China News Service, Tianjin, September 6 (Reporter Zhou Yaqiang) The 2026 Lean Digital Innovation Conference opened on the 6th at the National Convention and Exhibition Center (Tianjin). With the theme of "AI-driven·Lean foundation building", the conference brought together more than a thousand representatives from government, industry, academia and research to explore new ways to deeply integrate artificial intelligence and lean management to empower the manufacturing industry.
The picture shows the opening ceremony of the 2026 Lean Digital Innovation Conference. Photo by reporter Feng Hongjie
Peng Huagang, president of the China Enterprise Reform and Development Research Association, said that promoting lean digitalization is a concrete manifestation of the development of new productivity at the micro level of the enterprise, an intrinsic requirement for promoting high-quality development, and the only way to build a world-class enterprise.
Weng Jieming, member of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress and deputy chairman of the Financial and Economic Committee, pointed out that in the era of artificial intelligence, lean is not only not outdated, but more important. "Lean adheres to the basic laws of value creation. AI is the amplifier and accelerator of lean, not a substitute. Only the combination of the two can transform technical variables into industrial increments."
Wang Hongyan, vice president of the China Enterprise Reform and Development Research Association and chairman of Tianjin Aipori Technology Development Co., Ltd., believes that lean is the foundation of the AI era and AI is a "particle accelerator." Industrial AI must take the route of full participation, not the elite route; technology accelerates change but cannot replace practice, and AI amplifies wisdom but cannot replace the value of people.
Li Peigen, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said that lean manufacturing is the first principle of manufacturing, and lean is "one" and needs to be implemented consistently. “No matter how technical means change, the basic principles of lean are what enterprises need to constantly pursue.”
The picture shows the scene of the 2026 Lean Digital and Intelligent Transformation Innovation Ecological Expo. Guests visited the intelligent equipment display. Photo by reporter Feng Hongjie
The conference released two group standards, "Lean Digital Intelligence Evaluation System" and "Lean Digital Intelligence Talent Ability Requirements" and the "Lean Digital Intelligence Innovation Competition Case Collection (2025)", and announced the final results of the competition.
The 2026 Lean Digital and Intelligent Transformation Innovation Ecological Expo held at the same time focused on displaying smart factory solutions, industrial software, intelligent equipment, AI lean tools and other achievements, with nearly 40 units participating.
It is reported that the Lean Digital Innovation Conference has been held for 23 times since 2003. This conference is hosted by the China Enterprise Reform and Development Research Association and jointly organized by the Enterprise Management Working Committee of the China Enterprise Reform and Development Research Association, Tianjin Aipori Technology Development Co., Ltd., and Yinhe Intelligent Technology (Tianjin) Co., Ltd. (over)
