City in Jiangxi feathers its nest by embracing down jackets
Gongqingcheng upgrades technology to keep leading edge as apparel manufacturer
Government support
Gongqingcheng now has more than 500 down jacket enterprises, and the city's industrial chain is complete.
The city government's strong support has been a crucial factor behind the growth of the industry over the decades.
Mayor Liu Yangqing said that the government provides millions of yuan every year to support the down jacket industry. This includes tax incentives and allowances for new technology transformations. "The down jacket manufacturing industry is the leading industry and livelihood provider of Gongqingcheng city. This is because it has created a large number of employment opportunities," Liu said.
However, like Yaya, some outdated aspects of the industry need to undergo technological transformation, Liu said. Gongqingcheng's down jacket industry is restricted by old manufacturing equipment and outdated business models.
The municipal government has organized a group of enterprises to hold training sessions on technological transformation.
In April 2023, Yaya introduced an intelligent hanging system, which increased the efficiency of deliveries by 30 percent and reduced labor costs. With the support of a government subsidy of 2 million yuan, Uwuu's factory installed an intelligent hanging system last year, which will become operational this year.
In 2022, Gongqingcheng announced that it would subsidize the purchase of intelligent production equipment. A 20 percent subsidy is given for equipment costing below 10 million yuan, and a 15 percent subsidy for equipment exceeding 10 million yuan.