Zeiss Invests Over RMB 600 Million in New Greater China Headquarters Campus in Shanghai

Feb 11, 2025 08:08 CST Updated 08:08

Carl Zeiss

Eyewear Product Developer

Source: Eye Future；Editor: Sophia

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On February 6, 2025, Xie Lei, Chief Operating Officer of Carl Zeiss Greater China, announced at an event that Carl Zeiss China would purchase land in the Shanghai Free Trade Zone to build its own integrated campus for the Greater China headquarters. The project covers an area of60 mu, Total infrastructure investment exceeds600 million yuan。

# Investment Details

On February 6, 2025, Xie Lei, Chief Operating Officer of Carl Zeiss Greater China, announced at the Pudong New Area "Investment Promotion and Environment Optimization for Development Conference" that Carl Zeiss China would purchase land in the Shanghai Free Trade Zone to build a Greater China headquarters integrated campus. The project covers an area of 60 mu, with total infrastructure investment exceeding 600 million RMB.

This investment is not only Carl Zeiss's largest single infrastructure investment in China, but also demonstrates its long-term confidence and deep commitment to the Chinese market.

Xie Lei said,In 1999, Carl Zeiss was one of the first foreign-funded enterprises to enter the Bonded Area, and in 2021,China has become the largest single market for the Carl Zeiss Group globally., In the last fiscal year, Carl Zeiss Greater China achieved a record revenue of 15.2 billion yuan, which is 6 times higher than that of 10 years ago. This investment is aimed at deepening Carl Zeiss'An important measure of the localization strategy.

# Continuously Increasing Investment in the Chinese Market

October 2024,Carl Zeiss Optical Industry 4.0 Health Optometry Ecosystem Phase III Expansion and Reconstruction ProjectPublic Notice: The Total Investment of the Project is Nearly430 million yuan, the plan will be to layout within the existing factory area in the Sino-Singapore Knowledge City (Huangpu District, Guangzhou) with forward-looking, modern, and representative features.Industry 4.0 New Factory。

Project Content IncludesRelying on the existing site for construction, without adding new construction land, this renovation and expansion mainlyAcetone Wiping Process for Existing Project CR Lens Production Line and Resin Prescription Lens Production LineCarry out the transformation, at the same timeIncrease the production of resin prescription lenses and hydrophilic intraocular lenses, added the production of Dawn-Crystal Fragmentation Device, Polaris-Liquid Collection Box, and injection-molded lenses.

Educational land is planned next to the Time Imprint.

Among which, the new production capacity of resin prescription lenses5.25 million pieces/year, with an additional annual production capacity of 1 million pieces for hydrophilic intraocular lenses.Dawn-Phacoemulsification System Output180,000 units/yearPolaris-Collection Box920,000 units/yearAnd injection molded lenses3 million pieces/year; In addition, a new pre-treatment facility for fluoride-containing wastewater with a processing capacity of 120m³/day has been added, and a greywater recycling system with a processing capacity of 60m³/hour has been built to replace the original greywater recycling system that has been discontinued.

Here will build the worldThe most advancedOptical Products Production Line, becoming Carl Zeiss GroupThe World's Largest Scale High Refractive Index、Manufacturing Base for High-End Customized Functional Optical Lenses and High-End Ophthalmic Instruments。

Carl Zeiss' current total investment in GuangzhouExceeding 3 billion yuan, whose production capacity in the Guangzhou factory has exceeded that of Carl Zeiss.40% of Global Capacity, forming a complete entity that integrates product design, R&D innovation, manufacturing, fine personalized customization, sales, the Asia-Pacific logistics center, after-sales service platform, and the global inspection and testing center, becoming Carl Zeiss Optical.The World's Only Full-Technology, Full-Category Manufacturing Base。

# Localization Upgrade

Suzhou

Carl Zeiss Suzhou operations began in 2006,Mainly produces B&C grade microscopes, OCT, and medical surgical microscopes.In November 2020, the Carl Zeiss Intelligent Solutions Center was officially inaugurated as the first design and service center for intelligent and automated solutions by Carl Zeiss in China.

AsThe Group's First Land Purchase and Self-Build Project in China, Carl Zeiss Suzhou R&D and Manufacturing Base was launched in October 2022. From the signing in November 2021, to the start of construction in October 2022, and finally to its official operation in April 2024, Carl ZeissThe entire process of constructing and commencing operations at the Suzhou R&D and manufacturing base took only 18 months.。

The total area of the project site exceeds 13,000 square meters and will becomeCarl Zeiss' important R&D and manufacturing base in China for industrial quality, research microscopes, surgical microscopes, and ophthalmic equipment., further enhance the group's local R&D and manufacturing capabilities in China, and strengthen the resilience of its global R&D, manufacturing, and supply chain.

It is reported that the Carl Zeiss Suzhou R&D and manufacturing base mainly produces advanced equipment such as industrial microscopes, research microscopes, surgical microscopes, precision online optical and mechanical measuring instruments.In the field of medical technology, Suzhou will currentlyEntry-level Surgical Microscopes and Ophthalmic Product LinesOn the basis of,Built OCT, intraocular lens biometer, excimer laser system, high-end surgical microscopeAnd other product lines.

Guangzhou

In 2018,The groundbreaking ceremony for the Carl Zeiss New Vision Project was held at the Sino-Singapore Knowledge City in Guangzhou Development Zone;In 2019, Carl Zeiss Medical established its presence in Guangzhou, integrating three major business modules: intelligent manufacturing of intraocular lenses, high-end customization, and medical devices.

In October 2018, the "Carl Zeiss New Vision Project" was announced to launch in the Huangpu District of Guangzhou City, Guangzhou Development Zone.

In 2021, the Carl Zeiss Group made an additional investment in Carl Zeiss Guangzhou.Over 400 Million Yuan, further enhance intelligent manufacturing capabilities, while introducing new businesses in the medical division, and further expand the global high-end optical eyewear products personalized customization and large-scale manufacturing business,Create a World-Class Sustainable Development Ecosystem for the Vision Health Industry。

In September of the same year, leveraging the increasingly popular "first-store economy" in Huangpu,Carl Zeiss's first brand space in China, "Carl Zeiss Vision," officially opens in Huangpu District。

May 2022,Carl Zeiss' investment and construction in GuangzhouOptical Industry 4.0 Healthy Optometry Ecosystem Phase II ProjectLaunched in China's New Knowledge City。September,Carl Zeiss Group's first brand space in China, "Zeiss Vision," officially opened in Huangpu District, Guangzhou City, and Guangzhou Development Zone.

Shanghai

Carl Zeiss settled in the Waigaoqiao Bonded Area in 1999. In 2012, Shanghai issued the Administrative Measures for Regional Headquarters of Multinational Corporations. In order to seize the opportunities presented by China's rapidly developing market,Carl Zeiss Establishes Its First Corporate Innovation and R&D Center Outside Germany in Pudong, Shanghai, establish an innovation center in China and transfer some international business functions to Shanghai.

In 2015, the headquarters building of Carl Zeiss China was officially inaugurated in Waigaoqiao, and the company established divisions for microscopes, medical technology, industrial metrology, vision care, and consumer optics in China.

In 2019, the opening of the new Customer Experience Center at the Carl Zeiss China headquarters marked the debut of more innovative products, solutions, and technologies by Carl Zeiss in China.

In January 2022, Carl Zeiss signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the Carl Zeiss Investment Headquarters Project with the Shanghai Free Trade Zone Bonded Area Administration and Shanghai Waigaoqiao Bonded Area New Development Co., Ltd.Marks the dual establishment of Carl Zeiss China's investment headquarters and China's medical investment headquarters in the Waigaoqiao Bonded Area.。

The two new headquarters will focus on the medical industry and high-tech industry, respectively. They will unify and coordinate the capital allocation and business expansion of Carl Zeiss' two major sectors within China, with a focus on investing in emerging fields within these advantageous industries.

After the completion of the "dual headquarters," it will further strengthenCarl Zeiss positions Shanghai as the focal point and bridgehead for its strategic investment and development in China, the Asia-Pacific region, and even globally.。Thus, with the support of the new GOP service model, Carl Zeiss has completed the layout of a regional headquarters and dual investment companies in the free trade zone, becoming a "multi-blossom" headquarters enterprise.