A land of fish and rice, a gathering of humanities. Wuxi, as an important birthplace of the Jiangnan civilization and the Southern Jiangsu model, gathers technological and innovative resources in the Yangtze River Delta, forming landmark industrial clusters such as the Internet of Things, integrated circuits, and biomedicine, attracting many well-known companies to take root here.
Recently, Schneider Electric’s China Automation R&D Center officially opened in Wuxi, becoming the fifth largest R&D center established by Schneider Electric in China after Shanghai, Shenzhen, Xi’an, and Beijing, further strengthening its industrial layout in China, and strengthening its own business. Steady development At the same time, it provides a new powerful engine for the innovation and development of China and the world.
Gather next-generation automation product development
It is understood that Schneider Electric Wuxi R&D Center will focus on the development of next-generation core industrial automation products, establish an innovation system integrating software and hardware, and inject more businesses including energy management automation in the future. Among them, the new generation of Lexium 18 series servo, which is designed and developed locally by the Industrial Automation China Center, will also be mass-produced at the Wuxi base.
Hu Xiao, senior vice president of Schneider Electric and head of the Industrial Automation China R&D Center, said that the Wuxi R&D Center takes on a new role of “local demand, local innovation, local R&D, and global empowerment” and will share platforms and resources with global R&D centers. Create products and solutions with international quality at the speed of China, and continue to create an industrial ecology integrating research, production, supply, sales and service.
Why choose Wuxi? Hu Xiao explained that Wuxi has a solid industrial foundation, a complete industrial chain, a superior business environment and ample talent pool. In recent years, Wuxi’s emphasis on innovation-driven industrial transformation and upgrading has provided fertile ground for the development of local enterprises, which is highly consistent with Schneider Electric’s strategic direction in industrial automation business.
Hu Xiao also pointed out that Wuxi Base, as the first and most important electronic manufacturing center of Schneider Electric in China, has always been in a leading position in the process of lean manufacturing and digital transformation. Wuxi Automation R&D Center will cooperate with Wuxi “end-to-end “Lighthouse Factory” realizes in-depth integration of production and research, takes the factory as the best experimental field for R&D centers, creates a fast track from the laboratory to the production workshop, and shortens the distance between innovation and marketization.
In addition, the R&D center will also work with the Shanghai R&D center to “double-engine synergy drive” to further strengthen the resilience of Schneider Electric’s industrial chain and supply chain in the field of automation.
At present, nearly 40 R&D engineers have been stationed in the first batch of Wuxi R&D Center, and the number may reach 100 by the end of the year. With the injection of energy management automation business, more human resources will be deployed in the future. The R&D center is also building a world-leading testing laboratory, covering an area of 900 square meters, which will be officially put into use in June this year, providing solid professional facilities, comprehensive capabilities and talent support for innovation.
Continue to cultivate and strengthen the “China Center” strategy
Thanks to China’s superior market environment and vigorous industrial vitality, Schneider Electric continues to increase investment in China, unswervingly deepens the Chinese market, and accelerates the digital and green transformation of China’s manufacturing industry.
Behind the dual transformation, Schneider Electric’s unique “China Center” strategy is inseparable. Since being rooted in China for 36 years, Schneider Electric has continuously strengthened its local capabilities, concentrated its advantages in talents, R&D, industrial chain, sales, service, and partners, and created an agile mechanism for the integration of R&D, production and sales, so as to better meet and satisfy China’s industrial upgrading needs.
Especially in terms of R&D, China is already one of Schneider Electric’s four global R&D bases and an indispensable source of innovation. Chinese wisdom is constantly going global.
The five R&D centers in China will be responsible for the research and development of different products and business markets according to the differences in the production bases, industrial facilities and local needs. At the same time, under the “multi-center” strategic layout, China’s R&D center cooperates with other R&D centers around the world on an equal basis. China’s R&D center can get closer to the Chinese market faster and better, and on the basis of meeting the needs of local users, while exporting to the global market. China’s first and China’s original research and development achievements have truly realized the development vision of “in China for China, in China for the benefit of the world”.
The demand of the Chinese market will become more and more advanced and diversified. Hu Xiao said that in the future, Schneider Electric will continue to focus on the direction of digitalization and green development, make full use of China’s industrial advantages, innovation momentum and talent advantages, continue to lead the industry’s digitalization and low-carbon transformation with excellent technology, and ultimately drive the industry towards sustainability The road to help China accelerate towards a green future.
