KDX invests heavily in cooperation with international partners

KDX Group, a listed Chinese composite material company, announced earlier this month that its carbon fiber automobile parts research and small-scale production center, co-constructed with the German government, has begun operation in Munich.

The group invested 30 million euros ($33.4 million) in building the center, which covers an area of about 3,000 square meters, said Zhong Yu, chairman of KDX.

Ilse Aigner, lieutenant governor of Bavaria, Germany, said the project conforms to the state's development plan of constructing an industrial center specializing in carbon fiber, and has received a 700 million euros investment from the government.

Shi Mingde, Chinese ambassador to Germany, said the establishment of the center reflects deepened Sino-German cooperation concerning both the Made in China 2025 and Industry 4.0 strategies.

Founded in East China's Jiangsu province in 2001, the company focuses on the research and production of laminating thermal materials, optical materials, 3-D intelligent displays and intelligent applications.

In April, the company cooperated with United States-based Dow Chemical to produce a chemical material to improve the stability, service life, color range and lightness of its displays.

Zheng Tianyou, chief strategy officer at KDX, said the company expects to establish more cooperation with European and US research institutes in display materials, flexible materials and carbon fiber.

"Internet technology is changing production processes, people's lives and the structure of the global economy," Zheng said. "Improving the construction of networks between China and other countries is meaningful."

"We are very glad to co-develop intelligent manufacturing with those countries in products including glasses-free 3-D, virtual reality, flexible displays and big touch screens," he said.

The digital networks linking Asian and European countries will generate a new trading platform, with big data and the internet of things as vital tools to improve efficiency and reduce costs, he said.

"Trading will be boosted with better services on both online and offline channels for customers from different countries," Zheng added.

He said KDX is exploring new business opportunities in the film industry, ranging from content production through its own intellectual property, to market circulation with the Beijing Film Academy based on its strength in 3-D technology.

chenmeiling@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 06/19/2017 page24)