Low-Carbon Trend Gains Momentum at CIIE: Technical Equipment Pursues "Green" and "New" Directions

Walking into the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai, the concept of green and low-carbon development materializes into an endless stream of innovative equipment on display. An industrial transformation named "sustainability" is unfolding here.

At the 8th China International Import Expo, 461 new products, technologies, and services were unveiled, with low-carbon technologies undoubtedly taking center stage. From intelligent manufacturing to energy management, from industrial production lines to daily life, green innovation is reshaping industrial development pathways with unprecedented depth and breadth.

The Technical Equipment exhibition area, being the section with the highest concentration of "hardcore tech" at CIIE, gathered over 300 participating enterprises this year under the theme "Equipping the Future Together." Among them, more than 30 are Fortune Global 500 companies and industry leaders.

Green and low-carbon is no longer just an embodiment of corporate social responsibility but has become a new track for global industrial competition.

01 Green Momentum: Industrial Equipment Enters a New Low-Carbon Era

As the primary source of global energy demand growth, the industrial sector sees energy efficiency improvement as a major pathway for achieving large-scale CO2 emission reductions.

At the Johnson Controls booth, the globally launched York CYK High-Temperature Centrifugal Heat Pump Unit attracted numerous professional visitors.

This unit, designed with industrial-grade standards, utilizes dual-compressor independent frequency conversion control technology combined with intelligent control algorithms. Compared to traditional gas heating methods, it can reduce heating energy consumption by over 30%.

Johnson Controls Vice President Han Song explained vividly: "A heat pump is like a 'heat mover,' efficiently extracting heat from low-temperature sources like air or water and transferring it to where high temperatures are needed. The heat output equivalent to consuming 5 units of fossil fuel energy can be achieved by heat pump technology using just 1 unit of electrical energy."

In the field of industrial energy saving, Bosch's globally launched Letrak® Magnetic Drive Transmission System deeply couples the non-contact transmission principle of magnetic levitation with high-precision motion control algorithms. Through temperature-controlled motors and intelligent thermal protection systems, it reduces energy consumption by over 30%.

Simultaneously, Hitachi Energy showcased in China for the first time the world's first 550kV SF6-free eco-friendly gas-insulated switchgear.

This product is highly significant. Booth staff explained: "SF6 gas was widely used as an insulating medium in high-voltage electrical equipment. However, its global warming potential is nearly 25,000 times that of CO2. To address climate challenges, the power industry urgently needs to advance decarbonization while ensuring safe and reliable system operation."

02 Intelligent Empowerment: AI Technology Drives Industrial Green Transformation

At this CIIE, "AI + Industry" became a core highlight in the Technical Equipment exhibition area. Artificial intelligence is no longer a cold technical term but a practical tool for improving industrial quality, efficiency, and energy conservation.

In the Hexagon exhibition area, the humanoid robot AEON garnered attention for its human-like mobility. This robot integrates precision measurement and AI technology, capable of carrying specialized scanning probes to perform high-precision automated inspection tasks in industrial scenarios.

"Applied in scenarios like automotive and aircraft component contour inspection, AEON can enhance operational continuity and stability. Its high-precision positioning function can significantly improve inspection efficiency," said Shao Nan, a Hexagon staff member.

In the field of industrial automation, Omron's exhibited "Workpiece Individual Traceability System" demonstrated the application value of AI in quality management.

An Omron booth representative stated: "In high-speed production lines handling 1200 pieces per minute, this system, through high-speed synchronous control and fly-shot technology, can reduce the time required to identify the cause of defects by approximately 80%, effectively reducing resource waste and energy consumption."

As a regular participant at CIIE, Schneider Electric this year showcased AI-enabled EcoStruxure™ Open Automation Platform, globally innovative industrial I/O and component products, and other digital solutions.

These technologies are helping industrial enterprises achieve energy efficiency improvements and green transformation.

03 Material Innovation: Building a Low-Carbon Foundation from the Source

Material innovation is the material foundation for green transformation. At this CIIE, several companies presented innovative material solutions aimed at reducing carbon emissions from the source.

Nippon Paint China, focusing on four key national development directions – "low-altitude economy, new quality productivity, good housing, automotive manufacturing" – brought a series of scenario-based solutions. Among them, the globally launched "Nippon Paint Low-Altitude Flight Coating Solution" was particularly eye-catching.

Wu Yalin, Vice President of the Brand PR Center at Nippon Paint China Group, explained: "This coating protects the aircraft's fuselage, provides cooling, and prevents deformation. Most importantly, its weight can be reduced by 20% compared to traditional aviation coatings."

In the field of building energy efficiency, Nippon Paint brought Radiative Cooling Coatings that can cool buildings and achieve energy savings.

Zhong Zhonglin, CEO of Nippon Paint China Region, calculated: "Taking Shanghai's summer temperatures this year as an example, applying Nippon Paint Radiative Cooling Coating to a 10,000-square-meter factory roof could save nearly 25% of energy consumption in a single month, saving 72,000 kWh of electricity and reducing 40 tons of carbon emissions."

The innovative Paper Product Barrier Coating Solution exhibited by Henkel offers a new approach to solving plastic pollution.

Anna, President of Henkel Greater China, explained: "The traditional method involves laminating the coffee cup surface. This laminate itself is plastic, which creates significant difficulties for paper cup recycling. What we bring is a barrier coating, achieved simply by applying a coating to the paper cup surface. This allows for 100% pulp recovery during paper cup recycling."

04 Green Win-Win: Multinational Companies Deepen Roots in the Chinese Market

The CIIE is not only a window to display global innovation but also a platform for multinational companies to share in China's development opportunities. Several multi-year exhibitors stated that China's green transformation has brought them significant opportunities.

Xu Yang, President of Danfoss China, shared his observation: "Currently, China's green transformation is showing clear trending changes. The core driving force has gradually shifted from being primarily policy-driven to endogenous drive led by efficiency and competitiveness."

Xu Yang further stated: "In China, we not only gain strong business growth momentum but also possess innovation agility, cost competitiveness, and efficient global synergy. China operates at a completely different pace; products can go from concept to market in just a few months. This speed allows us to quickly bring solutions that meet customer needs to market."

The Freudenberg Group entered the Technical Equipment exhibition area as a unified entity for the first time this year, comprehensively showcasing its innovative achievements in material technology.

Wang Jiayu, Representative of Freudenberg Group in China, said: "This exhibition upgrade is both a response to market demands in China and a deepening of Freudenberg's 'In China, For China' strategy – by integrating technological resources from four business areas, extending material innovation to fields like AI, robotics, and green manufacturing."

Philip L. S. Fong, President and CEO of Honeywell China, believes: "The CIIE is a one-stop platform for companies to debut and exhibit innovative products, collectively present cutting-edge technology, and expand partnership networks."

05 Future Outlook: Green Innovation Embarks on a New Journey

With the deepening of China's "Dual Carbon" strategy, the green and low-carbon industry is facing broad development space. The technologies and trends displayed at this CIIE outline a clear path for the future green development of industry.

Energy transition technologies will continue to iterate. In the GE Aerospace exhibition area, the model of the future aircraft engine project – the RISE Technology Demonstration Program physical model – made its China debut.

This project features disruptive technologies like open fan architecture, hybrid power, and additive manufacturing, is 100% compatible with sustainable aviation fuel and hydrogen energy, and will achieve over 20% reduction in fuel consumption and carbon emissions compared to current engines.

The Circular economy model will accelerate its adoption. The UpCycle Plastic Recycling Process displayed at the Honeywell booth converts plastic waste into recycled polymer feedstock for manufacturing new plastics, achieving a closed-loop cycle.

This shift from a "take-make-dispose" linear model to a circular model is an important direction for future sustainable industrial development.

Localized innovation will deepen further. The Tianci Magnetic Bearing Chiller System applied in data center cooling systems, developed by Danfoss's China team, has not only gained wide application in the Chinese market but also serves the international market.

This case indicates that China is upgrading from a "technology application field" to a "source of innovation."

Walking through the Technical Equipment exhibition area at CIIE, green and low-carbon is no longer just a slogan on display boards but tangible, perceptible products and technologies.

"In China, For the World" has become a common choice for many multinational companies. They bring the most cutting-edge green technologies to the CIIE and take feedback and demands from the Chinese market to the global stage.

Green and low-carbon development is not a multiple-choice question but a required one. As more and more companies join the ranks of green innovation, the steps of technical equipment pursuing "green" and "new" directions will become increasingly firm.