On the morning of April 8, 2024, during the opening ceremony of the 13th China CNC Machine Tool Fair (CCMT 2024), the Shanghai Industrial  Machine Tool Innovation Research Institute, led by Shanghai Jiao Tong University, was officially launched. Concurrently, a project workshop titled "Strategic Research on Intelligent Machine Tools and Manufacturing Systems Development towards 2040," jointly funded by the Chinese Academy of Engineering and the National Natural Science Foundation of China, was held. The event was attended by notable figures including Lin Zhongqin, Chairman of the Chinese Mechanical Engineering Society and academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering; Miao Changxing, Senior Inspector of the Equipment Industry Department of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology; Tang Wenkan, Deputy Director of the Shanghai Economic and Information Committee; along with leaders from the Chinese Academy of Engineering, the Equipment Industry Department of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Shanghai Economic and Information Committee, and Shanghai Jiao Tong University. The meeting was chaired by Xi Lifeng, member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee and Executive Vice President of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and Director of the Shanghai Industrial Machine Tool Research Institute.

Under the overall guidance of the Shanghai Economic and Information Committee, Shanghai Jiao Tong University has led the establishment of the Shanghai Industrial  Machine Tool Innovation Research Institute. This initiative has brought together leading enterprises in Shanghai's industrial  machine  tool chain in key sectors such as aviation, aerospace, aero-engines, automobiles, ships, and electrical industries. The institute aims to focus on exploring common technical foundations in the "0 to 1" phase of industrial  machines tool, integrating industry and education to develop disruptive technologies for future industrial  machine tool applications. It seeks to provide a source of innovation, a foundation of talent, and a bridge for cooperation to promote the high-quality development of intelligent manufacturing of high-end equipment in China. The Expert Committee of the Shanghai Industrial Machine Tool Innovation Research Institute is chaired by Academician Lin Zhongqin, with Vice Chairman Ningde Times Chief Manufacturing Officer and Dean of Pu Yuan Future Technology School at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Ni Jun. Leveraging Shanghai's advantages in gathering high-end talents, advanced application scenarios, and complete industrial chains in the Yangtze River Delta, the institute aims to foster and cultivate new productive forces.

During the workshop funded by the Chinese Academy of Engineering and the National Natural Science Foundation of China, representatives from over 20 national institutions, including Shanghai Aircraft Manufacturing Factory, Aerospace Eighth Institute, China Machinery Industry Federation, Beijing Institute of Machine Tool Technology, China General Technology Group Machine Tool Engineering Research Institute, Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Jilin University, Chongqing University, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Shanghai Machine Tool Works, Qinchuan Machine Tool, Jiaoda Zhibang, Topu CNC, and Linding Optics, participated. They engaged in lively discussions on topics such as the technical connotations, development trends, international benchmarks, and the development paradigm and implementation path of intelligent machine tools and manufacturing systems in China.

Following the unveiling ceremony, some attending leaders and experts, including Zhou Ji, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and director of the National Manufacturing Strong Nation Construction Strategic Consultation Committee, and Lin Zhongqin, academician and chairman of the Chinese Mechanical Engineering Society, conducted visits and research at the 13th China CNC Machine Tool Exhibition (CCMT 2024). They focused on exploring leading domestic universities and enterprises in the high-end CNC equipment field, such as Jiaoda Zhibang, Huazhong CNC, and Topu CNC.