Enomoto Yukinori, general manager of Amada (Lianyungang) Machine Tool Co Ltd, said he’s ready to lead his team to seize new opportunities and meet new challenges in 2023 as this year marks the 20th anniversary of the company in the coastal city. 

Amada, a Japanese company specialized in metalworking machines and equipment, opened the plant to manufacture band saw blades in 2003 after considering the city’s advantage of combining sea and land transport. Over the years, Lianyungang has deepened reform and created a high-quality business environment that benefited the company’s progress. 

Enomoto Yukinori took the position in Lianyungang in 2019. In the same year, the Lianyungang area of the Jiangsu Pilot Free Trade Zone was founded, broadening the gateway to further opening-up. 

In addition to management, Yukinori also works as a senior technical designer for Amada. In helping introduce new technologies, equipment and techniques to China, he also feels amazed at China’s achievement in advancing a new type of industrialization. 

Enomoto Yukinori now lives in Lianyungang with his family

He said China’s emphasis on sci-tech innovation has helped improve the quality of "Made in China" products and also brought a change to the Lianyungang subsidiary, which has been using raw materials imported from Japan and its own technology in manufacturing. 

“Now we need to change our mindset. We are trying to have a better understanding of the Chinese market and considering the option of using raw materials made in China, so we can better control costs and delivery time. We will also enhance the quality to make products more popular with customers," he said. 

Amada completed the construction of its third plant in August, 2022 and then started operation two months later. The complex in Lianyungang has become the largest of the Japanese manufacturing and also integrated automation and IoT to facilitate digital transformation. 

Yukinori said Jiangsu is a major manufacturing and innovation province and has rich experiences in promoting intelligent and digital transformation in manufacturing. 

"As the new plant gets on the right track, we hope that government authorities will provide more policy guidance to our enterprises so we can work together for the better development of Jiangsu's manufacturing industry," he said. 

As China has introduced new COVID-19 response policy, international travels and face-to-face meeting between people from different countries will become easier. Yukinori hopes there will be more flights from Lianyungang to Japan to help improve connection. He also expects more people can benefit from opportunities as China and Jiangsu Province continue opening up. 

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