Intelligent manufacturing has promoted technological innovation, improved production efficiency, and has a far-reaching impact on the green development of manufacturing industry. The panel data of 30 provinces in China from 2010 to 2021 was used to test the intermediary effect of green innovation in the process of intelligent manufacturing on green development, and to examine the spatial spillover effect of intelligent manufacturing on green development. The research results show that intelligent manufacturing level has a positive influence on green development. Green innovation plays an intermediary effect in the process of intelligent manufacturing influencing green development. The heterogeneity test shows that the intelligent manufacturing level in western China has a better effect on promoting green development, and intelligent manufacturing has a spatial spillover effect on promoting green development.