"Artificial Intelligence + Manufacturing" is the only way to transform and upgrade China’s manufacturing industry. The organic combination of policy chain, R&D chain and production chain can create technical, functional and value advantages for the development of intelligent manufacturing. It is particularly necessary to explore its driving effect on the innovation and development of intelligent manufacturing from the perspective of internal interaction. It is found that the three chains have the basic characteristics of “adhering to the center in decentralization, maintaining coordination in independent operation, and maintaining the boundary in fuzzy boundary” in the coexistence relationship. The three chains are intertwined and embedded with each other, which has a profound impact on the innovation performance of intelligent manufacturing. Therefore, we suggest enhancing the coordination of the policy chain to promote the appropriate impact on the R&D chain and the production chain; improving the creativity of the R&D chain to strengthen the interaction function of the policy chain and the production chain; and improving the integration of the production chain to strengthen the adjustment of the policy chain and the R&D chain. It is of great value for the building of a manufacturing power in the new era to promote the efficient allocation of factors through the “three-chain” coordination.