Media Focus

2022 is the first year for Hunan to implement the "Strong Provincial Capital" strategy, and private enterprises must be supported in practicing the "Strong Provincial Capital" strategy to accelerate high-quality development. Recently, the special column "Strong Provincial Capital: Private Enterprises in Action" of Changsha Evening News visited Sunward Industrial City and reported on Sunward's advanced deeds in innovation leadership and high-quality development.

The original report follows——

Recently, the 2022 list of the "Top 50 Global Construction Equipment Manufacturers" was released. Sunward Intelligent Equipment Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Sunward") ranked 34th with sales of 1.313 billion US dollars. When a reporter recently visited Sunward for an interview, Zhu Jianxin, deputy general manager of the company, introduced that Sunward, established only more than 20 years ago, has been ranked among the top 50 global construction equipment manufacturers for many consecutive years. The reason it has been able to achieve such remarkable results is the "pioneering innovation" model implemented by the company, which has continuously broken through bottleneck technologies. While rapidly expanding the domestic market, its overseas "circle of friends" has also expanded rapidly.

Sunward has continued to improve its independent innovation capability and taken a path of differentiated development, achieving remarkable results.

"Pioneering Innovation" Yields Fruitful Innovation Results

On November 1 this year, the Changsha Federation of Industry and Commerce held a conference celebrating its 70th anniversary and presented the "Excellence Cup" to a group of private entrepreneurs with outstanding achievements and contributions, in recognition of their outstanding contributions to Changsha's economic and social development. He Qinghua, founder, honorary chairman and chief expert of Sunward, was one of the recipients.

At Sunward, He Qinghua is affectionately called "Teacher He" by company employees. He was once a professor at Central South University. Troubled and worried by the then widespread problem of "difficulty in transforming scientific and technological achievements," in 1999, at the age of 53, He Qinghua left his academic post to start a business and founded Sunward in the Changsha Economic and Technological Development Zone.

 Zhu Jianxin, who was wearing work clothes when interviewed by media reporters, was also formerly a teacher at Central South University. From the very first day Sunward was founded, he left the "ivory tower" and worked with Teacher He. Zhu Jianxin introduced that Teacher He's invented product, the "hydraulic static pile driver," is a type of foundation construction equipment unique to China and a product of "pioneering innovation," being both energy-saving and efficient.

 Zhu Jianxin introduced that when Sunward was founded, He Qinghua advocated adhering to the "pioneering innovation" model. This "pioneering innovation" is not simple imitation, but a relatively complete innovation process. "That is, when a certain product or technology does not yet exist on the market, we develop it; or when the market already has a certain product or technology, ours is more advanced and can lead market consumption. This is 'pioneering innovation.'"

 Today, "pioneering innovation" has become the core driving force of Sunward's development. Based on this concept, the company has derived four innovation models: original innovation, integrated innovation, open innovation and continuous innovation. The reporter learned that in recent years, Sunward has continued to improve its independent innovation capability and taken a path of differentiated development, achieving remarkable results. In 2021, it ranked 265th on the list of "China's Top 500 Private Enterprises."

The Key to Enterprise Innovation Lies in "Strengthening Talent"

In just over 20 years, Sunward's R&D team has successfully developed more than 200 specifications and models of high-end equipment products with independent intellectual property rights and core competitiveness.

 In recent years, in order to comply with the development trends of electrification, intelligence and informatization, Sunward has accelerated the integrated innovative application of new technologies such as artificial intelligence, 5G, big data and energy conservation with high-end equipment, and explored a new "smart manufacturing" model of digital integration across the entire product life cycle. Zhu Jianxin said proudly: "Now in Changsha we can operate Sunward equipment more than 1,000 kilometers away to carry out application operations."

 While products have frequently succeeded in the domestic market, Sunward has proactively served national strategies, integrated into the international market and participated in international competition. Zhu Jianxin introduced that as product performance has been recognized by high-end international markets, coupled with localized operations and services, Sunward's global brand influence has continued to rise, opening a new phase in its globalization. At present, the company's overseas market share of sales revenue has risen from about 20% two years ago to more than 30% now, achieving a historic breakthrough.

 At present, Sunward's R&D team has more than 600 people. "Enterprise innovation depends on talent." Zhu Jianxin believes that the key to implementing the "Strong Provincial Capital" strategy and promoting high-quality development lies in "strengthening talent." In addition to strengthening the introduction of talent, continuous attention should also be paid to the training and use of locally grown talent. "Talent is the key to enhancing enterprise innovation capability, and the 'Strong Provincial Capital' needs 'strengthening talent' as important support," he said.

Sunward Official Website