Schneider Electric says Chinese market remains important

This photo taken with a mobile phone on Sept. 19, 2023 shows the booth of Schneider Electric at the 23rd China International Industry Fair (CIIF) in east China's Shanghai. (Xinhua/Huang Anqi)

Schneider Electric has established R&D centers in multiple Chinese cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Wuxi, Xi'an and Shenzhen.

HANNOVER, Germany, April 24 (Xinhua) -- A senior executive of Schneider Electric said that the Chinese market remains important, a fact that "has not changed."

Barbara Frei, the company's executive vice president, made the remarks during an interview with Xinhua at the ongoing Hannover Messe 2024 Trade Fair.

"The importance of the Chinese market, from my point of view, has not changed," Frei said as she expressed confidence in China's position as a more mature economy and the biggest market in industrial automation.

She noted a growing demand for automation in China, which presents opportunities for companies like Schneider Electric, and highlighted China's role as an "innovation driver," underscoring her company's establishment of research and development centers in various Chinese cities.

Schneider Electric has established R&D centers in multiple Chinese cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Wuxi, Xi'an and Shenzhen.

At this year's Hannover Messe, the company showcased solutions to achieve digital transformation through technologies such as artificial intelligence, digital twins and machine learning.

An employee works at Schneider Electric Low Voltage (Tianjin) Co., Ltd. in Tianjin, north China, Feb. 25, 2020. (Xinhua/Li Ran)

"In today's energy landscape, China leads the way," Frei told Xinhua. She highlighted China's global leadership in supplying components for renewable markets, including wind turbines, solar panels, and electric vehicle batteries.

This shift marks a significant departure from the patterns of technological exchange 50 years ago, she noted, highlighting the reciprocal innovation flow, with China playing an increasingly prominent role.

As sustainability emerges as a crucial objective in such transformation, Schneider Electric emphasizes the significance of industrial software, automation, and electrification in achieving industrial decarbonization, Frei said.