Tan Xuguang, the highest award of the times entrepreneur | provincial science and technology: scientific and technological achievements have been achieved through struggle

Qilu Evening News Qilu One Point reporter Wu Hao Zhang Afeng Wang Shiyu

"Only if we have our own core technology, others will look up to us" - this is the consistent concept of Tan Xuguang, chairman of Shandong Heavy Industry Group and chairman of Weichai Group, who has been at the helm of large state-owned enterprises for many years. He has been working in the engine field for many years, and when he recalls more than 40 years of Weichai's career, his words reveal: self-confidence, wisdom and courage.

Tan Xuguang, who won the highest award of science and technology in Shandong Province in 2020, was named "Tan Bold" by the outside world, he is not only an outstanding manager, but also an outstanding scientist, not only proficient in management, but also well versed in the logic of scientific and technological innovation.

In 1977, Tan Xuguang entered Weichai and served as the main leader of the company for 23 years, as Tan Xuguang himself said: "My blood is 'diesel'", for many years, he has been asking enterprises to take the route of independent innovation, he is a witness and witness to Weichai's reform and development for more than 40 years.

Especially after the release of the world's first diesel engine that exceeded 50% thermal efficiency, he said, "Weichai products have surpassed the international giants in the world, no one may believe it, and I don't have to say more, but I have technology to surpass you, that is, you can't learn to take it away, so that others can look up to you." ”

Successful business leaders have this characteristic: technology-based strategic managers

Whether at home or abroad, successful and sustainable business leaders have such characteristics: technology-based strategic managers. This is also confirmed by Tan Xuguang. He said that entrepreneurs should be proficient in products and management at the same time, and the innovation of the two is mutually conditional, "In layman's terms, the product is the charcoal in the snow, and the management is the icing on the cake." "Valuing products requires entrepreneurs to be well versed in technological innovation.

The reason for this experience is related to Tan Xuguang's decades of deep cultivation and observation of industries, industries and enterprises.

"What people remember most is the story of youth." Tan Recalls that in 1977, he entered Weichai and his first job was as a product tester. This is a very technical position, now called product test engineer, at that time there was no such concept.

At that time, Tan Xuguang also participated in the project team of China's 704 tank engine development. It was the tank that was dragged back from Zhenbao Island that year, "Our country called this tank engine the 704 project, and pulled the engine to Weichai, which was developed by Weichai." ”

At this time, Tan Xuguang wanted to be the best eighth-level worker, and at that time, the eighth-level worker was the highest. This is also the first stage of his research and development career, a ten-year understanding of products. It is this decade of experience that laid the foundation for Tan Xuguang and the logic of promoting the development of enterprises in the main leadership positions in the next twenty-three years.

Later, Tan Xuguang was sent to the foreign trade department to do product exports, and he worked in this position for ten years, "At that time, what I experienced most deeply was that our products and services could not meet the needs of the international market, and our technical standard system was not adapted." ”

Under such circumstances, Tan Xuguang was stationed in Indonesia for a year, "going to foreign markets to study in depth why our products are not working, how can we make it work." "It is precisely in this way that Weichai's products can be continuously improved, upgraded and breakthroughed."

When Tan Xuguang served as the main leader of Weichai, the "first knife" he took office was to rectify the quality of the product and smash more than 100 flawed engines. He believes that there is a problem with the product, the surface is a quality problem, but in fact it is a technical problem, a system and system problem.

At the beginning of his tenure, he wrote "customer satisfaction is our aim", which was later adjusted to "customer satisfaction is our aim", which is now the core value of Weichai.

To engage in research and development, it is necessary to be willing to invest, and he asked the research and development department to spend money boldly. "Earlier, I gave money and they couldn't spend it because they didn't know how to spend it. At that time, research and development was only application-oriented development, not towards originality. "In the past decade, Weichai's R&D expenses have accounted for 5% of annual sales revenue, of which 20% of R&D expenses are basic research and cutting-edge research.

The more stimulating the more passionate, the scientific and technological achievements are won through scientific and technological struggle

The reason why Weichai has become a leading enterprise in the domestic industry is inseparable from Tan Xuguang's emphasis on scientific and technological innovation over the years, "Only if you have core technology, others will look up to us." He said this on many occasions. This is also one of his insights from years of business management.

He said that imitating others, by spending money to introduce other people's products, even if they are designed according to the drawings, they cannot design good products.

In June 1998, after Tan Xuguang became the director of Weifang Diesel Engine Factory, he often traveled to the world on business trips to understand the gap between Weichai and international counterparts. "We're improving compared to ourselves, but going out and seeing someone else's product is a huge stimulus to us."

In 1999, Tan Xuguang and his party visited a Fortune 500 company, when Weichai did not have such a high reputation and influence as it does now, and the other party only sent a manager to take them to visit. During the visit, they were shown the products that the company was about to eliminate, and those advanced production lines were covered with tarpaulins, which stimulated Tan Xuguang greatly.

Tan Xuguang has a distinct personal characteristic: the more exciting, the more passionate. After returning from the visit, he held a meeting and asked that he must take the road of innovation. In 2002, when the company was completely out of trouble, Weichai immediately launched research on heavy-duty commercial vehicle engines. At that time, Weichai's old generation of Steyr products were in short supply, and no one would have thought that at that time, Tan Xuguang and his team made a bold decision to immediately start stockpiling a new generation of products.

Enterprises have to go their own way, but how to go? Weichai also needed someone else to help him take a ride, and Weichai chose to cooperate with a world-class design company.

Tan Xuguang must always grasp the strategic issues related to the direction of the enterprise, and he believes that strategic things must be done correctly.

According to the previous cooperation model, the other party designs a product for the enterprise, gives the enterprise drawings, and then produces it themselves. And Tan Xuguang believes that it is not possible, to change, according to the contract at that time, the other party designed products for Weichai, and Weichai sent 10 engineers to participate. But then Tan Sent 30 Engineers, and Weichai established its own R&D center there.

In addition, Tan Xuguang also asked that he must participate in the whole process of forward development, and the other party did not agree at first, but then compromised. "Scientific and technological achievements have been won step by step through scientific and technological struggle."

It is worth mentioning that the current National VI engine all uses high-voltage common rail electronic control technology. But at the end of the last century, the international basic use of single pumps and pump nozzles.

What kind of technical route should the fuel system take? At a time when the world was still arguing, Weichai's team chose high-voltage common rail electronic control technology based on its understanding of the fuel system.

At that time, it was still in the national two emission stage, all mechanical pumps. However, after the China III emission stage, because of Weichai's forward-looking decision, high-voltage common-orbit electronic control technology is widely promoted and used. At this time, the global industry has also begun to use high-voltage common rail electronic control technology routes. What problem did Weichai solve with this important decision? Tan Xuguang said that one is to unify the technical route of China's heavy-duty high-speed engines, and the other is to avoid detours in China's industry.

"If I have made some scientific and technological contributions to China's heavy-duty diesel engine technology, this is a great contribution." Tan Xuguang said.

In the era of scientific and technological revolution, a number of new enterprises will be produced, and some enterprises will be eliminated

On September 16, 2020, the development of the world's internal combustion engine ushered in a historic new breakthrough, and Weichai released the world's first diesel engine that exceeded 50% thermal efficiency, which aroused widespread concern in the world. Qilu Evening News Qilu one-point reporter learned that the thermal efficiency of diesel engines from 26% to today's industry average - 45% to 47%, after a long course of a hundred years; continuous innovation of technology, improve thermal efficiency, is the diesel engine industry scientific and technological personnel to pursue the goal.

"Weichai's goal is to catch up with the international giants, I have the core technology to surpass you, and I can't learn to take it away, so that others can look up to you." Tan Xuguang said.

With the release of the world's first commercial diesel engine that exceeds 50% thermal efficiency, Weichai has left a strong mark in the history of combustion engines within 100 years. Tan Xuguang introduced: "I can responsibly say that we are not far from achieving a thermal efficiency of 51%, and we will release it to the public at the right time, and our goal is to strive to break through 55% during the "14th Five-Year Plan" period." ”

It is worth mentioning that 50% of the thermal efficiency is preceded by a definite term, called "ontology machine thermal efficiency", without adding peripheral technology. Weichai's goal is still to reach 55% and strive for a breakthrough in a short period of time.

"Carbon peaking" and "carbon neutrality" are the hottest topics in the current society, which will have a huge impact on the automotive industry. "If there are still people who suspect that 'Carbon Peak' does not need new energy vehicles, then this company will definitely go to extinction." Tan Xuguang said.

Tan Xuguang believes that in the future, in the field of passenger cars and urban logistics and distribution vehicles, new energy power will continue to be popularized, and diesel vehicles will be gradually eliminated. "But it is certainly impossible to drive a new energy passenger car from Shandong to Guangzhou, and it will face the problem of charging difficulties in the future." At the same time, heavy-duty trucks will come in all their forms, such as hybrid, such as electric, such as hydrogen fuel. "It needs to have a process, a process of technological maturity, and a process of reallocating a national energy strategy."

"In this era of scientific and technological revolution, there will be a new batch of enterprises, and a number of enterprises will be eliminated. Tan Xuguang said.

Introduction is the investment rather than the cost, as long as the direction is right, how to spend how you want

High-end manufacturing industry not only has advanced technology, advanced tools, but also has a large number of basic data accumulation to achieve leapfrogging, therefore, this requires enterprises to have the ability to continue research and development, but also needs to have the spirit of "ten years of grinding a sword".

Tan Xuguang said that from the perspective of openness and the integration of the global industrial chain, integrated innovation is needed, but enterprises must also take the route of independent development. He said that enterprises should deploy the industrial chain around the requirements of independent development. "Otherwise, you have to go out and buy other people's things, you buy other people's things, when everyone doesn't have it, how much money others want you to give." 」

As a leading enterprise in Shandong, Weichai has driven a large number of industrial chain enterprises, and in this process has formed collaborative research and development, called "global chain integration innovation".

"When you have advanced technology, but no one gives you engineering, you can't achieve and can't achieve your effect, we also propose to integrate production, education and research to innovate." We have more than 3,000 parts for an engine, tens of thousands of parts for a car, and one part cannot be turned up. The high-end engine is just one screw cap that is not good enough to be installed. Tan Xuguang said.

But enterprise innovation needs talents and investment. In Tan Xuguang's view, some companies are talking about innovation, saying that the lack of talents is actually unwilling to spend money. Everyone regards the introduction of talents as a cost, which is a matter of philosophy. "The introduction of talent is investment, and investment is rewarding, not cost."

On this question, Weichai has given a good answer in the development of the past 20 years.

In 2005, Weichai introduced the first returnee doctor with an annual salary of 180,000 US dollars. It seems simple, but this kind of ecological construction is a very difficult thing, first of all, we must form a consensus from the concept - science and technology ecology is the lifeline of the enterprise.

"The construction of our scientific and technological ecology must allow those who want to be officers and dare to be officers, unchecked, and cultivate innovative 'crazy people' in order to create what others cannot imagine, and what we lack is this kind of person, a 'technology-based' entrepreneur like Jobs." Tan Xuguang said.

He said that as the number one and main person in charge of the enterprise, he is the core figure in building an innovative ecology, and he cannot do it without determination and determination.

However, Tan Xuguang also said that in the field of cutting-edge technology, "burning money" has a boundary and a direction, as long as it is within this boundary and direction, how to burn it, but the process of burning must burn out what the enterprise needs.

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