Wuxi, China, March 29, 2023 – Today, Schneider Electric officially opened its China Automation R&D Center in Wuxi, becoming Schneider Electric’s fifth R&D center in China after Shanghai, Shenzhen, Xi ‘an and Beijing. The Wuxi R&D center will first focus on the development of next-generation core industrial automation products, establish an innovation system that integrates hardware and software, and inject more businesses including energy management automation in the future. This is not only a strategic move by Schneider Electric to continue to strengthen the “China Hub”, but also further demonstrates Schneider Electric’s confidence and determination to deeply participate in China’s high-quality development and continue to help enterprises achieve efficiency and sustainability.

Schneider Electric China Automation R&D Center opens in Wuxi

Rooted in China for 36 years, Schneider Electric has always adhered to the “multi-center” strategy, continued to increase investment in China, and continuously strengthened the construction of “China Center”. On the basis of empowering the local team, Schneider Electric has established an agile innovation mechanism covering research and development, industrial chain, partners, etc., so as to get closer to the Chinese market faster and better to meet the needs of local users. At the same time, the “China Center” makes full use of China’s industrial advantages, innovation momentum and talent advantages, serves the global market with research and development results, and realizes the development vision of “in China for China, in China for the world”.

“China has become Schneider Electric’s second largest market, largest supply chain base and one of the four largest R&D bases in the world, and an important source of innovation.” Hu Xiao, senior Vice President of Schneider Electric and head of Industrial Automation China R&D Center, said: “Adhering to the principle of ‘local demand, local innovation, local research and development, global empowerment’, Schneider Electric China Automation R & D Center will share platform and resources with the global R & D center, build products and solutions with international quality at the speed of China, and continue to build an industrial ecology integrating research, production, supply, sales and service.” Gather industrial talents, with more agile innovation organizations and stronger local collaborative innovation, and continuously export Chinese wisdom to the world, so that Chinese innovation can empower local users and move to a larger world stage.”

Hu Xiao, senior Vice President of Schneider Electric and head of Industrial Automation R&D Center in China, delivered a speech

Zhang Jinwei, deputy secretary of the Party Working Committee of Wuxi High-tech Zone, deputy director of the Management Committee, deputy secretary of the Xinwu District Party Committee and district chief, said: “At present, Wuxi High-tech zone in-depth implementation of the industrial strong area strategy and innovation-driven core strategy, always adhere to the deployment of innovation chain around the industrial chain, the industrial chain layout around the innovation chain, Schneider Electric China automation research and development center settled in Wuxi, is the demonstration of Wuxi High-tech zone to strengthen the innovation engine and create independent innovation highland.” Facing the future, Wuxi High-tech Zone will continue to support Schneider Electric’s innovation and development. With the opening of Wuxi R&D Center as a new starting point, we will work closely together to accelerate the pace of strategic synergy, improve the level of industrial synergy, expand the depth of innovation synergy, and make greater contributions to promoting the high-quality development of modern industries.”

Zhang Jinwei, deputy secretary of the Party Working Committee of Wuxi High-tech Zone, deputy director of the Management Committee, deputy secretary of the Xinwu District Party Committee and district governor, delivered a speech

Four key words “decoding” automation R & D center

Wuxi Automation R & D Center will achieve deep integration of production and research with Wuxi “end-to-end Lighthouse Factory”, and use the factory as the best test field for R & D center, so that the R & D results can be industrialized in time, promote the virtuous cycle between innovation and commercial value, and provide new kinetic energy for enabling industrial upgrading. At the same time, the R & D center will also work with the Shanghai R & D Center to “double drive” to further strengthen Schneider Electric’s industrial chain and supply chain resilience in the field of automation. At present, the R&D center is building a world-leading testing laboratory, covering an area of 900 square meters, and was officially put into use in June this year, providing solid professional facilities, comprehensive capabilities and talent support for innovation:

● Professional and reliable: With the double expansion of power supply in Wuxi base, the laboratory in the R&D center will provide more space for the development and testing of high-power (more than 90 kW) inverter prototype, and ensure the stability and reliability of products with more professional infrastructure equipment, and fulfill the commitment to customers;

● Green and sustainable: With the comprehensive capabilities of hardware and software in the field of automation and energy management, the overall energy use of the R & D center is monitored and optimized throughout the life cycle, and more than 80% of energy is saved by returning electricity to the grid;

● Digital intelligence: Based on Schneider Electric EcoStruxureTM architecture and platform and AVEVA software solution, realize the digitalization and intelligence of asset management, remote operation and maintenance, energy efficiency monitoring and predictive maintenance;

● People-oriented: the essence of science and technology is innovation, the key to innovation is people, the first R & D center will have 40 R & D engineers stationed, by the end of the year to reach 100 people, with the injection of energy management automation business, the future will deploy more talent resources.

In recent years, Wuxi’s emphasis on innovation-driven industrial transformation and upgrading has provided fertile ground for the development of local enterprises, which coincides with Schneider Electric’s concept of enabling efficient and sustainable development of enterprises through innovation. With the improvement of market demand and research and development capabilities, Wuxi Automation R & D Center will also integrate more “new roles”, combining the base’s leading advantages in digital technology, Internet of things, intelligent manufacturing and other fields to accelerate the localization process of more innovative results and form scale benefits. It is worth mentioning that the new generation Lexium 18 series servo, which is locally designed and developed by Industrial Automation China Center and will be launched soon, will also achieve large-scale production in Wuxi base.

At present, a new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation is accelerating, and innovation globalization is deepening. China’s scientific and technological innovation is increasingly inseparable from the world, and the world needs China more and more for scientific and technological progress and innovation and development. To promote industry-university-research collaborative innovation, Wuxi R&D Center will integrate into the local collaborative innovation system from an international perspective, and play a greater role in forming a globally competitive innovation ecology and promoting the sustainable and high-quality development of China’s digital economy.

About Schneider Electric

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