On February 7th, Zeiss officially commenced the construction of an integrated campus for its Greater China headquarters in the Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone of Shanghai. The new campus, planned to cover a construction area exceeding 50,000 square meters, represents the largest single infrastructure investment made by Zeiss in China to date. Upon completion, the campus will consolidate and upgrade core functions of the Greater China headquarters, including management, operations, sales, research and development, production, and supply chain, thereby comprehensively enhancing local operational and collaborative capabilities. Zeiss also plans to significantly strengthen its innovation and R&D capacity within China, positioning the new campus as a pivotal hub within its global innovation network.
The construction of the new campus marks a significant new milestone in Zeiss's localization strategy in China. It signifies the company's commitment to deepening its roots in Pudong, Shanghai, and reinforces its long-term commitment to the Chinese market. Andreas Pecher, President and CEO of Zeiss Group, stated, "This year coincides with both Zeiss's 180th anniversary and the launch of our 'Zeiss Agenda 2030.' On our path towards resilience and growth, Zeiss will continue to deepen our local presence worldwide. China is one of our largest and most dynamic markets, and Shanghai, at the forefront of China's economic development, provides vast opportunities for global enterprises. We anticipate that the new campus will become an engine driving Zeiss's global innovation and business growth, while also injecting robust and enduring scientific and technological momentum into China's high-quality economic development."
Zhang Xi, Deputy Director of the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone Administrative Committee and Director of the Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone Administration, expressed hopes that Zeiss would actively seize new opportunities presented by China's development. He noted that the new campus construction is an opportunity for the company to not only enhance its operational scale and capabilities in China but also to leverage global expertise to empower local innovation and the regional ecosystem, thereby making positive contributions to the technological and industrial development of Shanghai and Pudong.
Martin Fischer, President and CEO of Zeiss Greater China, commented, "As we embark on the initial phase of the 15th Five-Year Plan period, the official start of construction for our Greater China headquarters integrated campus is timely. We are committed to accelerating and enhancing the quality of our local service capabilities, deeply integrating into China's innovation ecosystem, and supporting the high-quality and sustainable development of the Chinese market."
According to the overall plan, the Zeiss Greater China headquarters integrated campus will combine R&D, management, a customer experience center, and high-end manufacturing into a single, highly efficient, and synergistic operational system. This integration is designed to improve Zeiss's operational efficiency and response speed within the Chinese market, enabling the company to better meet the needs of local clients. Furthermore, the campus will be closely linked with Zeiss's broader innovation footprint in the Yangtze River Delta and Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, further strengthening the company's R&D capabilities in China. Through continued and enhanced collaboration with local research institutions and universities, Zeiss aims to accelerate its integration into the local innovation ecosystem and foster collaborative creation across industries.