Sanqin News (Reporters: Dong Yi, Wang Baocun) - Outside the factory buildings, finished titanium products await inspection, packing, and shipment in batches; inside, skilled workers wield welding torches, sparks flying as they work. "This product shaped like a megaphone is made of titanium and destined for Indonesia," said Kou Xiaofei, the assistant general manager of Baoji Liuwei Special Material Equipment Manufacturing Co., Ltd., pointing to a giant titanium item undergoing welding on September 20. It is a component for a direct-contact water cooler ordered by a foreign client and must be completed by November for delivery.
In Baoji, enterprises involved in the titanium industry, such as Baoji Liuwei Special Material Equipment Manufacturing Co., Ltd., are abundant. On September 20, as the reporter traveled south along Baoti Road in Baoji High-tech Zone, most of the shops along the street sported "titanium" signs, selling various titanium alloy materials within. Known as China's Titanium Valley, Baoji boasts over 600 titanium enterprises.
According to statistics, in 2023, Baoji's titanium material production and processing volume reached nearly 70,000 tons, accounting for approximately 65% of China's total output and 33% of the global output, positioning Baoji's titanium industry as the world's largest.
Notably, Baoji is not a producer of raw titanium materials but specializes in the midstream titanium material processing and manufacturing. The rapid development of Baoji's titanium industry owes much to the establishment and leadership of Baoji Titanium Industry Co., Ltd. (BTi). During the "Third Front" construction period, a series of "national heavyweights" were deployed in Baoji, including BTi. At that time, researchers, engineers, and technicians from across the country took root in Baoji, fostering the productivity and industrial foundation of the titanium industry, thereby initiating Baoji's titanium industry development journey. Building upon the industrial foundation and appeal of this leading enterprise, a large number of small and medium-sized titanium enterprises have gathered around BTi.
"Apart from the driving force of BTi as a leading enterprise, the robust growth of Baoji's titanium industry is also closely tied to strong policy support," Kou Xiaofei shared. In 2023, Baoji formulated and promulgated the "Three-Year Action Plan for Upgrading the Titanium and New Material Industry Chain in Baoji (2023-2025)" and the "1+5+N" series of policies supporting the high-quality development of the manufacturing industry in Baoji, comprehensively enhancing the advanced nature of the titanium industry's foundation and the modernization of its industrial chain. Simultaneously, by forming a task force comprising the government, leading enterprises, industry associations, and experts, and establishing mechanisms such as leadership oversight and service specialists, the city has effectively addressed the practical difficulties faced by enterprises, fostering a favorable policy environment for the development of the titanium industry. "Our new factory, spanning 28 mu (approximately 1.86 hectares), is nearing completion and is expected to commence operations in 2025," Kou Xiaofei added. Thanks to Baoji's complete titanium industrial chain and robust policy support from the government, the company's titanium material deep processing scale has continued to expand, propelling the enterprise onto a fast track of rapid development.
Driven by the anchor enterprise BTi, today, the 300+ varieties and 5,000+ specifications of titanium products produced by over 600 processing and trading enterprises in Baoji are widely used in aerospace, aviation, maritime, new energy, chemicals, medical health, and other fields, exported to more than 70 countries and regions. Currently, Baoji's titanium and new material industrial cluster has been included in the National Strategic Emerging Industry Cluster Development Project and selected as a national specialty cluster of small and medium-sized enterprises.
