A national forum focusing on the high-quality development of the machine tool industry is held in Wenling, a county-level city in Taizhou, East China's Zhejiang province, from May 25 to 26. [Photo/taizhou.com.cn]

A national forum focusing on the high-quality development of the machine tool industry was held in Wenling, a county-level city in Taizhou, East China's Zhejiang province, from May 25 to 26.

The forum, which is in its third year, saw more than 400 experts from across China explore topics related to the integration of the machine tool industry and its green and smart transformation.

As the host venue for the meeting, Wenling has become a national hub for the R&D, manufacturing, and sales of machine tools over the past 40-plus years.

Wenling is currently home to over 1,200 machine tool companies that can generate an annual output value of more than 30 billion yuan ($4.25 billion), official statistics show.

Two machine tool products produced by Wenling occupy the largest share in their respective domestic niche markets, and five products developed by the city are helping to fill domestic shortages.

In January, a provincial technological innovation center for high-grade CNC machine tools was established in Wenling. The center, the first of its kind in Taizhou, is expected to shore up the city's innovative strength.