Chinese underwater drone maker’s plan to rule the waves could be scuppered by US trade war
Robotics is a key industry in the ‘Made in China 2025’ strategy, but so far Sublue’s underwater drones have not been targeted by tariffs
A former Chinese military officer who set up an underwater drone start-up in Tianjin believes that in the next few years his company can dominate the oceans like Da Jiang Innovation rules the sky, despite the escalating trade war between China and the US.
Tianjin Sublue Ocean Science and Technology, founded by decommissioned officer Wei Jiancang in 2013, forecast the company’s revenue would rise tenfold this year and is expanding production to meet growing demands.
The company produces the underwater robots for the military but has expanded into the civilian market for industrial and commercial uses. Its clients include recreational consumers as well as government agents like the customs agency in Macau.
Wei graduated from the National University of Defence Technology with a major in inertial navigation system research. After retiring from the military, he set up Sublue in 2013 in Tianjin’s Binhai district.
He said he was confident his company’s sales revenue could hit 1 billion yuan (US$146 million) by 2020 and grow exponentially to 10 billion yuan by 2022.