The innovative inspiration of global brands is growing from the daily lives of Chinese consumers.
Reporters saw on the first day of the opening of the 9th China International Import Expo: MUJI uses traditional Chinese plant dyeing techniques to make hemp clothing, IKEA integrates Chinese zodiac culture into home furnishings, and Crocs matches Shanghai Shikumen architecture with "crocs"... These new products from international brands all carry their own different Chinese imprints.
On November 5, the audience watched a robot tea ceremony performance at the China Pavilion of the National Exhibition of the 9th China International Import Expo. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Liu Ying
Chinese cultural elements and local raw materials are becoming sources of inspiration for international brands to develop new products. This is not simply adding Chinese elements, but more and more multinational companies are beginning to find innovative inspiration from the Chinese people's aesthetic preferences, lifestyles and consumption habits, and transform these local insights into new ideas for product design and innovation.
Inspiration from China is not just about product appearance, but also about the functions, technology and R&D concepts behind the products: As new demands continue to emerge in the Chinese market, and the pace of innovation of local Chinese technology companies continues to accelerate, multinational companies are looking here not just for consumers, but also for partners.
French beauty brand L'Oréal previously met with Chinese technological innovation companies at the China International Import Expo and jointly developed in-depth care devices for use in products sold in the Swiss, French and Australian markets. In recent years, this company has cooperated with Chinese companies to develop recombinant collagen technology and established joint laboratories with Chinese medical institutions to further closely connect corporate research and development with local resources.
From an encounter at the CIIE booth, to technology co-creation, and then to application in overseas markets...the achievements originating from China's innovation ecosystem are reaching the world with the help of the R&D, brand and channel networks of multinational companies. The CIIE is no longer just a stage for displaying new products.
On November 5, people visited the French Pavilion at the National Exhibition of the International Import Expo. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Xing Guangli
Changes are also extending to deeper industrial links.
Medtronic's R&D center in China has developed nearly 80 products, of which nearly 70 have been successfully launched and more than 40 have been sold overseas. The orthopedic surgery navigation and positioning system, the world's first at the 9th China International Import Expo, was independently developed by Medtronic's China team and co-created in depth with Chinese orthopedic experts. In Changzhou, Jiangsu, the electric staplers manufactured at the Medtronic Kandi production base have achieved comprehensive localization from research and development, design to production, and are sold to many European countries to serve patients around the world.
China is no longer just an introducer and localized adopter of global technologies, but has also begun to participate in product research and development, and has even become the home of innovation.
Similarly, Siemens, which has participated in the CIIE for nine consecutive years, also connected with Chinese ecological partners at the exhibition and launched dozens of local innovative products, not only serving the Chinese market, but also gradually entering the markets of Southeast Asia, India, Europe, the Middle East and South America.
On November 5, at the German Kärcher booth in the technical equipment exhibition area of the 9th China International Import Expo, staff displayed cleaning tools live. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Xiang
In addition to R&D and innovation, reporters at the exhibition also felt that China's manufacturing capabilities are also further integrated into the production systems of multinational companies. At the CIIE, Bayer, a company headquartered in Germany, demonstrated a high-pressure contrast injection system. This is the system’s “first exhibition” after localized production. According to booth staff, China's high-end manufacturing capabilities have become indispensable in the company's production chain. Locally produced products follow the same standards as imported products, but because China has strong supply chain supporting capabilities, it can maximize production efficiency and serve the needs of patients.
From a pair of shoes, a piece of clothing, to an industrial product or a new technology, the Chinese market not only provides consumer demand for global companies, but also provides technical solutions, development momentum and innovation inspiration.
Openness allows goods, capital, technology and talents to cross national borders, and also allows the industrial capabilities, creativity and culture of different countries to inspire each other through exchanges. The Chinese market is no longer just a sales destination for global products and an application scenario for global technologies, but has increasingly become a participant and contributor to global innovation.
From the introduction of products to joint innovation, from local research and development to global applications, the CIIE not only shows that China and the world share market opportunities, but also that China and the world jointly create development opportunities. An open China will allow more innovative results to benefit the world, help all countries develop together, and make an increasingly important contribution to the world economy.
As China opens its door wider and wider, China's imprint in global innovation will surely become more distinct.
