BERLIN, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- China has become a vital market for proUmid, the general manager of the German manufacturer of precision vapor sorption instruments said, adding that the company has achieved remarkable development since it started engaging with China's industry and market 13 years ago.
"In recent years, sales in the Chinese market have accounted for nearly half of our company's total revenue," Johannes Ringer said in a recent interview with Xinhua, describing the Chinese market as both a driver of innovation and a springboard for its global expansion.
Focusing consistently on analytical equipment for precise control of humidity and temperature, proUmid has developed a product range of advanced multi-sample dynamic vapor sorption instruments and humidity generators over the years. The company's growth trajectory in China offers a telling microcosm of how many German "hidden champions" have steadily cultivated the Chinese market.
According to German economist Hermann Simon, "hidden champions" refer to highly successful yet lesser-known small and medium-sized enterprises that are global leaders in terms of market share in their respective niches.
ProUmid first entered the Chinese market in 2013, set up a representative office in 2016, and plans to invest and establish a Wholly Foreign Owned Enterprise (WFOE) in China in 2026.
Looking back on the company's development in China, Ringer said proUmid has achieved "win-win" outcomes with Chinese partners and customers.
One tangible example, he noted, is software development. "We have developed our own Dynamic Water Vapor Sorption (DVS) software for analyzing test data in response to the requirements of well-known domestic pharmaceutical customers. It has core functions such as advanced data analysis, model calculation, and automatic report generation," he said. "Since its official launch, the software has been continuously updated and optimized based on user feedback."
What began as a localized response to customer needs has since generated broader benefits for the company's global business. "Today, it is used not only in China but also in many other countries around the world and is highly praised by users worldwide," Ringer said.
According to Ringer, in the early years, the company's European and American customers were mainly concentrated in pharmaceuticals, food and chemicals.
"Over the past decade in the Chinese market, we have further developed in areas such as Chinese herbal medicine, tobacco, archaeology, wood and geotechnical engineering," he said. "The scientific research achievements we have obtained in these new fields have brought new thoughts to our European and American customers."
Ringer attributed the company's growth in China to a supportive policy environment. He said China has rolled out a series of measures -- encouraging foreign-invested technology firms, strengthening intellectual property protection, and promoting large-scale equipment upgrades -- that have helped underpin stable, healthy business relationships for the company in the Chinese market.
"In recent years, the Chinese government has significantly increased investment in equipment renewal for universities, particularly in the development of key disciplines," he said. "Many universities have launched new instrument procurement programs, which have generated a considerable number of orders for us."
Looking ahead, Ringer said China's momentum and the exchange of experiences can definitely lead to great cooperation, revealing significant potential and success. "We look forward to continuing our mutually beneficial relationship and further developing knowledge exchange, cooperation, and friendship," he said. ■
