Press Release

ZEISS opens new R&D and manufacturing site in Suzhou, China

Driving localization with innovation

9 July 2024
  • ZEISS Group's new R&D and manufacturing site in Suzhou Industrial Park officially opens, marking a milestone in ZEISS' efforts to further deepen its localization strategy in China.
  • The significant investment enables ZEISS to respond more rapidly to local market demands while strengthening the resilience of its global R&D, manufacturing and supply chain.
  • Leveraging the technological and talent strengths in the Yangtze River Delta region, the new site epitomizes ZEISS' commitment to digitalization and sustainability. ZEISS is ready to leverage its state-of-the-art products and technologies to promote new quality productive forces and provide strong momentum for high-quality development.


Suzhou, China | 9 July 2024 | ZEISS Group

On 8 July 2024, ZEISS opened its new R&D and manufacturing site in Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP). Covering an area of over 13,000 square meters, the new site marks the group's first land purchase for its self-built project in China. It aims to become a key R&D and manufacturing center in the country for industrial quality solutions, research microscopes, surgical microscopes, and ophthalmic equipment. This milestone signifies ZEISS' commitment to further deepening its localization strategy in China and enhancing its local R&D and manufacturing capabilities.

From left to right: Tang Hao, party secretary of Suzhou Industrial Park High-end Manufacturing and International Trade Zone; Sun Yangcheng, deputy director of Suzhou Industrial Park Administrative Committee; Jochen Peter, member of the Executive Board of the ZEISS Group, president and CEO of ZEISS IQR GmbH; Ji Jing, vice mayor of Suzhou; Maximilian Foerst, president and CEO of ZEISS Greater China ; Frank Xie, chief operating officer of ZEISS Greater China.

"We are delighted to inaugurate ZEISS Suzhou R&D and manufacturing site", said Dr. Jochen Peter, member of the Executive Board of the ZEISS Group and president & CEO of ZEISS IQR GmbH. "ZEISS' China presence and engagement with companies operating here has not only fueled growth across our business but provides access to industry-leading developments and market scale that is hard to find anywhere else. ZEISS is embedded into the innovation ecosystem in China and creates mutual benefits by innovating here at speed and scale. With the inauguration of the new site in Suzhou, we have reached an important milestone on our journey to upgrade local R&D and expand high-end product portfolios in Greater China."

Jochen Peter, member of the Executive Board of the ZEISS Group and president & CEO of ZEISS IQR GmbH.

Maximilian Foerst, president and CEO of ZEISS Greater China, said, "China is one of the most innovative and fastest-growing markets. The new site, leveraging the strengths of the Yangtze River Delta region in resources, talents, and collaborative innovation, epitomizes our commitment to digitalization and sustainability. We are ready to leverage our state-of-the-art products and technologies to promote new quality productive forces and provide strong momentum for high-quality development in China."

 

Maximilian Foerst, president and CEO of ZEISS Greater China.

Sun Yangcheng, deputy director of Suzhou Industrial Park Administrative Committee, said, "The new site opening demonstrates ZEISS' confidence in the investment environment of Suzhou and SIP. It also highlights our longstanding and mutually beneficial cooperation. As SIP celebrates its 30th anniversary, we are committed to fostering an influential regional hub for innovation and a globally competitive modern industrial center. We will continue to support multinationals including ZEISS with an enhanced business environment and better services. We hope that ZEISS will help foster a vibrant local innovation ecosystem by leveraging its optical technology expertise.”

 

Sun Yangcheng, deputy director of Suzhou Industrial Park Administrative Committee.

The architectural design of ZEISS Suzhou follows ZEISS' brand colors of blue and white with a minimalist style while incorporating elements of Suzhou gardens and classical Chinese heritage. This showcases an integration of modern advanced technologies and traditional aesthetics. In the lobby, product experts from China and Germany demonstrate the signature products manufactured by ZEISS Suzhou, including the ZEISS O-INSPECT multi-sensor measuring machine, the ZEISS Axio Imager research microscope, and the ZEISS PENTERO 800 S surgical microscope. The interior display also tells the story of the construction progress of ZEISS Suzhou, ZEISS' innovative achievements, and industry awards for almost twenty years in Suzhou, highlighting ZEISS' long-term commitment to the Chinese market and its continuous efforts to expand its footprint in the country.

The year 2024 marks ZEISS' 67th year in China. The company's commitment to localization remains foundational to its development in the country. Serving as the high-end R&D and manufacturing hub in China, ZEISS Suzhou will closely work and share resources with ZEISS' regional headquarters and Innovation and R&D Center in Shanghai to carry out industry-university-research collaboration to foster an ecosystem of advanced equipment innovation development in the Yangtze River Delta region, and become a reliable component of ZEISS' global sustainability, innovation, R&D, and high-end manufacturing ecosystem.

Press contact Jörg Nitschke

Head of Corporate Brand, Communications and Public Affairs
ZEISS Group

About ZEISS

ZEISS is an internationally leading technology enterprise operating in the fields of optics and optoelectronics. In the previous fiscal year, the ZEISS Group generated annual revenue totaling 10 billion euros in its four segments Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology, Industrial Quality & Research, Medical Technology and Consumer Markets (status: 30 September 2023).

For its customers, ZEISS develops, produces and distributes highly innovative solutions for industrial metrology and quality assurance, microscopy solutions for the life sciences and materials research, and medical technology solutions for diagnostics and treatment in ophthalmology and microsurgery. The name ZEISS is also synonymous with the world's leading lithography optics, which are used by the chip industry to manufacture semiconductor components. There is global demand for trendsetting ZEISS brand products such as eyeglass lenses, camera lenses and binoculars.

With a portfolio aligned with future growth areas like digitalization, healthcare and Smart Production and a strong brand, ZEISS is shaping the future of technology and constantly advancing the world of optics and related fields with its solutions. The company's significant, sustainable investments in research and development lay the foundation for the success and continued expansion of ZEISS' technology and market leadership. ZEISS invests 15 percent of its revenue in research and development – this high level of expenditure has a long tradition at ZEISS and is also an investment in the future.

With over 44,000 employees, ZEISS is active globally in around 50 countries with more than 60 sales and service locations, 35 research and development facilities, and 35 production facilities worldwide (status: 31 March 2024). Founded in 1846 in Jena, the company is headquartered in Oberkochen, Germany. The Carl Zeiss Foundation, one of the largest foundations in Germany committed to the promotion of science, is the sole owner of the holding company, Carl Zeiss AG.

Further information at www.zeiss.com

Press Photos




Share this page