In recent years, as domestic manufacturers have deepened independent innovation and devoted themselves to the optimal allocation of scientific research resources, the mainland laser industry has entered a new stage of vigorous development, and the level of localization has increased year by year. At the same time, the competition in the domestic fiber laser market is becoming more and more fierce, and the market pattern is becoming more and more diversified.
In this context, Veken Laser officially launched a national tour in April. This tour adheres to the principle of "exploring the essence of the enterprise with footprints and carving the trajectory of growth with laser", aiming to reveal the hidden heritage and true value of the enterprise under the extreme involution of the industry.
On April 9th, the first stop of the laser national tour research team selected Shanghai Feibo Laser Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Feibo Laser), and had an in-depth exchange with Mr. Li Xiaojun, chairman of Feibo Laser, to discuss the "opportunities" and "challenges" of laser enterprises in the context of the transformation and upgrading of China's manufacturing industry.
Founded in 2012, Shanghai Feibo Laser has been working in the field of fiber lasers, optoelectronic devices and laser testing equipment for many years, and has formed a certain brand influence. So, Chairman Li, what kind of consideration did you choose the laser light source as the main channel of Feibo Laser?
Li Xiaojun: We chose fiber lasers as the main product direction of FIBO because of its excellent performance after entering the industrial field at the beginning of this century. Fiber lasers have won wide praise from industrial users for their unique advantages such as high wall-plug conversion efficiency, high beam quality, and seamless integration of fiber output and flexible processing platform.
In the field of application, the rapid development of fiber lasers is remarkable in both breadth and depth. Therefore, in 2012, our entrepreneurial team joined hands with Shanghai Institute of Optics and Mechanics to co-founded Shanghai Feibo Laser Technology Co., Ltd., which is committed to providing fiber laser products with excellent quality and high technical added value to downstream customers and end users, and taking the industrial application of laser as our main development direction.
Since its establishment in 2012, FIBO Laser has always focused on the three core application fields of industry, medical and scientific research, and has taken the lead in launching 2μm fiber lasers and 1μm fiber lasers with power covering 500W to 1000W. Subsequently, in 2015, we further enriched our product line with the introduction of narrow linewidth fiber lasers for scientific research. It is worth mentioning that in 2014, we won the second place in the manufacturing group in the 3rd China Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition, which is a testament to our innovation strength.
In 2016, FIBO Laser set up Nanjing Haloite as a large-scale production base for our industrial products. In 2019, we established Jiangsu Ruisai in Suqian, aiming to expand production capacity and further expand the applicability of our products in different application fields by taking advantage of the geographical advantages of Suqian Laser Industrial Park and the synergistic effect of upstream and downstream enterprises in the park.
In this development process, FIBO Laser continues to launch original products. For example, in 2014, the 976nm pump source technology was innovatively adopted, which significantly improved the electro-optical conversion efficiency of the product, and launched a series of products such as 3000W ring spot fiber laser and 10,000-watt CW and quasi-CW duplex lasers to meet the diverse application needs of end users.
Today, FIBO Laser has dozens of products in multiple series, providing comprehensive solutions for industrial, medical and scientific research fields.
In the process of domestic laser equipment entering overseas markets, we have observed that many overseas customers have inherent perceptions of Chinese companies that lack originality. In this regard, how do you think Chinese laser companies should break this "stereotype" and successfully achieve breakthroughs in overseas markets? And how does Feibo Laser do it?
Li Xiaojun: This question is indeed of far-reaching significance, and the answer needs to be carefully considered. The rise of China's manufacturing industry began with the introduction and re-innovation of technology after the reform and opening up, and in this process, it is inevitable to leave a stereotype of lack of originality. However, with the development of this century, many Chinese companies such as Huawei have gradually broken this stereotype with their achievements in original technology. Although bias persists in overseas media and politicians, facts speak louder than words, and the international influence of Chinese brands is gradually increasing.
For FIBO Laser, in the face of such challenges and opportunities, we need to maintain a calm mind, not to be disturbed by the hustle and bustle of the outside world, and to work steadily and steadily, in order to achieve steady and far-reaching results. As the ancients said: "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step; The nine-story platform starts from the soil. "We can only achieve our ambitious goals if we persevere.
As a high-tech enterprise, FIBO Laser is well aware of the importance of R&D, and we continue to increase R&D investment and strengthen the construction of R&D team. After decades of unremitting efforts, we have accumulated more than 150 patents, including more than 40 invention patents, which fully proves our firm determination in intellectual property construction. The value of originality lies not only in the promotion of words, but also in the transformation and application of technology, which is exactly what Feibo Laser pursues.
In recent years, the phenomenon of "involution" has become more and more significant in the laser industry, and the price war has intensified. What do you think are the main causes of these undesirable conditions?
Li Xiaojun: I think this is a very in-depth issue. In the industry, whether it is peers or outsiders, the phenomenon of "involution" frequently mentioned in recent years has actually existed and runs through various industries and their development processes. However.
In the early stage, when the industry urgently needs to solve the breakthrough from 0 to 1, technological innovation and competition become the main focus, and people compete to seek breakthroughs at the technical level. However, with the gradual maturity of the industry and the popularization of products, in the process of expansion from 1 to N, the focus of competition has gradually shifted to the scale of products, cost control and service quality. Therefore, at different stages of development, the connotation of involution is constantly changing.
With the development of the market and social progress, we must abandon the thinking of adapting to all changes with the same and constantly adjust and optimize our own development strategies. This includes a number of aspects such as technology strategy, R&D strategy and marketing strategy to ensure that we can keep pace with market developments and achieve sustained and steady growth.
Although the laser industry is facing fierce competition and involution, it also contains development potential that cannot be underestimated. So what do you think about the future development or direction of the domestic fiber laser industry?
Li Xiaojun: Although laser applications have made significant progress in breadth and depth in the past 20 years, there are still many industries and market segments that have not yet fully enjoyed the dividends of laser technology development. These areas deserve more attention and resources to promote the in-depth application of laser technology and products in these industries. Even in the seemingly saturated flat cutting market, its diverse applications continue to generate new demand.
As far as the sheet metal processing and welding market is concerned, there is still a large gap between its application depth and laser cutting. As we often say, laser cutting is only for blanking, and the connection is the eternal theme. Therefore, the laser welding market may become a key force to promote the expansion of the entire laser application market.
In addition, there is also great potential for the application of lasers in the medical field, and we are working closely with downstream equipment manufacturers and end-users to explore more application scenarios of lasers in the medical industry. At the same time, with the continuous emergence of new technologies, the application of lasers in emerging fields such as quantum computing and quantum communication has also been preliminarily verified, and its market potential is becoming more and more significant with the further expansion of technology. These areas are the next blue ocean worth looking forward to in the future.
At the beginning of spring 2024, Feibo Laser is about to open a new stage of development. If you want to use one word to accurately describe the momentum of Feibo Laser this year, which word will you choose?
Li Xiaojun: I think I would choose the phrase "seeking change while maintaining stability", because "stability" is not the end, but a wise move based on the current situation and situation. "Change" is our unswerving pursuit, because only continuous innovation can better adapt to the environment and meet the needs of industry development.
Looking forward to 2024, FIBO Laser will adhere to the strategy of "seeking change while maintaining stability". "Stable" means that we will stick to the goal and direction, not blindly rush, but according to the actual situation of the current market and industry development, prudent decision-making. "Change" means that we will always maintain the spirit of innovation, because the market is constantly evolving, the industry is continuing to progress, only by constantly promoting technology iteration and product updates, we can keep up with the pace of the times and lead the industry trend. Therefore, from this point of view, "change" will be our eternal theme.
From: ofweek
Welcome everyone to participate in the activities held by the Yangtze River Delta G60 Laser Alliance:
Application of laser intelligent manufacturing in new energy vehicles:
July 29-31, 2024, Hefei Fengda International Hotel, Anhui
Welcome to the conference and exhibition!