ABB signed a framework agreement on comprehensive strategic cooperation with People’s Government of Guangdong Province on November 13 in Guangzhou to further deepen the strategic cooperation in the fields of utilities, industry, transport and infrastructure, aiming to support the implementation of innovation-driven development strategy, boost industrial upgrade and accelerate the implementation pace of the 13th Five-year Plan in Guangdong Province. Guangdong Governor Ma Xingrui and ABB CEO Ulrich Spiesshofer signed the agreement on behalf of the two parties. Chen Liangxian, Vice Governor of Guangdong and other officials from Guangdong Provincial Government attended the signing ceremony.
Prior to the signing ceremony, Governor Ma Xingrui met with ABB executives led by CEO Ulrich Spiesshofer. Mr. Ma pointed out that, Guangdong is opening its door even wider and having easier access for foreign investment, as instructed by Chinese President Xi Jinping and the Central Government of China. The province has taken a series of measures including the revision of its policies on opening-up and utilization of foreign investment, to create a more fair, transparent and favorable environment for foreign investment. Meanwhile, Guangdong is shifting its center of gravity to improving quality in development, which will create huge market potential for foreign companies such as ABB. We look forward to ABB’s further investment in the province and strengthening our cooperation in new energy, rail, smart manufacturing and intelligent city, and achieve mutual benefit and win-win results.
“During the four decades of China’s reform and opening-up, Guangdong has always been a pilot to endorse the national endeavor and an engine for economic development. The construction of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area will further enhance the level of interconnectivity within the region.” said Ulrich Spiesshofer, CEO of ABB, "The signing of this MoU is a milestone in ABB's development in Guangdong. We will continue to invest in Guangdong to enhance our R&D, designing and manufacturing bases and to widen business scope, making contributions to the construction of a technology and industrial innovation center, the development of advanced manufacturing and modern service industry base, and supporting the region in becoming a world class bay area and city cluster."
Based on ABB’s key enterprises and increasing projects in Guangdong, as well as ABB’s technical advantage and aggregation capacity in the industrial field, while the People’s Government of Guangdong Province will integrate its upstream and downstream partners, the agreement maps out key cooperation directions for both sides in future, which cover the fields of utilities, advanced manufacturing, new energy vehicle, rail and smart city. This is a new step for both sides to promote win-win cooperation following ABB’s memorandum of understanding on strategic cooperation with Guangdong province back in 2013.
According to the agreement, ABB will support Guangdong promote green energy and the digital operation of energy assets with its innovative technologies covering the whole industrial automation value chain and the advanced ABB AbilityTM digital offerings; ABB Robotics (Zhuhai) Ltd. is expected to support Guangdong’s manufacturing upgrade and the building of the future factory; ABB’s Shenzhen New Energy Technology Center will help bring about electric vehicle infrastructure; ABB will help improve the energy efficiency of Guangdong’s rail system with its rail technology and global experience; ABB will introduce overseas technologies to support the smart city projects in Guangdong.
Guangdong has become one of ABB’s most important R&D and production bases in China and is one of the provinces where ABB’s enterprises are mostly located in China, including six joint venture and solely-invested enterprises: ABB Xinhui Low Voltage Switchgear Company Limited (1995, Jiangmen city), ABB Zhongshan Transformer Co., Ltd. (1999, Zhongshan city), ABB Guangdong Sihui Instrument Transformer Co., Ltd. (2010, Sihui city) and ABB Robotics (Zhuhai) Ltd. (2015). They are specialized in R&D, production and sales of electrical equipment, electric vehicle charging technology, robot application and renewable energy solutions. In addition, ABB has also established 5 subsidiaries in Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Dongguan, Foshan and Zhongshan, and has a comprehensive service center in Guangzhou.
Over the years, ABB has kept close cooperation with Guangdong, and its representative projects include:
- In 1997, ABB started to do rail projects in Guangdong, providing low voltage power supply equipment for Guangzhou Metro Line No.1, and later providing vehicle traction systems for Shenzhen Metro Longhua Line and Guangzhou Metro Line No. 9;
- In 2011, ABB signed a framework agreement with Shenzhen Polytechnic Institute to jointly establish the ABB (China) Automation Technology Training Center;
- In May 2014, the largest annual customer activity “Automation World” in China was held in Guangzhou for the first time;
- In September 2014, ABB announced to establish the global alliance with BYD Co., Ltd. to carry out strategic cooperation in the field of energy storage and jointly develop new solutions;
- In 2015, ABB Robotics (Zhuhai) Ltd. was founded.
ABB has always kept a good partnership with Guangdong province. Since the International Consultative Conference on the Future Economic Development of Guangdong was held for the first time in 1999, ABB has served as its advisor to offer advice and suggestions for long-term development in Guangdong and make contributions to social development with its industrial expertise and experience.
ABB (ABBN: SIX Swiss Ex) is a pioneering technology leader in power grids, electrification products, industrial automation and robotics and motion, serving customers in utilities, industry and transport & infrastructure globally. Continuing a history of innovation spanning more than 130 years, ABB today is writing the future of industrial digitalization with two clear value propositions: bringing electricity from any power plant to any plug and automating industries from natural resources to finished products. As title partner in ABB Formula E, the fully electric international FIA motorsport class, ABB is pushing the boundaries of e-mobility to contribute to a sustainable future. ABB operates in more than 100 countries with about 147,000 employees. ABB has a full range of business activities in China, including R&D, manufacturing, sales and services, with 18,000 employees located in 142 cities, 40 local companies, and online and offline channels across over 300 cities.
