"Ten years, for a research and development organization, is still very young, although we have made a lot of achievements, but there is still a long way to go from a world-class research and development institution, by focusing on cutting-edge technology, leading technology and engineering technology, strategic technology, to promote the development of the entire group and support the group's business."
A few days ago, at the node of the ten years of the establishment of the Midea Group's Midea Central Research Institute, Wei Chang, vice president and CTO of Midea Group, said in an exclusive interview with China Enterprise News and other media that the Midea Academia Sinica needs more world-class talents to join in the next benchmark against world-class scientific research institutions. "It is necessary to attract more world-class talents through different ways and methods, provide them with platforms, spaces and resources; at the same time, we must also put pressure on young and potential young talents to make them stand out; and finally we will continue to increase global R&D layout and investment, and look for world-class talents to join in the United States, Japan and Germany, where talents are gathered, to jointly help the development of science and technology."
Founded in 2014, Midea Academia Sinica, as the fulcrum of Midea Group's "leading technology" strategy, has brought not only a series of scientific and technological achievements and products that are "unique in the industry and the first in the world" in the past 10 years of development, but more importantly, it has injected the seeds of science and technology and innovation genes into the future development of Midea Group, opening up the space and stage for continuous upward breakthroughs and cross-border development. In an interview with China Enterprise Daily, a number of Midea Academia Sinica technicians repeatedly mentioned that "an open platform, inclusive culture, and free space will synergize the value of individual innovation, enterprise business and social development, and most importantly, quickly transform a series of cutting-edge technologies and cutting-edge technologies into products for the benefit of family users and industrial society".
Ten years of science and technology driven, the achievement of the United States strategic new engine
Ten years is still very young for a company's science and technology organization. However, for Midea Academia Sinica, it has laid a solid foundation for Midea Group's technological transformation, especially the expansion from B2C to B2B business, and opened up new development momentum.
In addition to creating innovative ideas and paths of "three generations" and "four-level R&D system" for Midea Group, it also accelerates the implementation of Midea Group's "2+4+N" global R&D network by establishing global R&D centers in Shanghai, Japan, the United States, Germany, etc., and fully undertakes tasks such as the construction of the Blue Orange Laboratory, a national key laboratory, to support the continuous breakthrough of Midea in terms of global R&D height and breadth.
At the beginning of its establishment, Midea Academia Sinica began to build a "four-level R&D system" organizational structure and a "three-generation" technical structure, through "product development, personalized technology research, common technology and basic technology, disruptive and cutting-edge technology research" and other four-level R&D, as well as "research generation, platform reserve generation, product development generation" The technical architecture not only makes scientific and technological innovation more efficient and sustainable, but also ensures that resources are invested in forward-looking products and technologies through the separation of technical research and product development, and achieves a balance between long-term strategy and short-term operation.
At present, Midea Academia Sinica mainly focuses on the four major fields of "medical care, robotics, energy, and smart home", and mainly carries out the strategic layout and investment of three types of projects: "frontier exploration, core breakthroughs, and achievement landing". The reporter of "China Enterprise Daily" learned that there are scientific and technological layouts and investments in CT, nuclear magnetic resonance, ultrasound and core components, as well as heavy-duty reducers, heavy-duty core components, complete machines and application technologies, power electronics, as well as next-generation heat pumps, batteries and new application technologies, including future home appliances, energy saving, health, extreme comfort and differentiated products.
In addition to Midea's Academia Sinica, Midea Group also forms scale and synergy advantages in R&D through the "2+4+N" global R&D network. At the same time, it also establishes a global talent team through bringing in and going out, accelerates the innovation of local markets and local products, and integrates territorial management and global collaboration. In 2023, Midea Group's R&D investment will be 14.583 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 15.56%. In the past five years, Midea Group has invested more than 50 billion yuan in R&D. As of 2023, Midea Group has applied for more than 100,000 valid patents worldwide and authorized more than 80,000 patents worldwide.
Attract more top talent with an inclusive culture and an open platform
Looking back on the 10-year development history of the Academia Sinica, from the technical staff in the early days of its establishment to the technical personnel who have just joined for 2 years, they have given their different views when communicating with China Enterprise News, but everyone also has a consensus: that is, the innovation atmosphere of the Academia Sinica is very good, respecting scientists and technicians, and fully giving everyone space and platform, which can realize the same frequency resonance of personal value and enterprise value.
"Midea Academia Sinica provides all technicians with platforms and opportunities from culture, mechanism to promotion, value and other dimensions," Wei Chang told China Enterprise Daily. The third is to introduce a competition mechanism, open up the promotion channel for R&D personnel, and give process rewards through performance, projects, etc.; the fourth is the delivery of outstanding talents, and send outstanding technical R&D personnel to the business department, so that they can create greater value in specific industries and categories.
In this regard, Hu Szt, assistant to the president of the Academia Sinica and director of the Institute of Fluid Mechanics, was very touched. "Midea Academia Sinica is a win-win platform that can combine personal value and corporate value, and there is a better culture on this platform, which is mutual achievement. First, from engineers to scientists, they can use their ingenuity on this platform to help the company achieve commercial success, and second, not only what technology the company asks you to do, but also individuals who have strong initiative and can do it as long as it is valuable and meaningful to the company."
Midea Science and Technology Month, which has been held for 28 consecutive years, has successively emerged in recent years, including Li Zhonghua, Zhang Hui, Yue Bao, Hou Junfeng, Liu Hecheng, Hu Szt, Hu Jian, Chen Wenjie, Xi Wei, Zhong Lei, Jin Chengzhen, Mark W. Wilson and other science and technology stars, science and technology stars and outstanding technical contribution talents. At the same time, some technical personnel of the Academia Sinica have now joined the kitchen heating division, refrigerator division, building technology division, industrial technology business group and other business units of Midea Group as the heads of technical institutes and become the guides of scientific and technological innovation in the industry.
Sharing of common technologies, resonating at the same frequency with the whole industry chain
As the "smart brain" and "driving chassis" that supports the development of various product companies and business groups of Midea Group, Midea Academia Sinica has paid special attention to the synergy of common technologies and R&D investment in basic technologies in recent years. Especially in terms of common technology, some noise reduction and energy-saving technologies used in household appliances such as air conditioners and washing machines can also be used in industrial equipment, so as to greatly broaden the value of technological innovation and the breakthrough space for technical research and development personnel.
Li Taotao, director of the CT Research Institute of Midea Medical Device Research Institute, shared, "Midea's silent technology that has been researched in the field of home appliances for many years is now combined with medical equipment, and has achieved remarkable results in the noise treatment of CT and magnetic resonance equipment, and the noise reduction effect is significantly lower than the noise of similar products in the industry." Similarly, the thermal management technology accumulated in home appliances for many years has also been applied to high-end CT products, realizing the constant temperature control of high-end CT detectors."
In addition to the collaborative innovation and application of multi-industry and multi-category common technologies, Midea's Academia Sinica has also achieved differentiated breakthroughs in cutting-edge technologies from world-class scientific research institutions. Huang Qunjian, director of the Institute of Advanced Energy Storage Technology of Midea's Academia Sinica, told China Enterprise Daily, "We are very similar to the layout of global giants such as GE and Siemens, and both B2C and B2B pursue the synergy of common technologies and the research and development of cutting-edge technologies." However, there are two differences between Midea, one is to fully coordinate with the industrial chain and strengthen the docking of cutting-edge technology and application achievements, and the other is to focus on the overall empowerment of enterprises, not only satisfied with technology research and development, but also to empower industry and manufacturing to enhance overall competitiveness. This is mainly due to the fact that Midea has a very complete and complete supply chain and industrial chain, which ultimately allows technology to affect the development and competition of the industry, which is also the charm of Midea to attract technical personnel."
In addition to noise reduction technology and thermal technology, Midea's central research is also making breakthroughs in common technologies such as solid mechanics, perception technology, materials and health, and promoting the synergy and resonance of technology, products and industries in product research and development, intelligent manufacturing and other links in its B2C and B2B industries, so that users and customers in the first-tier market can deeply feel the charm and value of technological innovation from Midea's Academia Sinica.
According to the latest 2023 financial report of Midea Group, the company's total operating income was 373.7 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 8%, and the net profit attributable to the parent company was 33.7 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 14%, achieving the best operating performance in the company's history, and also showing the long-term trend of business resilience and high-quality growth driven by technology. (Reporter Xu Yiqiang)