On the first working day of the Year of the Rabbit, Guangdong held a grand provincial high-quality development conference. As a major economic province, Guangdong has clearly put forward the "manufacturing leader" and stood up the industrial "backbone" of Guangdong's modernization at a new height.
"Accelerate the construction and commissioning of advanced manufacturing and new industrial projects such as the third phase of Midea headquarters, digital technology industrial park, refrigeration technology innovation park, mechanical and electrical industry 4.0 base, KUKA science and technology park, Nanhai Xiaotang base, Shunde energy storage industry base, etc., to help upgrade and develop Guangdong's industrial system." At the Guangdong High-quality Development Conference, Fang Hongbo, Chairman and President of Midea Group Co., Ltd., said in his speech as a representative of business operators that Midea insists on taking root in Guangdong and going global.
Fang Hongbo said that in the past three years, under the background of the multi-point spread of the global epidemic and many uncertainties, Midea, like many enterprises, has experienced the impact of demand, cost and other issues, but it still counterattacked. "Because we always believe that we must invest more firmly in the future, invest in science and technology, and invest in talents, in order to take the lead in the future competition."
In recent years, Midea has unswervingly promoted the high-quality development of the enterprise and bravely walked on the road of forward growth. The company not only pays attention to the construction and development of offline stores, but also continuously increases investment in the field of scientific and technological research and development. In the past five years, Midea has invested more than 50 billion yuan in R&D, and has established a smart home appliance R&D center in Europe to vigorously develop intelligent home appliance products.
Fang Hongbo said that the judgment of the economic trend of the Economic Work Conference of the Central Committee and the Guangdong Provincial Party Committee, the guidance on high-quality development and the emphasis on the manufacturing industry have greatly enhanced the confidence in the development of manufacturing enterprises, increased resilience for Midea to achieve high-quality development, and created conditions.
"Big industry", "big platform", "big project", "big enterprise" and "big environment" are the five major driving forces of Guangdong's manufacturing industry in 2023. In 2023, Guangdong will promote the overall improvement of the operation of the industrial economy and accelerate the development and transformation and upgrading of industrial clusters. A few days ago, Foshan, a major manufacturing city, is actively promoting the interaction and transformation of traditional industrial chain groups such as home appliances, aluminum profiles, ceramics, and furniture, and vigorously promoting the introduction and cultivation of emerging industries.
Fang Hongbo said that as a leading enterprise in Guangdong's home appliance industry, Midea has always adhered to the down-to-earth and step-by-step strategic transformation of the camp. In 2023, Midea will start the second engine while consolidating the core business of home appliances, and focus on strategic emerging industries such as robotics and automation, building technology, new energy auto parts, and advanced energy storage, so as to build a second curve to drive growth.
It is worth mentioning that in the process of highlighting the leadership of the manufacturing industry, improving the resilience and safety level of the industrial chain and supply chain is of great strategic significance to promoting high-quality development. To this end, Midea is driven by construction innovation, builds and makes good use of the National Key Laboratory of Heavy-duty Robots, carries out core technology research, improves the security level of the industrial chain and supply chain, has the courage to explore new paths, stimulates new kinetic energy, and finds new methods, and continues to firmly invest in future business, transforming from efficiency advantages to product advantages, technological advantages and innovation drives.
In this era of coexistence of opportunities and challenges, standing at the starting point of a new cycle, what is Midea's development plan? Fang Hongbo said that Midea will insist on taking root in Guangdong, going global, boldly going to every corner of the world, and achieving global breakthroughs.
Zheng Kangxi, an all-media reporter from Southern Finance and Economics, reported from Guangzhou