FOCUS BUSINESS NEWS
News from EPIC By Carlos Lee, director general, EPIC
EPIC Delegation to China
O
n 19-20 May, EPIC organised a delegation for its members to Shenzhen, China. The purpose was to connect European executives with Chinese partners and customers. A conference was organised jointly with GDLIA (Guangdong Laser Industry Association) and several networking opportunities, including dinners, golf, company visits, and private meetings were arranged. It was also an opportunity for me to meet with numerous CEOs of photonics companies, and what surprised me most was that these company leaders didn’t start their company from a technology – as is often the case in Europe – but because of a business opportunity. My impression is that young, dynamic, business-minded, and motivated entrepreneurs are running the photonics industry in China.
EPIC members were welcomed at the EU-Asia Laser Industry Summit in great style!
The reason for a delegation to Asia is obvious, given the importance of the market, and the EPIC delegation was composed of companies along the entire laser value chain. China’s industrial laser-enabled processing market is roughly divided in 40 per cent marking, 30 per cent cutting, 15 per cent welding/cladding, and
‘ China realises that quality needs to improve continuously, costs need to decrease, and that R&D plays a critical role’
15 per cent other. China sees the fibre laser as a game-changer, and there are now about 20 fibre laser companies in this market – some of which are growing very fast. I was privileged to have a tour to local fibre laser manufacturer Maxphotonics, to see their factory and meet with their management team. It is important for EPIC to establish a strong partnership with GDLIA because Shenzhen is a major hub for industrial laser applications. The geographical distribution of the laser industry in China is 35 per cent South China: Guangdong Province
(Shenzhen, Dongguan, Guangzhou), 30 per cent Middle China: Hubei Province (Wuhan), 20 per cent East China: Shanghai, Jiangsu Province (Suzhou, Wuxi, Nanjing), Zhejiang Province (Wenzhou, Hangzhou), 10 per cent North China:
Beijing, Anshan, Cangzhou, and five per cent other.
China realises that quality needs to improve continuously, costs need to decrease, and that R&D plays a critical role. Therefore, it was also interesting to meet representatives of the Tsinghua University and the Beijing University of Technology. Chinese laser equipment integrators recognise the skills and competences of European companies, and this is why they regularly ask EPIC to be introduced to companies that can provide laser sources, mirrors, scanners, laser heads, and so on – and they usually have a very specific shopping list. In June 2015, we organised a delegation of Chinese buyers to meet with EPIC members; this time we arranged for a delegation of EPIC companies to go to China, and I am now working on several follow-up actions both in Europe and Asia. l
EPIC
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