Chinese Success Stories in Europe – Inovance

In part 2 of this series, we are looking at Inovance, a prominent Chinese company specializing in industrial automation (IA) and new energy vehicle (NEV) drive systems. We will focus on its European Breakthrough, and how it overcame policy barriers & localization pain points through the use of expert translation teams.

Introduction

Amid fierce competition in the global industrial automation market, Inovance Technology has successfully broken through language and cultural barriers, establishing itself as a benchmark for China’s high-end manufacturing in European markets. Its core strategy, “Tech Adaptation, Collaborative Ecosystems, Cultural Bridging“, not only provides a replicable model for Chinese enterprises but also reveals the essence of corporate competition in the era of globalization.

Tech Adaptation: From Industrial-Grade” to “High-Value-Added” Solutions

Inovance has leveraged China’s industrial automation advantages to increase its competitiveness in Europe:

• Certification Breakthroughs: Its IE5 motor obtained TÜV certification, meeting EU safety standards (SIL 3), using “technical compliance” to break down market trust barriers.
• Multilingual Support: It has provided technical manuals and on-site debugging services in English, German, and French, ensuring “zero loss” in technical communication.

Here is an example of how HICOM has applied technical translations in the past.

• Product Adaptation: It set up an R&D center in Milan, Italy, focusing on servo system algorithm optimization, improving product performance by 28.2% to meet Europe’s high-end market demands.

Collaborative ecosystems: From “Single-Point Cooperation” to “Coexistence of systems”

Inovance has built a global technology ecosystem through a series of collaborative partnerships:

• Joint Development: It collaborated with European system integrators to develop robots compatible with local industrial protocols like EtherCat, ensuring seamless integration into Europe’s industrial systems.
• Industry Empowerment: It launched the MD630 universal inverter at Germany’s SPS exhibition, supporting three major industrial bus protocols for diverse applications like CNC machine tools and lithium battery equipment.
• Open-Source Collaboration: It also partnered with Huawei on the HarmonyOS to enhance equipment data interconnectivity, fostering an open industrial ecosystem.

Cultural Bridging: From “Market Entry” to “Value Co-Creation”

Inovance has made great strides in its localization strategy through cultural resonance:

• Standard Setting: It joined Germany’s automation association to participate in motor efficiency standards, transforming “Chinese technology” into international norms.
• Technology Benchmarking: It has competed with giants like Siemens and ABB, achieving breakthroughs in new energy vehicle powertrains to capture high-end market share.
• Service Network: It has set up 9 overseas subsidiaries and 33 joint service centers, offering 24/7 spare parts support to align with Europe’s service culture.

Key Factors for Success

If they wish to replicate Inovance’s global expansion, Chinese enterprises must focus on the following four key pillars:

• Localized Management: Hiring local teams for decision-making autonomy, mirroring Sany and XCMG’s “localized thinking” via German R&D centers.
• Technical Compliance: Prioritizing EU certifications (CE, TÜV) to bridge trust gaps through standard alignment.
• Cultural Resonance: Engaging in industry associations, technical benchmarking, and sports marketing to embed into local ecosystems.
• Service Agility: Building multilingual support and rapid-response networks to meet overseas efficiency expectations.

See how we’ve applied these principles in the past here.

Conclusion, and Insights for Chinese Enterprises Going Global

Inovance’s success demonstrates that global strategy transcends mere “product export” – it’s a systemic integration of “technology ecosystem + cultural resonance”:

• Tech Adaptation: Applying mature technologies across sectors to offer cost-effective solutions in premium markets.
• Collaborative Ecosystems: Partnering with local integrators and open-source communities to create technical barriers.
• Cultural Bridging: Turning “China solutions” into global consensus via standard-setting, benchmarking, and localized services.

As globalization enters its “deep-water phase,” Inovance’s approach has unveiled new logic for Chinese enterprises: using technological innovation as the spear and cultural integration as the shield, transforming the cost-performance edge of “Made in China” into the high-value competitiveness of “China Solutions.”