Wenzhou Valve Industry Advances with New Materials Research

As a crucial valve manufacturing base in China, Wenzhou boasts a robust industrial foundation and complete supply chains. However, with evolving global economic dynamics and accelerating technological progress, the local valve industry faces multiple challenges:

• Dependence on imported high-end sealing materials: While high-performance sealing materials are critical valve components, domestic technological capabilities in this field remain underdeveloped, with high-end products primarily imported, limiting autonomous industry growth.
• Need for smarter manufacturing: Although intelligent manufacturing is key to improving product quality and production efficiency, Wenzhou's valve enterprises are still in the early stages of digital transformation, lagging behind international standards.
• Growing environmental requirements: With increasing environmental awareness, green production has become essential for the valve industry. However, many companies lack sufficient investment in eco-friendly technologies and equipment to meet stricter regulations.
• Shortage of specialized talent: The industry's transformation requires highly skilled professionals, but most Wenzhou valve manufacturers currently face significant talent gaps that hinder innovation.

As a key player in regional industrial upgrading, the Institute has made empowering traditional manufacturers its mission. For Wenzhou's distinctive valve sector, it has established a comprehensive support system focused on enterprise needs, academic-industry exchange, project applications, and platform development—covering R&D, commercialization, talent cultivation, and corporate services to propel this traditional sector toward higher value-added production.

The Institute has effectively integrated technical resources through market-oriented mechanisms, collaborating with the Wenzhou Bay New Area Fluorine Materials Technology Innovation Alliance to implement a collaborative "enterprise-question-institute-solution-government-support" model. It has established deep partnerships with 160 companies including Youfumi Valve Group and Yonglian Valve Group.

Through expert teams conducting regular two-way exchanges—both visiting enterprises and hosting companies at the Institute—it precisely diagnoses common challenges like technological barriers, talent shortages, and environmental requirements while systematically identifying industry-wide technical issues to develop practical solutions.

After thorough industry research, the Institute has created a customized "order-based" service model to drive breakthroughs in critical areas like high-end sealing and smart control systems. Fifteen "Technology Vice Presidents" have been deployed to frontline positions at companies including Youfumi Valve Group to conduct technical research and talent cultivation, effectively connecting enterprises with academic resources and strengthening their competitive advantages.

To deepen industry-academia collaboration, the Institute has established multi-level partnerships with Wenzhou manufacturers to create joint innovation platforms such as R&D centers and pilot production bases. These platforms focus on solving industry-wide challenges like improving seal material corrosion resistance and reliability under extreme conditions, accelerating domestic substitution for high-performance specialty valves and fluorinated functional materials while continuously delivering new technologies, processes, and testing services.

In standardization efforts, the Institute has partnered with companies like Xiangsong Valve to develop industry standards such as "Melt-Processable Ethylene-Tetrafluoroethylene Copolymer for Chemical Linings," addressing previous issues of inconsistent product quality and market disorder. Ongoing standards development for industrial valve components helps manufacturers establish stricter quality control systems and enhance product credibility.

Focusing on pain points in materials, processes, and equipment, the Institute has led multiple technical and talent projects with key manufacturers using a collaborative "enterprise-identified problem/joint solution/market validation" approach. With five valve-related patents secured, innovations in advanced materials and processes have resolved challenges in production, packaging, and waste recovery—significantly improving product performance, material stability, and recycling rates while enabling development of high-reliability, long-lifecycle valves.

In 2024, Wenzhou established an intermediate professional title evaluation committee for new materials and energy. The Institute partnered with the Wenzhou Chemistry and Materials Society to create customized "one-enterprise-one-solution" services that precisely address manufacturers' talent needs. To date, it has organized five training sessions covering over 150 technical professionals from across Wenzhou, providing certification guidance to more than 130 individuals to stimulate innovation and build sustainable talent pipelines.

The Institute leverages its academic leadership to bridge industry and research, hosting events like the Wenzhou Fluorine Materials Application Technology Conference and Chemistry & Materials Development Summit. These gatherings feature experts discussing cutting-edge technologies and analyzing industry trends, helping companies identify breakthrough opportunities in areas like high-performance seals and smart control systems.

The Institute also presents awards recognizing achievements in advanced materials and sustainable processes, fostering regional innovation. Smaller-scale expert salons like "AI-Driven Innovation in Fluorinated Materials" facilitate deep dialogue between academics and industry leaders on applying artificial intelligence to materials R&D, accelerating practical technology adoption.

Moving forward, the Institute will continue integrating education, technology, and talent development to enhance overall innovation efficiency. By strengthening collaboration between universities, enterprises, professional societies, and industry alliances, it aims to channel more high-end talent and innovative resources directly into production, helping Wenzhou's valve industry advance toward higher-value products while contributing to broader regional industrial upgrading.

The Institute's work demonstrates how technological innovation can transform traditional manufacturing. Through its comprehensive empowerment framework and effective resource integration, it provides a replicable model for upgrading conventional industries nationwide.