Forty years tell a remarkable story of copper-driven growth.

A city built on copper, thriving through copper—today, Yingtan has evolved from China’s “Copper Capital” into the core engine of the national-level advanced manufacturing cluster: the Yingtan–Rao–Fu–Chang Copper-Based New Materials Cluster.

Strong Performance During the 14th Five-Year Plan

·         National recognition: Successfully selected as a National Advanced Manufacturing Cluster

·         RMB 520 billion revenue: Industry scale ranks No.1 in China for years

·         Innovation push: Launch of the World Copper Innovation Valley

·         Smart manufacturing: Digital transformation practices recognized as national benchmarks

Yingtan’s copper industry has achieved a critical leap from quantitative growth to qualitative transformation, laying a solid foundation for its ambition to become a world-class cluster in the next stage.

Strength Backed by Data

·         Industrial value-added growth exceeded 11% annually

·         Total industrial revenue surpassed RMB 560 billion, with 14.8% annual growth

·         Manufacturing contributes over 45% of GDP and more than 70% of economic growth

·         Over 50% of industrial investment directed toward technological upgrades

A More Advanced Industrial Structure

Yingtan has moved far beyond traditional copper smelting:

·         Complete ecosystem: Covers raw materials, smelting, processing, R&D, testing, trade, culture, and end products

·         Global coverage: Produces over 90% of global copper alloy grades

·         Technological strength:

o    122 products domestically leading

o    30+ breakthroughs in foreign technology monopolies

o    20 products ranked No.1 globally by market share

·         High-end shift: Copper-based new materials exceed 52% of output by 2025

·         Integration: Electronics and IoT sectors reached RMB 12.2 billion, deeply integrated with copper industry

Thriving Enterprise Ecosystem

By the end of 2025:

·         314 major copper enterprises (nearly double from 2020)

·         8 companies with revenues exceeding RMB 10 billion

·         Numerous “hidden champions”:

o    2 national single-product champions

o    25 “Little Giant” SMEs

o    222 provincial specialized SMEs

Smart Manufacturing Transformation

Yingtan has fully redefined traditional industry:

·         100% digital transformation coverage among major enterprises

·         Over 24,000 companies migrated to cloud platforms

·         4 national “Excellence-Level Smart Factories”

·         2 national “Digital Leader” enterprises

·         Dozens of provincial smart factories

Looking Ahead: A World-Class Vision

By 2030, Yingtan aims to:

·         Build two centers and one base:

o    Recycled copper distribution hub

o    Innovation and commercialization center

o    Copper-based materials supply base

·         Achieve RMB 800 billion+ in revenue

·         Advance intelligent, green, and integrated development

·         Focus on seven high-end copper materials, including high-strength, high-conductivity alloys

From a single furnace to a global innovation hub, Yingtan’s journey reflects China’s broader industrial upgrading. Its next chapter will shape the country’s position in the global high-end materials market.

Source：Changjiang Nonferrous Metals Network