Recently, Travel with Economists, a program on CCTV Finance Channel, came to Ningbo, Zhejiang Province for an immersive tour featuring new forms of intelligent economy. As a representative enterprise of intelligent manufacturing in the cultural and education supplies industry, Deli Group was invited for the special feature shooting. Journalists from China Media Group, together with an expert team from the Academy of Macroeconomic Research under the National Development and Reform Commission, paid an in-depth visit to Deli’s pen manufacturing plant and smart logistics park. They documented the innovative applications and tangible results of large AI models in real manufacturing scenarios on site, presenting Deli as an innovative model that advances intelligent manufacturing upgrading via large models and pioneers a new intelligent economy paradigm for China’s stationery industry.

Deli Breaks Bottlenecks in Customization with Flexible Production; Large Models Reshape Manufacturing Efficiency

At the start of the 15th Five-Year Plan period, the intelligent economy has emerged as a core engine for fostering new productive forces and advancing high-quality development. This special report by CCTV Finance visited benchmark enterprises in Ningbo to explore how artificial intelligence can be deeply implemented and uncover practical pathways for AI to empower the real economy. Under CCTV’s lens, the flexible production line at Deli’s pen factory stood out as a major highlight of the coverage. Powered by large AI models, the production line conducts technical analysis on orders and automatically adjusts production parameters, enabling customized pen designs to be produced rapidly upon order placement. This effectively addresses the industry pain point of multi-variety and small-batch production prevalent in the stationery sector.

After an on-site experience, Guo Liyan, Research Fellow at the Academy of Macroeconomic Research under the National Development and Reform Commission, commented that flexible production efficiently aligns supply with demand. While enabling personalized customization, it greatly improves the scale benefits of production lines.

As one of the world’s most advanced R&D and manufacturing bases for writing instruments, Deli’s pen plant boasts an annual output of 5 billion writing utensils. Large AI models are embedded across its industrial internet platform, intelligent inspection, logistics distribution and other full-process links, connecting the whole chain covering production instruction issuance, material distribution, process control and data feedback to deliver dual improvements in production efficiency and product quality. The company not only resolves the long-standing dilemma in traditional manufacturing between mass production capacity and customized production, but also fills multiple domestic technical gaps in the writing tool industry amid China’s transformation from conventional manufacturing to integrated intelligent and personalized production. It has set a benchmark for intelligent upgrading and high-quality development across the sector.

Efficient Operation of Deli’s Smart Logistics: AI Facilitates Smooth Economic Circulation

Deli’s smart logistics park also received key attention from CCTV. Centered on 5G and large AI models, it has built a three-tier smart warehousing system consisting of central warehouses, regional warehouses and urban warehouses, with a daily shipment volume exceeding 200,000 parcels and next-day delivery coverage nationwide, effectively supporting business operations in more than 140 countries and regions worldwide. Within the park, automated guided vehicles (AGVs), intelligent automated warehouses, automatic sorting systems and other equipment are centrally scheduled and coordinated via large AI models. The entire workflow from goods warehousing, storage and sorting to transportation is fully automated, intelligent and visual, significantly boosting warehousing and logistics efficiency and forming a smooth internal operational cycle for the enterprise.

Guo Liyan remarked that this case intuitively demonstrates how economic circulation works and serves as a vivid example of AI empowering economic cycles. Digital transformation at the corporate level streamlines micro-circulation, which in turn provides strong support for national macroeconomic circulation.

AI Empowers the Real Economy, Forging a New Model of “Intelligent Manufacturing in China”

As a global cultural and creative technology conglomerate, Deli has steadily advanced intelligent manufacturing and global expansion in recent years, gaining frequent exposure on national-level platforms. The enterprise has previously participated in the Achievements of Chinese Manufacturing Exhibition at the National Museum of China and appeared in CCTV.com’s Super Factory, comprehensively showcasing China’s strengths in independent R&D, precision manufacturing and AI-enabled smart production. In September 2025, Deli was designated a National Excellent Intelligent Factory, the only enterprise in its industry to receive this national-level accreditation, affirming its leading edge in intelligent manufacturing. In April this year, Deli’s Digital Intelligence Center was officially put into operation. Integrated with cloud computing, big data and other technologies, it delivers robust computing power to underpin the company’s global operations.

Against the backdrop of large AI models being rapidly integrated into the real economy, private Chinese enterprises represented by Deli are pushing China’s transformation from a major manufacturing country to a powerhouse of intelligent manufacturing through continuous digital and intelligent upgrading. Going forward, adhering to its corporate mission of “creating superior products to serve global users”, Deli will further deepen integrated innovation between AI and manufacturing, unleash new momentum for the real economy through intelligent manufacturing, and inject fresh vitality into the high-quality development of China’s manufacturing industry.

Dedaration: This article comes from Gasgoo. If there are any copyright issues, please contact us for removal.