Editor’s Note: As the year of 2024 is around the corner, Shenzhen Daily has interviewed a number of senior executives of local foreign-invested companies, who walk us through their firms’ footprints within this year while exuding unwavering confidence in their future development. This is the first of our series of reports. Han Ximin 1824295095@qq.com LOOKING back at 2023, Marco Morea from Italy, manager of the Bosch Shenzhen plant, a subsidiary of Bosch Group, said the company went stable despite shrinking customer demand around the globe, and he is proud that the Shenzhen plant has produced majority of Bosch’s global output of wipers. According to Morea, Bosch’s factory in Pingdi, Longgang District, covers 30,000 square meters and employs more than 1,000 employees. With over 30 years of history, it is committed to producing wiper arms and wiper blades and is among the world’s leading players in terms of annual output of wipers. “The Shenzhen plant is operating in Bosch’s aftermarket division. We are basically responsible for producing spare parts for the automotive market and also for the automotive car service industry,” Morea said. “This year started well, but you know worldwide, companies were strapped for cash. Because of this, we were asked to cut market inventory. Also, despite shrinking customer demand, we didn’t adjust our structure and kept the same number of employees, especially engineers and facility managers,” Morea added. “When the factory opened here 30 years ago, there was nothing nearby. Now, the area has developed into a strategic location linking suppliers and customers through convenient road, port, and airport services,” Morea said. At the interview, Morea and Zhou Fang, commercial director of the Bosch Shenzhen plant, attributed the plant’s growth to the city’s’ improved business environment, including infrastructure and government support, incentives and services. “During the COVID-19 period and even during the lockdown period in 2020, our businesses were not much affected because we got the special permits from the government for delivery of raw materials from suppliers,” Morea recalled. Zhou joined the plant in February this year, and the first things that impressed her were the officials and employees of the Pingdi Subdistrict Government, who regularly visited the factory to see how they could help. “Support from different government levels covers all aspects, with focus on intelligent manufacturing and innovation, as well as environmental protection and sustainability, and labor force,” Zhou said. According to Zhou, Bosch CEO Stefan Hartung visited China thrice this year. This showed the company’s confidence in China’s economy and investment prospects. Morea was very delighted during the interview when mentioning the Chinese Government’s special policy to grant 15-day visa-free entry for citizens from six nations for business, tourism, family visits, and transit. “This policy is very convenient and great as a lot of my family members and friends can come to see me easily,” Morea said. Morea and Zhou also talked about environmental issues, citing that in recent years, the plant has invested a lot in green production, wastewater treatment, and installation of filtration and conditioning systems. “We want to be a green, safe, and compliant factory. At the end of 2021, we received a green factory certificate after a three-month government audit,” Zhou noted. The company has also won many awards, including the National Excellent Foreign- Invested Enterprise Security and Environmental Protection Encouragement Award, and a carbon reduction award. In August last year, the plant was recognized by the Shenzhen and Longgang governments as one of the advanced enterprises for environmental protection and compliance. “The neighborhood has transformed from an industrial area to a residential one. We want to make sure Bosch sets a real benchmark, rather than being known as a ‘smelly’ company in the area,” Morea said. Headquartered in Germany, Bosch is a leading global supplier of technology and services. The company generated sales of 88.2 billion euros (US$96.5 billion) in 2022. It employs roughly 402,600 associates worldwide. Its operations are divided into four business sectors: mobility solutions, industrial technology, consumer goods, and energy and building technology. As a leading IoT provider, Bosch offers innovative solutions for smart homes, Industry 4.0, and connected mobility. Bosch has had a presence in China since 1909 and employs around 55,000 people in the country. It announced in January to invest US$1 billion to make components for new energy vehicles in China, the world’s largest car market. | 