ZEISS Breaks Ground on First Self-Built Campus in China, Strengthening Commitment to Local Innovation and Manufacturing

SuzhouOctober 19, 2022PR Newswire -- On October 18, 2022, Carl Zeiss, a global leader in optics and optoelectronics technology, broke ground on the "Phoenix Nest" project in Suzhou Industrial Park. This marks the first land purchase and self-construction project by Carl Zeiss in China, signifying a further deepening and expansion of its localization efforts in the country. Once completed, the "Phoenix Nest" project will establish Carl Zeiss Suzhou as an important high-level R&D and manufacturing hub in China, providing localized R&D and production services for multiple business divisions including industrial quality, research microscopes, surgical microscopes, and ophthalmic equipment. This development will further solidify Carl Zeiss's strategic positioning of "Rooted in China, serving the globe," delivering more innovative and high-quality solutions to the global market.

"Carl Zeiss remains fully confident in China's development," said Mr. Foster, President and CEO of Carl Zeiss Greater China. "The investment in the 'Phoenix Nest' project in Suzhou demonstrates Carl Zeiss’ steadfast commitment to deepening its presence in the Chinese market and continuously advancing its localization process. Once completed, the new project will enable Carl Zeiss to leverage Suzhou's strong manufacturing base, talent pool, and industrial chain advantages to accelerate joint innovation with partners and build a more resilient and sustainable industrial ecosystem in the Yangtze River Delta region. In the future, Carl Zeiss will continue to increase its investment in the Chinese market, further deepen its localized innovation strategy, and contribute to the upgrading of 'Made in China' and the high-quality development of the healthcare industry."

Ms. Liu Hua, Member of the Working Committee and Deputy Director of the Management Committee of Suzhou Industrial Park, stated: "As the first and only provincial-level foreign-funded headquarters economic cluster area in Jiangsu Province, Suzhou Industrial Park has gradually upgraded from being mainly focused on manufacturing and processing trade to a development stage driven by innovative industries, paying more attention to cultivating an innovative ecosystem. Based in Suzhou Industrial Park, the development and progress achieved by Carl Zeiss Suzhou is worth celebrating. We wish Carl Zeiss to continue striding forward in China, fully leverage its technological influence, and promote the vigorous development of the local ecosystem."

2022 marks the 65th year of Carl Zeiss in China. Since entering the Chinese market in 1957, Carl Zeiss has been committed to empowering high-quality development and innovation in various fields such as healthcare, manufacturing, scientific research, and optometry by leveraging its technological advantages in optics and diverse product portfolio. Today, China has become Carl Zeiss's largest strategic market globally. Since settling in Suzhou Industrial Park in 2004, Carl Zeiss Suzhou has experienced rapid revenue growth over the past decade, actively driving multiple types of partners in the industry chain to improve quality and efficiency. Relying on the abundant talent and technological resources in Suzhou and the Yangtze River Delta region, Carl Zeiss has gradually expanded its R&D and manufacturing advantages in high-tech and high-precision products, developing together with numerous customers and partners.

Rooted in China for 65 Years, Carl Zeiss Continues to Invest in the Chinese Market, Strengthening Local Presence and Collaborating with Partners for Shared Opportunities and Growth. Currently, Carl Zeiss has established a regional headquarters and innovation R&D center in Shanghai, which will work together with the Suzhou R&D and manufacturing base to form the "Carl Zeiss Yangtze River Delta High-End Equipment Innovation and Development Ecosystem." In the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, centered around the Carl Zeiss Guangzhou Knowledge City manufacturing base, Carl Zeiss is driving the construction of an "Optical Industry Ecosystem," gradually forming a closed-loop industrial chain focused on high-end optical lenses and medical consumables. In line with the strategy outlined in China's 14th Five-Year Plan to build major science and technology innovation platforms, Carl Zeiss will continue to prioritize high quality, adhering to the principle of "leveraging global high-tech for the future of humanity," while deeply integrating into the industrial chain hubs of both the Yangtze River Delta and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area to support the high-quality and sustainable development of multiple industries in China.