A cultural exchange event between Ningbo, China, and Colombo, Sri Lanka, on July 4, 2026, underscored how the ancient port city of Ningbo is reinventing its trade legacy through smart manufacturing. The event, titled Encounter & Insight: Dialogue Between Ningbo, China and Colombo, Sri Lanka, focused on integrated port-city development and economic connectivity, reflecting a shift from traditional commodities to high-tech exports.
Historically, Ningbo's Mingzhou Port exported Yue Kiln celadon porcelain and silk across the Indian Ocean. Today, giant cargo ships carry intelligent equipment, digital home appliances, and industrial robots. Official data shows Ningbo's exports of intelligent equipment, including mechanical arms and industrial robots, reached 440 million yuan in 2025, a year-on-year increase of over 40%. From January to May 2026, exports of mechanical and electrical products grew 4.1% to 247 billion yuan, accounting for 58.0% of total exports. New energy products surged 138.4%, with electric vehicle exports skyrocketing 215.9%.
An exhibition alongside the Colombo forum showcased Ningbo's smart manufactured goods, such as AI translation glasses, intelligent outdoor gear, and digital small home appliances. In Sri Lanka, Ningbo smart water meters are widely used, and handheld cooling fans and intelligent kitchen appliances have entered households. Leveraging Colombo Port's transshipment advantages, these goods reach Europe, the Middle East, and beyond, representing complete outbound solutions integrating technology, brand value, and after-sales services.
Ningbo's manufacturing sector has abandoned low-cost OEM production through digital transformation. Over a decade, all industrial enterprises above designated size have undergone digital upgrades, with many factories building unmanned black-light workshops and flexible production lines. Five specialized enterprises—Ningbo's "Five Little Tigers"—have developed proprietary technologies in visual inspection, heat-resistant materials, sun-proof coatings, puncture-proof materials, and self-drilling fasteners, cementing irreplaceable global competitiveness.
To support its global expansion, Ningbo launched Sri Lanka's first "One-Meter Cultural Space" cultural station during the event. These miniature exhibition halls, integrated into overseas outlets, combine intangible cultural heritage, urban stories, and smart products, allowing clients to experience manufacturing alongside cultural heritage. Entrepreneurs and local designers shared stories of bilateral exchanges, showing how trade fosters people-to-people bonds.
From Tang-dynasty celadon to intelligent equipment, Ningbo's trade core has undergone a full intelligent upgrade. The Ningbo-Colombo dialogue exemplifies this transformation: the port still links lands and seas, but its trade now relies on smart manufacturing. By consolidating digital infrastructure, expanding via global port networks, and softening trade through cultural exchanges, Ningbo offers a replicable model for Chinese manufacturing to go global.
