By Jin Yuhan

Amid a shifting and increasingly complex global landscape, several Ningbo-based enterprises are stepping up to the challenge. By embracing technological innovation and upgrading to intelligent manufacturing, they are driving forward industrial transformation, reflected in a wave of new orders and expanded market presence.

The Brand-Building Journey of a Tuna Company

For decades, Ningbo Today Food Co., Ltd. made its mark abroad as China's first canned tuna producer. But when the company turned its focus to the domestic market in 2020, it faced an unfamiliar challenge: building a brand from the ground up for a product few Chinese consumers regularly buy.

On a summer afternoon at Today Food's production facility in Xikou, Fenghua, the assembly line hums with activity. Hundreds of workers efficiently process whole tunas into boneless fillets, then flash-freeze and package the fish. Each year, the company ships 100,000 tons of tuna worldwide.

"We're currently fulfilling an order for Yonghui Superstores," said Chen Shengnan, the company's deputy general manager. As China's first canned tuna producer, Today Food had long focused on European and American markets. However, in 2020, the company pivoted to the domestic market, aiming to tap into the rising demand for seafood by marketing its offerings under its own brand.

The transition was not without setbacks. With limited brand awareness and low consumer familiarity, the company struggled to gain traction in the domestic market, and early sales figures fell short of expectations. In China, tuna is not widely consumed, and canned products remain less popular than fresh foods. To address these challenges, Today Food adopted a new sales strategy.

The company partnered with a Hangzhou-based operations team to establish a joint venture. The partner team took responsibility for front-end operations including sales, packaging design, and consumer targeting, while Today Food remained focused on R&D and production. The collaboration helped stabilize the business, though overall growth remained modest.

A breakthrough came when the company decided to prioritize direct-to-consumer retail over traditional wholesale channels. On April 7, when Yonghui Superstores issued an open call for high-quality suppliers, Today Food responded immediately.

"Talks moved swiftly. With Yonghui's green light, we shipped goods by April 17," Chen recalled.

Simultaneously, Today Food reworked its product lineup to meet Yonghui's specifications, introducing smaller tuna cans in more flavors. Within just 10 days, the revamped products hit the shelves in Yonghui stores across Beijing, Fujian, and other locations.

Today, the company's online sales in China have surged by nearly 20 million yuan, with offline revenue rising by a similar amount. Today Food forecasts its domestic market share will reach 30%.

"Building our own brand has been tough, but it's necessary," Chen said. "Our brand gives us market influence, which is our competitive edge. We've invested tens of millions in R&D and sales over the past two years, and it's starting to pay off."

Through strategic partnerships, rapid adaptation, and innovative product offerings, Ningbo Today Food is redefining the future of tuna in China.

From Machines to Solutions

In July, at the Baiqida Intelligent Technology （Ningbo） Co., Ltd. facility, workers disassembled, packed, and wrapped several large machines in protective film.

"This is a 30-million-yuan order for a leading magnetic materials manufacturer in northern China," said Wang Hanquan, chairman of Baiqida.

Specializing in the R&D and production of magnetic material processing equipment, Baiqida already supplies most of the magnetic material producers in Ningbo. But this order represented a new challenge.

In late spring 2024, Wang received a call from the client in norther China. Rather than purchasing individual machines, the company was seeking a fully automated, intelligent production line.

"They weren't just looking for equipment—they wanted a blueprint for a 'factory of the future'," Wang said. In addition to smart machinery, the client demanded integrated planning for utility layouts, logistics, data flows, and system interfaces—all in line with national policies promoting green and intelligent manufacturing.

While Baiqida had years of experience in building standalone automated machines, managing the coordinated operation of a fully integrated system was unfamiliar territory.

"This pushed us to evolve—from an equipment manufacturer into a provider of end-to-end intelligent solutions," Wang said. Delivering on this vision required optimizing the client's entire magnetic materials production chain, an ambitious goal rarely attempted in the industry.

Processes that once required manual input now had to be fully automated. But with roughly 70% of potential operating scenarios too complex to simulate digitally, the team had to rely on intensive brainstorming and repeated physical testing.

Wang left nothing to chance.

To ensure consistent machine performance, he personally selected raw material suppliers that could guarantee purity and uniformity.

During development, Baiqida's top R&D team held weekly sessions with the client to refine design details, ultimately producing more than a dozen iterations.

To strengthen the firm's software capabilities, Wang brought in outside experts. The team integrated AI-powered learning into the control systems, designed custom software platforms in-house, and standardized data interfaces to ensure compatibility across all components.

By late May, Baiqida delivered a fully tailored solution that met the client's requirements. The signed contract signaled the start of large-scale production and shipment.

"This project marks a turning point for us," Wang said. "It has positioned us as a full-solution provider and opened the door to a wider client base." He expects the company's output value to rise significantly in the months ahead.