Chinese firms driving global consumer electronics innovation, says IFA CEO

According to Leif Lindner, CEO of IFA Management GmbH, the growing presence of Chinese companies ultimately reinforces rather than changes the role of IFA. As companies from China continue to push the boundaries of technology and product innovation, Lindner hopes to see even more Chinese presence at IFA in the years ahead. BERLIN, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Global consumer electronics innovation is now being increasingly driven by China, said Leif Lindner, CEO of IFA Management GmbH in an interview with Xinhua. "Twenty years ago, most innovation came from Japanese companies," Lindner said during IFA Berlin, one of the world's largest trade fairs for consumer electronics and home appliances. Now, however, Lindner underlined that it is China that is leading the charge. Lindner, who has nearly 30 years of experience in the consumer electronics industry and used to work for Sony and Samsung Electronics, has also gained firsthand experience of China's consumer electronics industry through his many visits to the country. He has visited Chinese companies including Xiaomi, Midea, DJI and BYD, witnessing their research and development, products and market strategies. These experiences, he said, have given him a close view of how Chinese companies have evolved beyond their traditional strengths in manufacturing and cost competitiveness. "Chinese companies are really impressive in terms of their involvement and capabilities," Lindner said. The growing influence of these companies is visible at IFA. Around 900 of the roughly 2,000 exhibitors at this year's show are from China, accounting for about 38 percent of the exhibition space. Xiaomi is making its IFA debut this year, while companies including Dreame and Haier are showcasing new products and technologies. The scale of the Chinese presence has prompted debate in Germany over whether IFA is becoming "Chinese." However, Lindner viewed this trend differently as the changing mix of exhibitors reflects shifts in the global consumer electronics industry rather than a change in the trade fair's orientation. "Our mission is to bring the best innovation currently available in the global market to our show," he said. According to Lindner, one of the clearest advantages of Chinese companies is the speed to turn ideas into products. "The time from when an idea for a product comes up to when the product is executed and becomes available is the shortest that we are currently seeing in the worldwide economy," he said. "Nobody else can achieve the same pace." That advantage is particularly evident in robotics, where Lindner said Chinese companies are setting the pace, pointing to humanoid robotics firms such as Unitree and Agibot. "What impresses me most is the robot situation, because they are bringing together what AI is capable of doing at this moment," he said. A dedicated dynamic robot demonstration area was introduced this year, with robots from Chinese companies among the main performers. Demonstrations by Unitree and Agibot drew such large crowds that the venue was sometimes forced to close temporarily. Beyond the spectacle, he said, the demonstrations offered European audiences a chance to see emerging technologies up close and gain a sense of how artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics could become part of everyday life in the next two or three years. The shifting innovation landscape is also blurring the boundaries between consumer electronics, smart homes and mobility, with companies such as Xiaomi and Dreame bringing cars into their broader ecosystems. "More or less every consumer electronics manufacturer is putting a car into its ecosystem," Lindner said, adding that electric vehicles would form part of IFA's growing mobility segment. In the eyes of Lindner, the growing presence of Chinese companies ultimately reinforces rather than changes the role of IFA. As companies from China continue to push the boundaries of technology and product innovation, Lindner hopes to see even more Chinese presence at IFA in the years ahead.