The 14th Five-Year Plan clearly outlines the development of the industrial internet, and the government work report has called for its development for four consecutive years. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology resolutely implements the decisions and deployments of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, and, together with relevant departments, issued the "Industrial Internet Innovation and Development Action Plan (2021-2023)," clarifying the development goals and key tasks for the industrial internet over the next three years. To better understand the situation of the industrial internet, the Industrial Internet Industry Alliance has organized the industry to systematically compile relevant content and launched a series of popular science Q&A columns on the industrial internet.
What does the Industrial Internet include?
The Industrial Internet encompasses networks, platforms, data, and security. It serves as the infrastructure for the digital, networked, and intelligent transformation of industry, as well as an application model for the deep integration of the Internet, big data, artificial intelligence, and the real economy. It is also a new business model and a new industry that will reshape enterprise forms, supply chains, and industrial chains.
The network architecture is fundamental. The Industrial Internet network architecture comprises three parts: network interconnection, data interoperability, and identifier resolution. Network interconnection enables data transmission between elements, including the enterprise external network and the enterprise internal network. Typical technologies include traditional industrial buses, industrial Ethernet, and innovative technologies such as Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN), deterministic networking, and 5G. The enterprise external network is built according to the industrial network requirements of high performance, high reliability, high flexibility, and high security, and is used to connect the enterprise's various branches, upstream and downstream enterprises, users, and products. The enterprise internal network is used to connect personnel, machines, materials, environment, and systems within the enterprise, mainly including information (IT) networks and control (OT) networks. Currently, the development of internal network technology exhibits three characteristics: IT and OT are converging, industrial fieldbus is evolving into industrial Ethernet, and industrial wireless technology is accelerating its development. Data interoperability, through standardized description and unified modeling of data, enables mutual understanding of information transmitted between elements. Data interoperability involves different levels such as data transmission and data semantic syntax. Typical data transmission technologies include Unified Architecture for Embedded Process Control (OPC UA), Message Queuing Telemetry Transmission (MQTT), and Data Distribution Service (DDS). Data semantic syntax mainly refers to information models, with typical technologies including semantic dictionaries, Automation Markup Language (Automation ML), and Instrument Markup Language (Instrument ML). The identifier resolution system enables the labeling, management, and location of elements. It consists of identifier coding, an identifier resolution system, and identifier data services. By assigning identifier codes to physical resources such as materials, machines, and products, and virtual resources such as processes, software, models, and data, it achieves logical location and information retrieval of physical entities and virtual objects, supporting data sharing across enterprises, regions, and industries. my country's identifier resolution system includes five national top-level nodes, international root nodes, secondary nodes, enterprise nodes, and recursive nodes. National top-level nodes are key hubs in my country's industrial internet identifier resolution system; international root nodes are key nodes for cross-border resolution in various international resolution systems; secondary nodes provide public services for identifier resolution to specific or multiple industries; and recursive nodes are public service nodes that improve overall service performance and accelerate resolution speed through caching and other technologies. Identifier resolution applications can be categorized into static identifier applications and active identifier applications based on the carrier type. Static identifier applications use carriers such as barcodes, QR codes, RFID, and NFC, requiring a barcode scanner, mobile app, or other reading/writing terminal to trigger the identifier resolution process. Active identifiers embed identifiers in chips, communication modules, and terminals, proactively sending resolution requests to the resolution node via the network.
The platform system is the central hub. The Industrial Internet platform system comprises four layers: edge layer, IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS. It is essentially the "operating system" of the Industrial Internet, with four main functions: First, data aggregation. Multi-source, heterogeneous, and massive amounts of data collected at the network layer are transmitted to the Industrial Internet platform, providing a foundation for in-depth analysis and application. Second, modeling and analysis. It provides algorithmic models for big data and artificial intelligence analysis, as well as various simulation tools in physics, chemistry, and other fields. Combined with technologies such as digital twins and industrial intelligence, it mines and analyzes massive amounts of data to achieve data-driven scientific decision-making and intelligent applications. Third, knowledge reuse. It transforms industrial experience and knowledge into model libraries and knowledge bases on the platform, and facilitates secondary development and repeated use through industrial microservice components, accelerating the accumulation and popularization of common capabilities. Fourth, application innovation. It provides various industrial apps and cloud software for scenarios such as R&D design, equipment management, enterprise operation, and resource scheduling, helping enterprises improve quality and efficiency.
Data systems are essential. Industrial Internet data has three characteristics. First, its importance. Data is the foundation for digitalization, networking, and intelligence. Without data collection, circulation, aggregation, computation, and analysis, various new models are like water without a source, and digital transformation becomes a tree without roots. Second, its professionalism. The value of industrial Internet data lies in its analysis and utilization, which must rely on industry knowledge and industrial mechanisms. Manufacturing industries are diverse and multifaceted; each model and algorithm requires long-term accumulation and a professional team. Only through meticulous work can the value of data be realized. Third, its complexity. The data used in the industrial Internet comes from all aspects of "R&D, production, supply, sales, and service," all elements of "human, machine, material, method, and environment," and various systems such as ERP, MES, and PLC. Its dimensions and complexity far exceed those of the consumer Internet, facing challenges such as difficult collection, diverse formats, and complex analysis.
A robust security system is essential for ensuring the healthy and orderly development of the Industrial Internet. The Industrial Internet security system encompasses various aspects of cybersecurity, including equipment, control systems, networks, platforms, industrial apps, and data. Its core task is to ensure the healthy and orderly development of the Industrial Internet through monitoring and early warning, emergency response, testing and evaluation, and functional testing. Compared to traditional internet security, Industrial Internet security has three main characteristics: First, it has a wide scope. The Industrial Internet disrupts the relatively closed and trustworthy environment of traditional industry, allowing cyberattacks to directly reach the production line. The explosive growth of connected devices and the widespread application of Industrial Internet platforms have continuously expanded the attack surface. Second, it has a significant impact. The Industrial Internet covers real economy sectors such as manufacturing and energy; once a cyberattack or destructive act occurs, the security incident will have a severe impact. Third, enterprises have weak protection foundations. Currently, the security awareness and protection capabilities of many industrial enterprises in my country remain weak, and their overall security assurance capabilities need further improvement.
Compared to the consumer internet, the industrial internet differs fundamentally in several ways. First, the objects of connection differ. The consumer internet primarily connects people, with relatively simple scenarios. The industrial internet connects people, machines, things, systems, and the entire industrial and value chains, with a far greater number of connections and more complex scenarios. Second, the technical requirements differ. The industrial internet directly involves industrial production, demanding higher reliability, stronger security, and lower latency in its transmission networks. Third, the user attributes differ. The consumer internet targets the general public, with strong common user needs but relatively low levels of specialization. The industrial internet targets a wide range of industries and must be closely integrated with the technologies, knowledge, experience, and pain points of each industry and field. These characteristics determine that the industrial internet is more diverse, specialized, and complex, and that its development is not a quick process but requires sustained effort and long-term commitment.
