SHENYANG, Jan. 23 (Xinhua) -- Tire manufacturer Michelin's Shenyang plant, located in northeast China's Liaoning Province, has earned a place among the World Economic Forum's (WEF) latest list of 23 Lighthouses.

The new Lighthouses are leading companies and value chains that are rewiring operations using advanced technologies, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), to strengthen competitiveness, resilience and sustainability.

As Michelin's first factory in China and its largest, most advanced global base for high-end tire manufacturing, Michelin Shenyang Tire Co., Ltd. has consistently pursued technological innovation and management upgrades since its establishment in 1995.

By systematically applying digital technologies such as AI, machine vision and big data across the entire tire manufacturing process, Michelin's Shenyang plant has become the only passenger vehicle tire manufacturer in China to be recognized as a global Lighthouse.

Driven by the rising new energy vehicle (NEV) market and its need for customized tires, the Shenyang plant saw its NEV tire portfolio grow by 340 percent to over 250 SKUs (stock keeping units).

Currently, nearly 40 percent of the WEF's global Lighthouse factories are located in China. These factories are leading the world in applying Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies to enhance productivity and improve sustainability. ■