At the celebration of the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Switzerland, the Sino-Swiss Business Awards (SSBA) were presented in Beijing on August 27. The Swiss Chinese Chamber of Commerce (SwissCham) announced the 2025 award winners, with ABB receiving the Legacy Award in recognition of its excellence and long-standing contributions to Sino-Swiss business relations. ABB Robotics was also named among the top three honorees for the Innovation Pioneer Award for Large Companies, underscoring ABB’s sustained commitment to strengthening its presence in China and fostering local innovation.
Co-hosted since 2013 by SwissCham and the Embassy of Switzerland in China, the biennial SSBA honors companies that have made exceptional contributions to Sino-Swiss business ties. This year, the ceremony introduced the Legacy Award—a special non-competitive category acknowledging firms that have operated in China for more than 20 years and have played a significant role in advancing bilateral business relations.
“We are very honored to receive the Sino-Swiss Business Award, and we sincerely appreciate the long-term trust and support from all stakeholders. Building on our fully localized value chain, deep industry expertise, digital and AI innovations, and close partnerships, ABB is well-positioned to better serve our customers, support China's energy transition and industrial upgrade, and work together for a more sustainable and efficient future”, said Lars Eckerlein, the General Manager of ABB (China) Limited.
ABB, a global technology company headquartered in Switzerland with a history of over 140 years, was among the first international enterprises to enter China during the country’s early reform and opening-up period. Over the past three decades, ABB has achieved a three-stage evolution in the Chinese market: introducing global products, establishing local manufacturing, and developing local R&D and innovation capabilities. Today, ABB maintains a full range of operations in China—including R&D, manufacturing, sales, engineering, and services—with nearly 30 local companies and more than 14,000 employees, among them 2,000 R&D experts. As ABB’s second-largest market globally, China benefits from the company’s innovative technologies that enable customers across power, industry, transport and infrastructure to run at high performance and become leaner and cleaner.
ABB Robotics was named a top-three winner for the Innovation Pioneer Award for Large Companies. Through highly integrated automation solutions, ABB helps customers boost productivity, improve product quality, and strengthen competitiveness. As one of the first multinational companies to achieve local R&D and production of industrial robots in China, ABB has established a complete value chain that integrates 50 years of robotics expertise with cutting-edge artificial intelligence. This enables ABB in China to continually drive industrial automation forward. Earlier this year, ABB Robotics launched three new robot series, expanding its portfolio to meet growing demand in high-growth segments of the Chinese market and further advancing its Local for Local strategy.
Since its inception 12 years ago, the SSBA has highlighted outstanding accomplishments by Swiss and Chinese companies in fostering innovation, sustainability, and collaboration. The awards celebrate the best practices that enhance economic and cultural ties between the two nations. ABB has been consistently recognized, receiving the Innovation of the Year 2013, the Industry 4.0 Innovation and Creativity Award in 2019, the Social Responsibility, the Diversity and Education Award in 2021 and the Sustainability Development Business Award in 2023.
The year 2025 marks the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Switzerland. Switzerland was among the first Western countries to recognize and establish diplomatic ties with the People’s Republic of China and is also China’s first innovation strategic partner. To commemorate this milestone, SwissCham organized a series of special events on August 27, gathering business leaders, policymakers, and partners from both countries. ABB was invited to participate in the CEO Roundtable Forum, engaging in in-depth discussions on current challenges and strategies for enhancing Sino-Swiss economic relations.
ABB actively supports exchanges and collaboration between China and Switzerland in technology, energy, innovation, and talent development. The company has participated in and shared insights at numerous bilateral events, including the Sino-Swiss Economic Forum, the China-Switzerland Enterprise Innovation Conference, Sino-Swiss Business Cooperation and the Belt & Road Forum, the China-Switzerland Energy Working Group Meeting, and the Sino-Swiss Green Building Forum. In addition, ABB collaborates extensively with Chinese universities and vocational schools to promote joint innovation and talent cultivation. For more than two decades, ABB has also supported local education and talent development through donations to the ABB-New Great Wall Fund and by hosting the ABB Cup Innovation Contest.
ABB is a global technology leader in electrification and automation, enabling a more sustainable and resource-efficient future. By connecting its engineering and digitalization expertise, ABB helps industries run at high performance, while becoming more efficient, productive and sustainable so they outperform. At ABB, we call this ‘Engineered to Outrun’. The company has over 140 years of history and around 110,000 employees worldwide. ABB’s shares are listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (ABBN) and Nasdaq Stockholm (ABB). www.abb.com
