Nearly 220 Chinese companies are showcasing their latest products and cutting-edge technology at IFA 2022 held in Berlin, Germany from September 2-6, despite pandemic-related travel restrictions, reported China Daily on September 6.
The presence in Berlin of Haier is huge, with multiple halls displaying products ranging from washing machines and air conditioners to refrigerators and microwave ovens.
In addition to Haier, other well-known Chinese brands include TCL and Huawei, with Alibaba becoming an exhibitor for the first time this year.
In recent years, some Chinese technology companies have encountered headwinds caused by sanctions imposed by the US, with these effects compounded by COVID-19. Given this backdrop, experts say there is added motivation for Chinese companies to raise their profiles in Europe, said the China Daily report.
Towson, who also hosts the Tech Strategy Podcast, said the biggest advantages that Chinese companies have over US and Japanese rivals in international markets are that they move fast and on a big scale. "They iterate their products faster and they sell more aggressively," he said. "The speed and hyper-competitiveness of their home market help them in international markets."
Yannick Fierling, chief executive of Haier Europe, said that Haier is "the biggest home appliance company in the world with a presence in over 160 markets".
Huawei unveiled a range of devices for the European markets, including two phones, the standard Nova 10 and the Nova 10 Pro, along with the MateBook X Pro laptop, the MatePad Pro tablet and a medically certified Huawei Watch D.
Honor, another Chinese smartphone maker, has created a buzz with the launch of its midrange premium handset, the Honor 70, as well as its tablet Honor Pad 8, and the Honor MagicBook 14 laptop.
Dreame, a consumer product company that focuses on smart home cleaning appliances, unveiled a type of robot vacuum cleaner and mop, the L10s Plus, with self-cleaning and auto-emptying features.
Chen Yanshou, the company's EU managing director said: "IFA is a great international platform that allows Chinese companies like Dreame to grasp new trends in the consumer electronics industry as well as to enhance our brand reputation overseas and become more competitive compared with other global competitors.
"Dreame takes the trade show as a valuable chance to learn customers' voices, connect with industry insiders and find more business partners in Germany and across Europe," he added.
Jiang Yang, sales director of Shenzhen Yolanda Technology, which produces smart health products, said: "Despite the travel restraints, we are still keen to come out, as we need to stay connected and relevant with the industry, and with our clients in Europe."
