(Yicai) Nov. 5 -- SYR Hans Sasserath has been at every China International Import Expo since the first in 2018. Over that time, the German water treatment company has grown its booth size, raised its investment in China, and ventured into new business areas such as the so-called silver and pet economies, growing in step with the CIIE itself.

“We took part in all the CIIEs,” said Tobias Ramrath, SYR's international sales director, explaining how the event’s meaning has changed for the company from merely being a display window to becoming a true trading platform. “The bigger opportunity is to show new things and innovations, not just for the local market but also for Asian markets.”

At this year's CIIE, which opened at the National Convention and Exhibition Center in Shanghai today, Korschenbroich-based SYR is debuting two new products in Asia -- the Neosoft single-pipe, single-tank water softener and the P658 Double dual-tank water softener -- to cater to new needs in the Chinese market.

SYR's booth area has expanded from 36 square meters at the first CIIE to 144 sqm at the second and 180 sqm since then. “We have been growing all along," said Tang Peng, deputy general manager and chief quality officer at SYR China. "Making use of this tremendous platform gives us strong confidence in our development.”

That confidence has translated into tangible investment. In 2023, SYR invested CNY50 million (USD7 million) to build its first water softener production line in China in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, with an annual output capacity of 80,000 units, marking its transition from CIIE exhibitor to investor.

“China develops fast, and the market is big," Tang noted. "Relying solely on responses from Germany would limit us. China is much larger than Germany, with varying levels of demand. Moreover, Ningbo has many supporting supply chains, which makes it ideal for rapid response.”

Localized production is not simply a transfer of capacity, Tang said. it is about integrating German technical standards with Chinese market needs, he explained, adding that core components and large tanks are still imported, but assembly is done locally to improve responsiveness.

Expanding Into B2B

The CIIE has not only accelerated SYR’s investment pace but unexpectedly also opened up a whole new business landscape. 

"Originally, this product was targeted to households, but at the CIIE we also received many inquiries from businesses," recalled Jeffrey Siu, director of SYR China. “That was a completely new opportunity the CIIE created for us.

This led to a strategic shift. “A distinctive feature of last year’s CIIE was that we not only showed individual products but whole-house solutions, making it very intuitive to change configurations," Siu said.

Today, SYR's business has expanded from single retail products into three major sectors: industrial parks, providing supporting services for BMW's factories in China; building and construction, as a core member of the Shanghai Jing’an Smart Building Data-Link Innovation Standard Alliance and providing leak and sewage backflow prevention and digital transmission solutions; and consumer applications from villas to offices.

SYR opened an office in Shanghai's Jing'an district in 2014. “We’re now a pilot unit for standardization in Jing’an and we were recognized last year as a Shanghai Brand Cultivation Enterprise," Tang said. The district’s favorable business environment and supportive policies have been a major boost, he added.

Thanks to the CIIE’s far-reaching influence, SYR’s business has expanded from Shanghai across China. Its products are now used in car production in Shenyang and support rural revitalization initiatives in Jiangxi and Yunnan provinces, while the firm has also contributed technical expertise to water projects in Guangxi province and is exploring vehicle-based water purification systems in Hubei province.

New Avenues

Looking ahead, SYR is focusing on new markets using the CIIE as a springboard. For the silver economy, it is developing elderly-friendly smart water systems.

“The tabletop drinking water equipment we donated to eldercare centers in Jing'an was a CIIE exhibit," Tang said. “In the future, we will have more products targeting drinking water safety for elderly groups.”

The company has sharpened its focus on both the elderly and children, according to Tang. "We have products for both,” he noted.

For the pet economy, SYR is adapting its technology that serves large European breeding farms to consumer products. “In Europe, we have equipment to prevent cross-infection and sewage backflow," Tang noted. “We’re miniaturizing those technologies to create protective pet water products.”

These are different from typical pet water fountains on the market. "Products on the market mainly focus on the purification part," Tang said. "We prevent sewage backflow and bacterial cross-infection. This is protective technology.

"Without the CIIE, our progress would have been slower," Tang noted. “The CIIE has brought us opportunities, visibility, and opened up online and offline sales channels.”

Tobias summed up his expectations for the Chinese market with a phrase he learned: “Gongxiang weilai,” which translates into English as “Sharing the Future.” It is the CIIE’s theme and captures SYR’s shared aspiration to grow together with the China market.

Editor: Futura Costaglione