China urged to develop hi-tech products rather than relying on imports
Rather than importing solutions for its problems, a London group says it would be better for China to grasp modern technologies
Halma, a London-listed high-technology group, gave a kind reminder to Chinese businesses that grasping the use of advanced foreign technologies should be more important than splashing out funds to import sophisticated facilities for their latest products.
The maker of safety, health care and environmental technology products consolidated its foothold on the mainland as it added a research and development centre for optical sensing in Shanghai.
"Education is more important," said Martin Zhang, a director of Halma China. "You may not have to take cutting-edge technologies, but you should know how to implement them and conduct product development."
Halma's products are increasingly used in China in strategically vital products such as air pollution monitors and detectors for melamine that help ensure food safety.
Its subsidiary, Ocean Optics, one of the world's leading suppliers of technologies for optical sensing, will develop more new products for China and regional markets after its Asian operations are separated from its US headquarters and would run independently in what the company said was a decision aimed at "giving a quick response" to the mainland's huge market.
Optical sensing technologies are used to measure and interpret the interaction of light with matter. They are widely applied to things like industrial thin film measurement, fruit sorting and jewellery detection.
Halma would not disclose its targeted sales figure in China but it did say that Ocean Optics expected an annualised business growth of 15 to 20 per cent.