Firms tap China's innovation for global growth

Multinational companies are increasingly leveraging China's innovation ecosystem to strengthen their presence in the country and beyond, executives and experts at the ongoing 2026 China International Import Expo in Shanghai said, while highlighting how locally developed technologies are benefiting global markets.

From Qualcomm's global debut of a 6G terminal prototype, and Intel's tailor-made products for renewable energy in western China, to Nissan's export-bound SUVs, these exhibits all send a clear message: China is no longer merely a manufacturing floor or a consumption market. It is now an innovation hub for the world, they added.

Frank Meng, chairman of Qualcomm China, said the 6G terminal prototype is the first of its kind to conform to the latest global 6G definition, and it is not a static showpiece.

"In September, we conducted radio-frequency alignment testing between the prototype and China Mobile's base station prototype — a step that laid the foundation for future global 6G standardization and commercialization," Meng said.

"We attend the CIIE every year. It is about a journey of co-innovation and shared growth with our Chinese industry partners," Meng added.

Alan Wang, chairman of Intel China, said research and development originating in China that benefits the world is becoming "the new normal".

At this year's CIIE, Intel brought its green computing pod, which integrates green electricity storage with computing chips inside a container. The product originated from ideas generated during research in China.

"We expect to unveil chip products co-developed with Chinese partners at next year's expo," Wang said.

Frank Hammes, CEO of Swiss air-quality firm IQAir, said China is IQAir's second-largest market and "a stabilizing anchor" in the company's global business map.

"We use China as an innovation laboratory and then feed technologies and solutions validated in China back into global markets. The current phase is about co-innovating and co-defining solutions with China," he added.

Bai Daping, managing director for German intralogistics firm Jungheinrich's China branch, said allocating more research and development resources to China "could yield several-fold returns".

The company plans to deploy an artificial intelligence-enabled warehouse platform partly developed by its Chinese engineers across the Asia-Pacific and European markets, Bai said.

Pan Helin, a member of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology's expert committee on information and communications economics, said a record 480 exhibits are making global, Asian, or China debuts at the CIIE this year, which reflects China's role as a "global innovation engine", not just a large market.

The key distinction, Pan said, is that foreign companies are moving beyond "selling products" toward embedding R&D centers and localized production lines in China — then exporting the mature results worldwide.

Zhou Mi, a senior researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, said that despite geopolitical uncertainties, multinational tech companies are beefing up their presence in China because the country can help them navigate headwinds.

Masaharu Nakayama, executive vice-president of Panasonic Corp, said there is a strategic shift from "in China, for China" to "in China, for the world".

The rationale is unsentimental: China offers a complete supply chain, rapid technology iteration and deep talent reserves, he said.

"If you can win in China, you can win globally," he said, adding that China is the world's most competitive and fastest-changing market.