The central Chinese provinces of Hunan and Hubei are considered the heartland of industrial progress in the People's Republic of China. Against this backdrop, the ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA offices in Guangzhou and Beijing conducted a joint business mission on the topic of Smart Manufacturing from March 25th to 29th, 2024. The visit aimed to delve into the promising potentials of these regions while facilitating networking opportunities between Austrian companies and local counterparts.
The delegation comprised of representatives from eight prominent Austrian companies including AT&S, Commend, Fronius, Gebrüder Weiss, Raiffeisen Bank International, TÜV, Tyrolit, and VIDO. They immersed themselves in Changsha's leading enterprises spanning construction machinery, tunnel and railroad construction, steel, automotive, and intelligent manufacturing. This engagement fostered vibrant interactions with local entities and stakeholders during the Austria-Hunan Matchmaking Conference.
Further, scheduled meetings with key players such as CRSIC and Fiberhome unfolded in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province. The pinnacle of the visit was marked by two impactful B2B matchmaking events, offering Austrian participants ample opportunities to forge connections with potential business partners from central China.
The provinces of Hunan and Hubei are considered dynamic centers of progress in China and offer an ideal environment for exploring smart manufacturing opportunities. The mission provided valuable insights into the local economy and established important partnerships.
The following 8 Austrian companies used the opportunity and joined the trade mission to explore cooperation opportunities in the Smart Manufacturing sector in China:
- Fronius International GmbH
More than 8,000 employees worldwide, exports accounting for 87 percent of its business and 1,446 active patents: that's Fronius. Founded in 1945 as a regional one-man operation, the company is now one of the global players, as impressively demonstrated by 37 international subsidiaries and sales partners in more than 60 countries. And yet, at its core, Fronius is still a family-owned company from Austria that operates in the fields of photovoltaic, welding and battery charging technologies and has always developed products and solutions for a future worth living. - TYROLIT - Schleifmittelwerke Swarowsky AG & Co K.G.
As one of the world's leading manufacturers of bonded grinding, cutting, sawing, drilling, and dressing tools as well as a system supplier of tools and machines for the construction industry, the family-run company TYROLIT has been synonymous with top quality products, innovative spirit and outstanding service since 1919. Day in, day out, the experts at TYROLIT work on delivering tailor-made solutions for customers around the world, helping to make their businesses successful. Around 80,000 available products set the standards in a wide variety of industries. - AT & S Austria Technologie & Systemtechnik Aktiengesellschaft
AT&S is a leading manufacturer of high-quality printed circuit boards and IC substrates. From prototyping to mass production, AT&S has been working closely with its customers for decades to meet the highest quality requirements. With an international presence with production sites in Austria, India, China, South Korea and in Malaysia, AT&S provides its customers with a reliable supply chain independent of geopolitical developments. AT&S employs around 14,000 people and achieved revenues of EUR 1.8 billion in 2022.
- Commend International GmbH
Founded in 1971 with its headquarters in Salzburg Austria, Commend, a TKH technology company, is the world leading supplier of smart technology systems. By integrating their proprietary technologies with in-house developed software and customer-focused insight, Commend develops smart communication and 2D and 3D machine vision technologies that create unique answers to their clients’ challenges. In doing so, they are committed to make the world better by creating more efficient and more sustainable systems. Commend aims to create value for their customers by optimizing and further automating processes which enables their customers to improve operations, quality inspections, safety and cybersecurity for successful digital and AI transformations.
- Vido Network Technology GmbH
VIDO is one of the leading players in the CCTV industry and specialized in surveillance systems. The company's main focus in the past decade is on industrial customization and complete solutions in verticals. With over 20 years of experience VIDO is confident to provide a tailor-made solution for its customers.
- TÜV AUSTRIA
TÜV AUSTRIA Group has been successfully operating in the Chinese market as a technological service partner for many years. In addition to evaluating test and certification requirements, providing guidance through legislation, regulations, and standards, they also put together package solutions, and, by providing tailor-made programs for safety/security, quality and sustainability as well as practical basic and further education opportunities, we supply crucial added value for industrial companies, plant operators, in the trade and service industries, for start-ups and company founders.
- Raiffeisen Bank International
Raiffeisen Bank International AG (RBI) regards Austria, where it is a leading commercial and investment bank, and Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) as its home market.
In addition, the group includes numerous other financial service providers, for example in the areas of leasing, asset management and M&A.
To support its business activities, RBI maintains representative offices and subsidiaries at selected locations in Asia and Western Europe.
- Gebrüder Weiss GmbH
Gebrüder Weiss Holding AG, based in Lauterach, Austria, is a globally operative full-service logistics provider with about 8,400 employees at 180 company-owned locations. In 2022 it posted annual sales of 3 billion euros. Its portfolio encompasses transport and logistics solutions, digital services, and supply chain management. The family-run organization – with a history going back more than half a millennium – has implemented a wide variety of environmental, economic, and social initiatives.
An overview of the participating Austrian companies in English and Chinese can be downloaded here (PDF, 3.2MB) .
For further information please contact:
ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA Beijing
T +86 10 8527 5050
ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA Guangzhou
T +86 20 8576 0047
E guangzhou@advantageaustria.org
ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA Chengdu
T +86 28 6511 0709
