<p>As the new type of production method, intelligent manufacturing (IM) has become an effective way to enhance enterprises’ sustainability. Based on the IM pilot projects, this study employs the panel data of China’s A-share listed&#xa0;manufacturing companies from 2012 to 2022 as research sample by the time-varying difference-in-differences model to investigate the impact of IM on corporate sustainable ability. We find that IM can effectively enhance corporate sustainable ability which is further validated by a series of rigorous examinations. The mechanism results suggest that promoting digital transformation and green innovation serves as potential pathway in bridging the nexus between IM and corporate sustainable ability. The heterogeneity analysis highlights that IM makes a significant positive contribution to corporate sustainability for firms with higher levels of industry digitization and internal governance, and stronger regional environmental constraints. Further analysis reveals that sustainable ability driven by IM can also further improve the firms’ green total factor productivity. Drawing from these findings, we confirm that promoting IM in emerging countries is indispensable for enhancing corporate sustainable performance.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>