In 2015, when Chen Hongbo, vice president of Guangdong Jiateng Robot Automation Co., Ltd., visited the Hannover Messe in Germany for the first time, he felt a thrill.
"There are very few Chinese intelligent equipment companies at such a large-scale industry fair in the world." Chen Hongbo told Southern Finance All Media reporters, "At that time, I thought, why don't we go to the exhibition? There are no leading companies in the field of mobile robots. Why doesn't Jiateng try it out internationally?" Chen Hongbo and his team decided to participate in the Hannover Messe in 2016, and the exhibition received a response from the market that year.
This is a microcosm of the "going overseas" of Chinese robot companies. In recent years, Chinese robot companies have gradually entered the broader overseas market, showing themselves more and more confidently. Many robot brands such as DJI, Purdue, and Qinglang have attracted attention in the international market, and their innovative products have achieved international leadership.
In Guangdong, the intelligent robot industry cluster is included in the top ten strategic pillar industry clusters. In recent years, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area has accelerated the construction of a whole-process innovation ecological chain relying on basic research, technological innovation, and achievement transformation, providing fertile ground for the innovation and development of robots. More and more robot companies are moving from Guangdong to the world.
Experts interviewed believe that the best time for robot companies to "go overseas" is to deepen overseas channels, accelerate product improvement, and improve their own services. It is temporarily difficult for domestic industrial robots to open up new positions in the mid-to-high-end markets in Europe, America and other countries, but they can seize the opportunity of industrial transfer to Southeast Asian countries and give full play to their differentiated advantages. Domestic service robots have opened up the mid-to-high-end markets in Europe and the United States, and it is necessary to seize the subdivisions and start the brand.
"Going overseas" to participate in exhibitions and receive cross-border orders
In April this year, if all goes well, Jiateng will continue to exhibit in Hannover to promote Chinese robots at the world's largest industrial fair.
The purpose of participating in the exhibition is mainly to promote the brand and communicate with the industry. However, the initial process of Chinese robot companies participating in overseas exhibitions was not smooth.
"At that time, the exhibition party said that there were no vacancies. If you want to add a company, only one company can withdraw." Chen Hongbo recalled, "We spent a lot of effort to convince them. One reason is that the industry fair cannot be without the mobile robot section. , and there is no leader in this field in the world, why can't a Chinese company participate in the exhibition?"
Chen Hongbo recalled the details at that time, "We talked to them repeatedly about the accumulation of products, so that the world can learn more about Made in China. We even talked about Bruce Lee in Foshan, and talked about Chinese Kung Fu."
In the end, Jiateng won a precious booth in Hall 17, the largest industrial robot hall, and became the first Chinese mobile robot company in the exhibition hall at that time. A few months later, Jiateng's magnetic navigation and inertial navigation AGV (unmanned guided vehicle) products won the German Red Dot Design Award. Chen Hongbo sighed, "Get this award early, and it is estimated that it will be easy to progress."
For a long time, some small and medium-sized robot companies in China lacked the ability to develop overseas markets. After making products, it was often difficult to sell them abroad.
Ren Yutong, executive chairman of the Guangdong Robot Association, believes, "The overseas market is huge, but robotic companies must take an unconventional path when expanding overseas. The foreign robotics industry has been in the business for decades, and our independent research and development of products and technologies requires time to accumulate and breakthrough."
Chen Yonggang, Secretary-General of Dongguan Robot Industry Association, found that as Southeast Asian countries undertake the transfer of Chinese manufacturing industries, local demand for Chinese manufacturing supporting equipment has been driven. Multinational companies bring domestic robot orders to other factories in the world, which is the main source of overseas orders for many domestic industrial robot companies.
"For example, a domestic company has been helping Samsung with equipment. With the impact of the epidemic, multinational companies have made strategic shifts, transferring factories from China to Vietnam and other Southeast Asian countries. Therefore, this domestic robot company has sold more than 20 sets of equipment to Vietnam." Chen Yonggang introduced.
Another way of "going overseas" is through local distributors. Domestic robot companies need to find suitable agents and set up teams to connect with local businesses.
"For example, we set up some work points in Thailand, dispatched our own after-sales and engineering construction personnel, and cooperated with local dealers in the United States to train local employees and develop local markets." Chen Hongbo introduced.
For service robots, if the company wants to open overseas markets when it is small, it will open up resource channels through agents first.
Chen Yonggang introduced the case of Eado Technology. As a robot company focusing on electric outboard motor products, Eado Technology has participated in foreign professional exhibitions and sponsored yacht competitions to display products since its inception. With the continuous contact with relevant institutions, Yidong Technology has won many orders through foreign agents. As of March 2021, Yidong Technology's shipments of small ship electrification products have reached the second place in the world, with cooperation and agents in more than 40 countries around the world.
It's time for Guangdong robots to "go to sea"
Before 2015, my country's robot industry was in the stage of independent research and development, market prediction and advanced layout. At that time, there were only a handful of robot companies going overseas, and even the domestic robot industry system was not yet complete at that time.
In 2021, the "14th Five-Year" Robot Industry Development Plan proposed that by 2025, my country will become a source of global robotics innovation, a gathering place for high-end manufacturing and a new highland for integrated applications. Domestic robot companies are taking active actions to "go overseas", and some companies are running at the forefront of the world in subdivided tracks.
Ren Yutong believes that the prospect of domestic robot companies "going overseas" is very good, and it is now the best time to push Guangdong's robot industry overseas. my country's epidemic control is relatively good, and many foreign manufacturing companies have rigid needs for industrial robots and service robots.
Since 2021, the robot industry has ushered in a period of rapid development, and Guangdong's robot production has also ushered in a round of skyrocketing. From the perspective of the entire industrial cluster, Guangdong's robot industry is characterized by a relatively complete technology industry chain. In Guangdong, the key components of the robot are complete and can be fully localized.
"Our investigation found that, different from the past, foreign manufacturing companies are very urgent to apply robots, so the requirements for Chinese robot companies are not as strict as before. As long as they think they can, they can immediately place an order and start using the products. This will become Guangdong robots. The biggest benefit of the company's 'going overseas'." Ren Yutong said.
Robot companies want to "go overseas" to expand the market, how do they need to form a competitive advantage?
In Chen Yonggang's view, first of all, we must pay attention to the quality of our own products and meet the industrial standards of the other country. At the same time, it is necessary to understand local laws and prevent legal risks.
Chen Yonggang told Southern Finance and Economics all media reporters that in terms of industrial robots, it is still difficult for domestic robots to enter the European and American markets, especially the high-end equipment required by the European and American markets, and there is no way to replace them with domestic products.
In Chen Hongbo's view, enterprises must first have their own innovative products, with patents, brands, and product certifications, and at the same time, they must ensure services and help overseas factories to customize and solve problems. "At present, domestic manufacturing has the advantage of price and cost. It can win overseas markets with differentiated strategies. Products with high quality, low price and high cost performance will be welcomed."
In terms of service robots, domestic robot companies have entered the mid-to-high-end market in Europe and the United States in the segmented fields, and there will be more development space in the future. The high-quality innovation and entrepreneurship environment in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area empowers Guangdong robot companies to continue to innovate and seize opportunities in sub-sectors. Many high-quality service robot companies have gone from Guangdong to the world.
Ren Yutong believes that the success of "going overseas" has a lot to do with the product characteristics of robot companies. Before choosing a subdivision track, it is necessary to maximize the reliability requirements of the product.
Eado Technology is a technology innovation enterprise in Guangdong. Through the innovative product of electric outboard, Eado Technology has developed new applications. The product has reached the world's leading level in terms of performance and quality, and has successfully entered the European and American developed countries. mainstream market.
Starting from knocking on the doors of professional associations, Yidong Technology has gradually moved to more than 40 countries. Eado Technology specializes in the sub-sector of electric outboards. At present, the foreign and domestic markets account for 9:1. It is a relatively successful robot company in "going overseas".
The main research and development of EADO products are in Dongguan Songshan Lake Robot Industry Base, which has formed a complete robot industry chain. The Songshan Lake Robotics Industrial Base is a sample of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area to promote the construction of an innovative ecological chain in the whole process of basic research, technological innovation, and achievement transformation. Here, the combination of technological innovation and industrial innovation has resulted in the birth of many technological innovation enterprises like Eado Technology. According to the data of the Songshan Lake Management Committee, as of September 2021, the base has gathered more than 400 robotics companies, including 86 high-tech enterprises.
Food delivery robots are an important field for Chinese service robots to go global in recent years. A series of companies such as Purdue and Qinglang have entered the European, American, Japanese and Korean markets. Many companies in Guangdong have also successfully entered the international market.
According to Zhang Tao, founder and CEO of Purdue Technology, Purdue’s main overseas business is robot sales and localization services, which account for more than 70% of the overall business and grow by more than 5 times each year. Up to now, Purdue Technology has formed six major regional development layouts in overseas markets, including North America, Europe, East Asia, Asia Pacific, the Middle East, and Latin America. Purdue's robots are sold to more than 60 countries and regions around the world.
Among the service robots "going out to sea", commercial cleaning robots are the latecomers. Zhang Liang, chairman and CEO of Zhihui Technology, believes, "Overseas customers attach great importance to return on investment, product quality, stability, after-sales service and timely response. Compared with overseas local robot companies, we have passed the test of domestic complex environment and After polishing, it has a great advantage in terms of project cost, technology, and customization capabilities."
Serving the personalized needs of local enterprises
The robot industry is deeply embedded in production and life scenarios, and it has also witnessed the ups and downs of the industry under the changing times. The rise of warehouse logistics robots is a typical example.
The logistics industry is on the rise. With the rapid development of the logistics industry brought about by e-commerce, and the opportunity for the rapid promotion of contactless logistics, the market for warehousing and logistics robots has ushered in spring, and all walks of life are actively applying warehousing and logistics robots.
"With the large use of automated and intelligent methods in warehouse handling in the future, the demand for robots is huge. The ability of mobile robots to solve problems is here, and the market and value are here. Opportunities have come, and we must go global to expand the market. "Chen Hongbo said.
Human progress is accompanied by iterations of technology and tools. Chen Hongbo told reporters from Southern Finance and Economics that mobile robots are in line with the trends of Industry 4.0 and the digital transformation and upgrading of the manufacturing industry. In the future, companies should focus on making some things special, and use innovative methods to win the right to speak in the industry and improve their international competitiveness. .
At present, Jiateng's overseas business accounts for less than 10%. Affected by the epidemic, logistics and project services are temporarily unable to smoothly connect with foreign customers. However, if the impact of the epidemic gradually weakens, Chen Hongbo hopes to expand the proportion of overseas business to 50% in the future.
Zhang Liang said that the company's overseas robot revenue accounted for about 30%, with a rapid year-on-year increase. In 2022, the "going overseas" of domestic enterprises will enter a period of great explosion, and the process of globalization of the layout of Zhihui Technology will be further accelerated. In the future, the expansion of overseas markets will be the general direction of the company.
What problems should domestic robot companies pay attention to when going overseas?
In the process of supporting services and customization, industrial robot companies will encounter many problems. "The Argentine factory we previously cooperated with has requirements for the number of sensors and customization of the software system. The language needs to be changed to the local language, and the voltage and plug need to be adapted to local specifications. The other party also wants to change the boot sound effect from Chinese music to local music. "
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From local laws and regulations to voltages, plugs, and screens, Chinese robot companies "going overseas" need to work hard to serve the individual needs of local companies.
Develop a market point, which means that the company can gradually expand the local market from point to point. "First you have a seed, and then you have a base, and you will gradually become bigger and bigger, and people will recognize you. The overseas expansion of any industry is this process." Chen Hongbo sighed.
"After Chinese robot companies enter overseas markets, if they want to gain a firm foothold in overseas markets, in-depth localization is the key to building brand power." Zhang Tao believes.
Ren Yutong said that entering the overseas market requires careful research and judgment in the early stage. In the field of service and logistics robots, it is necessary to target areas with a low degree of commercialization of robots to lock in rigid demands.
"Only by deeply cultivating overseas channels can we fully meet the new needs of overseas customers, accelerate product improvement, provide immediate feedback, and quickly improve our services. Robot products must eventually return to the issue of improving customer efficiency. Only when our products are mature, Only by solving customer problems can we have a way to gain sufficient overseas market share and solve the problem of going overseas." Ren Yutong said.
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