Created as a venue for global collaboration and innovation, the Open Innovation Center will focus on advancing digitalization, Artificial Intelligence (AI), cloud collaboration and open platforms in the building and home automation space.
James Zhao, lead business manager of Electrification business, ABB China, said: “China is ABB’s second largest market and we are proud to launch Open Innovation Center in Shenzhen to focus on Building Automation. It delivers on our commitment for safe, smart and sustainable electrification solutions for China and the world and allows us to drive our business through intelligent and connected technologies for urban infrastructures and smart buildings.”
Situated in China’s digital heartland, the center will capitalize on opportunities presented by the Fourth Industrial Revolution and develop third party collaborations with digital companies and startups, both globally and locally.
The Open Innovation Center will house up to 50 Research and Development engineers and bring ABB’s digital transformation to life, with a focus on advancing ABB AbilityTM smart digital solutions and services. It will also drive the use of AI and open solutions which can be integrated with other technology and develop resources for future intelligent building solutions to enhance safety, comfort and efficiency for residents.
“We have been driving intelligent building solutions for a long time, but with this new Open Innovation Center we take our leadership in this sector to a new level,” added Oliver Iltisberger, Managing Director Smart Buildings. “Bringing together our ABB colleagues with external talent will advance our connected, intelligent building solutions creating benefits for future generations.”
Shenzhen, known as China’s Silicon Valley, is a leading global technology hub and regularly has the largest number of patent applications in China. As China’s third largest city (by economic performance), Shenzhen attracts digital talent and start-ups as well as upstream and downstream industry chains.
ABB has a strong history in the region, with the company signing a Cooperation framework agreement to advance mutual cooperation for the development of new energy, power protection and green transportation in 2015. At the end of 2017, the company opened its Shenzhen New Energy Technology Center for its electric vehicle charging business. This combined with the launch of the new Open Innovation Center ABB will further drive the development and adoption of smart building solutions across the world.
ABB (ABBN: SIX Swiss Ex) is a technology leader that is driving the digital transformation of industries. With a history of innovation spanning more than 130 years, ABB has four customer-focused, globally leading businesses: Electrification, Industrial Automation, Motion, and Robotics & Discrete Automation, supported by the ABB Ability™ digital platform. ABB’s Power Grids business will be divested to Hitachi in 2020. ABB operates in more than 100 countries with about 147,000 employees. www.abb.com
