, ABB continues to empower industrial partners to achieve high-end, green, and intelligent transformation, fueling the next wave of digital productivity.