The transformation of China’s textile and apparel industry from the “world’s factory” to an “innovation hub” has been underway for decades. As a core global force in production, consumption, and export, China has established a complete industrial chain encompassing spinning, weaving, dyeing, printing, and garment manufacturing. However, it has long faced the challenge of being “large but not strong” within the global value chain. Traditionally reliant on low-cost labor, the sector has had relatively weak ownership of high-end technology and brand influence, often occupying lower value-added segments in international competition. Amid shifts in the global economic landscape, intensifying international trade frictions, and rising raw material and labor costs, China’s textile industry urgently needs to break free from the “low-end lock-in” and climb towards the apex of the global value chain. In this wave of industrial upgrading, Wang Yake has emerged as a key figure driving the reshaping of China’s textile industry’s global competitiveness through his deep expertise and innovation in smart technologies.
“When textile factories in Georgia, USA, are deploying collaborative robots, China cannot remain at the level of simply replacing equipment; we must build an end-to-end intelligent ecosystem.” This statement from Wang Yake during an interview succinctly captures his logic for technological breakthrough. With over a decade of experience in the industry, Wang keenly identified the pain points exacerbated by the Industry 4.0 wave: lengthy design-to-delivery cycles and inefficient equipment coordination in traditional apparel production, while international brands leveraged digital capabilities for rapid response. Leading his team, he embarked on intensive R&D, achieving breakthroughs in two core systems over three years. These systems are now deployed in leading enterprises, providing replicable solutions for the industry’s intelligent transformation.
His developed IoT-based Intelligent Integrated Management and Control System for Apparel Design and Production V1.0 is tackling the industry’s “data silo” problem. By deploying various sensors at key stages like fabric inspection, cutting, and sewing, the system significantly improves equipment interconnectivity coverage and maintains extremely low data transmission latency, performance metrics that now match internationally leading automation solutions. In practice at a garment factory in Guangdong, the system enabled real-time synchronization between design drafts and production equipment, drastically improving response speed for pattern adjustments. The production cycle for small-batch orders was reduced from around two weeks to just 48 hours. “This essentially equips traditional factories with the flexible manufacturing capabilities of fast-fashion brands. Small orders we previously hesitated to accept have now become a competitive advantage,” remarked the factory manager, highlighting the tangible value brought by the technology.
Another core achievement by Wang Yake – the Digital Twin-based Full-Link Data Decision System for the Apparel Industry V1.0, represents a breakthrough and upgrade over traditional virtual replication techniques. Unlike simple equipment virtualization, Wang’s system constructs a digital mirror of the entire value chain, from cotton farming to end retail. In a dyeing and printing enterprise in Zhejiang, 3D models on screens accurately replicate the operational status of each dyeing vat, with key parameters updating in real-time. AI algorithms analyze historical data to automatically optimize process parameters. This innovation has not only significantly improved product qualification rates but also markedly reduced water consumption, exceeding industry averages. “The core of digital twin is not just ‘visibility,’ but ‘decision-making capability’,” Wang Yake explains. The system can accurately predict equipment failures, substantially reducing downtime and saving considerable annual operational costs per factory, while also avoiding order losses due to production halts.
These technological breakthroughs are arriving at a pivotal moment, directly addressing the demands of global industrial transformation. The global textile automation market is currently experiencing significant expansion, with the North American market actively reshaping its value chain through continuous technological innovation. Within this context, Wang Yake’s technological contributions are altering the competitive dynamics between the Chinese and American industries. His systems assist partner enterprises in reducing unit labor costs while simultaneously boosting production efficiency, granting Chinese companies a stronger advantage in countering the trend of near-shoring.
In the realm of green manufacturing, Wang’s technology demonstrates even greater global competitiveness. Faced with compliance pressures from the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), his system utilizes digital twin technology to optimize dye dosage, helping partner companies reduce carbon emissions and increase the utilization rate of recycled fibers. Relevant metrics already meet the requirements of the EU’s “Green Textiles 2030” strategy. “The upgrade of China’s textile industry is not merely about replacing human labor; it’s about aiming for global leadership in technological standards,” Wang stated. This perspective aligns closely with forecasts from the Global Smart Textile Association (GSTA) regarding industry development, highlighting the international vision embodied by Chinese technology.
Currently, China leads in growth rate within the global textile automation market, indicating immense future potential. Wang Yake is not resting on these achievements; his team is fully dedicated to developing a V2.0 version of the system. This next iteration plans to integrate generative AI and industrial metaverse technologies to create a complete closed loop encompassing “virtual trial production – market forecasting – flexible production.” From the sensors on the factory floor to the restructuring of the global value chain, Wang Yake’s technological innovations clearly chart the path of China’s industrial upgrade. In this transition from a “manufacturing giant” to an “innovation powerhouse,” a growing number of technical pioneers like him are driving the Chinese textile industry towards a firm foothold at the apex of the global value chain through tangible execution and groundbreaking innovations. As he often reminds his team on the shop floor: “True intelligence isn’t about machines replacing people, but about endowing the industry with the capacity to think. Only then can we navigate further in the global competition.”
Reporter：Andy
