Chinese auto manufacturers are expected to build smart plants in the near future, though they remain one generation behind the world's leading carmakers in deploying Industry 4.0 technology.

Domestic brands are evolving in step with the application of electronics and information technology in automated production processes, or Industry 3.0, while Chinese government bodies are investing in the necessary infrastructure to catch up with the trend of data transfer in manufacturing technologies, according to insiders at the Global Automotive Forum in Chongqing.