In early spring of 2025, China's laser industry once again attracted the attention of global laser giants, ushering in a new wave of international investment boom.
After several global laser giants accelerated their layout in China in 2024, in February 2025, Carl Zeiss from Germany and Bystronic from Switzerland, two global giants in the optical and laser fields, also announced significant expansion plans in China.
Among them, Carl Zeiss from Germany announced that it will purchase land in the Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone to build its own Greater China headquarters comprehensive park, which is planned to be completed and put into use in 2027. The total investment of this project exceeds 600 million yuan and will become a "super hub" for Carl Zeiss to radiate to the Asia Pacific region.
And the Swiss Bystronic Group plans to build the Bystronic Denon brand Foshan base in Nanhai District, Foshan City, radiating to the Guangdong Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area and expanding the brand's influence.
From the comprehensive park in Pudong, Shanghai to the intelligent manufacturing base in Nanhai, Foshan, international giants have invested "real money and silver" to send a strong signal that foreign enterprises are optimistic about China's business and investing locally, injecting surging new energy into the upgrading of China's high-end manufacturing industry.
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Century old optical giant Carl Zeiss
Spending 600 million yuan to increase investment in China
On February 6, 2025, Xie Lei, Chief Operating Officer of Carl Zeiss Greater China, announced a major decision at the investment signing ceremony in Pudong New Area: Carl Zeiss China will purchase land in Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone to build its own Greater China headquarters comprehensive park.
It is reported that the project covers an area of 60 acres and has a total infrastructure investment of over 600 million yuan. It is planned to be completed and put into use in 2027. This is Carl Zeiss' largest single investment project since entering the Chinese market in 1999, marking Carl Zeiss's strategic upgrade from "market rooting" to "localization of the entire industry chain".
As a global leader in optics and optoelectronics technology, Carl Zeiss has established a complete network in China that covers research and development, production, sales, and service. The newly built comprehensive park will form a synergistic effect with Carl Zeiss' R&D and manufacturing base in Suzhou, further enhancing Carl Zeiss' operational efficiency in the Chinese market and becoming the company's "super hub" radiating to the Asia Pacific region.
The construction of Carl Zeiss Greater China Headquarters Comprehensive Park will not only enhance Carl Zeiss' localization operation capabilities in China, but also help it achieve faster and more stable development in the Chinese market. With the opening of the park, Carl Zeiss will be able to better integrate internal and external resources, enhance the collaborative efficiency of various links such as research and development, production, and sales, and provide consumers with higher quality and efficient products and services.
Data shows that Carl Zeiss China's performance has grown rapidly in the past decade. In 2021, China surpassed Germany to become the world's largest market for Carl Zeiss. In the fiscal year 2024, Carl Zeiss's revenue in Greater China reached 15.2 billion yuan, a six fold increase from ten years ago. Previously, Carl Zeiss had invested in building the first self built R&D and manufacturing base in China in Suzhou, and established an investment company focused on the medical and technology industries in Shanghai, gradually building an integrated ecosystem of "research, production, sales, and investment".
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Swiss Bystronic settled in Foshan,
Finger at the Blue Ocean of Intelligent Manufacturing in the Greater Bay Area
it happens that there is a similar case. On February 7, 2025, global laser giant Swiss company Bystronic Group successfully won the bid for the Lingang International Industrial Community plot in Jiujiang Town, Nanhai District, Foshan City through its subsidiary Bystronic (Shenzhen) Laser Technology Co., Ltd., and plans to invest in the construction of the Bystronic Denon brand Foshan base.
It is understood that the project aims to leverage the location advantage of Jiujiang to establish the Bystronic brand Foshan base, radiate to the Guangdong Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area, and further expand the brand's market influence. After the project is put into operation, it will promote the advanced equipment manufacturing industry in Jiujiang to a new level and empower the high-quality development of Jiujiang's economy.
It is reported that Bystronic's Foshan base will focus on the research and manufacturing of high-end equipment such as high-power fiber laser cutting machines and 3D five axis laser processing systems, and introduce intelligent production lines and digital twin technology.
As one of the earliest international laser companies to enter the Chinese market, Bystronic has been deeply involved in the South China market for over ten years. Its Shenzhen company has the qualification of "Guangdong Province Ultra High Speed Fiber Laser Cutting Machine Engineering Technology Research Center" and has been awarded titles such as "National High tech Enterprise" and "Specialized and Innovative Enterprise".
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Multiple international laser manufacturers in 2024
Seizing the beach in China
In fact, in 2024, several global laser giants have actively laid out their presence in the Chinese market: laser giants such as Anpu Laser, M-Solv, and German Express Group have deeply cultivated the Chinese market by establishing new factories and regional centers.
On November 26, 2024, Anpu Laser, a leading global ultrafast laser technology company, unveiled its wholly-owned subsidiary Anpu (Suzhou) Laser Technology Co., Ltd.'s new factory in Suzhou Xinyang Industrial Park. The factory aims to meet the demand for femtosecond lasers in the Chinese market and promote technological development. The factory will provide localized support for customers in the industrial, scientific, and medical fields.
At the same time, M-Solv announced the establishment of its China headquarters in Zhuhai, focusing on the research and development of laser optics, precision machining technology, and equipment manufacturing to explore the Chinese IC carrier board and photovoltaic markets. Its subsidiary Yingshuo Laser Technology (Zhuhai) Co., Ltd. is currently the only laser equipment manufacturer in the industry that achieves high-precision drilling.
And the German company, Transfast Group, has established a laser business regional center (China), upgrading its Chinese subsidiary to a comprehensive localized organization with comprehensive functions, strengthening its position in the Chinese market, and responding quickly to customer needs. This center will enable TRUMPF Laser to develop and manufacture laser core light sources, optical components, and systems in China, efficiently meeting the needs of Chinese customers.
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China's laser industry
Moving towards the high-end of the global value chain
In recent years, the development of China's laser industry has shown a strong growth momentum. Especially in the fields of new energy vehicles, new displays, aerospace, etc., domestically produced 10000 watt laser cutting machines, femtosecond laser equipment, etc. have achieved import substitution and begun to reverse export to the European and American markets.
With the intensive investment and deep integration of international giants, China's laser industry is entering a new stage of "internal and external dual circulation". On the one hand, foreign-funded enterprises drive an increase in the localization rate of upstream core components such as high-power lasers and optical lenses; On the other hand, local companies such as Dazu Laser and Ruike Laser have achieved technological breakthroughs and competed alongside giants in the international market.
In fact, China is currently shifting from a "world factory" to an "innovation factory": a complete supply chain, rich application scenarios, and active capital market have formed a "golden triangle" that attracts foreign investment. Carl Zeiss、Bystronic、 The addition of international laser and optical giants such as TRUMPF not only expands their production capacity, but also deeply binds technology, capital, and talent.
It can be foreseen that under the triple drive of policies, markets, and technology, with the continuous increase of international laser giants, China's laser industry will usher in broader development prospects, and at the same time inject stronger impetus into the upgrading of China's high-end manufacturing industry.
Source: Yangtze River Delta Laser Alliance
