Midea outlines growth strategy at the Asia-Pacific regional dealer conference

Midea unveiled its regional growth strategy at its Asia-Pacific dealer conference in Bali, Indonesia on Sept 29, setting targets for product launches, manufacturing, service upgrades and strategic partnerships in the years ahead.

Zeal Jiang, president of Midea Asia Pacific, described the gathering as "a milestone that marks our long-term commitment to local partners and sustainable growth across the region."

Jiang emphasized that while appliances still account for about 65 percent of revenue, Midea has evolved into a more diversified technology group.

"Many people still think of Midea as only a traditional appliance maker, but that is no longer enough," he said, noting that the company now operates across six major segments including smart home, building technology, robotics and more.

At the conference, Midea introduced its five latest lines — Smart Master, AI Ecomaster, Space Master, Residential Air Conditioners and Building Technologies — each designed to reflect rising consumer expectations and integrated solutions. The five zones together featured over 150 products, showcasing Midea's commitment to helping users create their ideal experience.

Company data shows that Midea has invested approximately $10 billion in research and development over the past five years, with a global engineering team of 23,000 and more than 100,000 patents worldwide that have contributed to about 1,900 technology standards.

Jiang called technology leadership "the recipe behind Midea's success." He highlighted advancements like Prime Guard corrosion-resistant coatings, V-tech refrigeration and energy optimization systems that reduce power use by up to 30 percent.

In the commercial systems space, Midea showcased its Light Commercial Cool Idea portfolio and MagBoost Apex magnetic centrifugal chillers, which offer 10 percent higher full-load COP and 30 percent greater energy efficiency than traditional chillers. The company continues to expand its B2B solutions that support industrial transformation and green development across the region.

Jiang pointed out that Midea maintains 63 production bases globally, including nine in Southeast Asia. He flagged the Thailand factory — 208,000 square meters backed by an investment of roughly $168 million — which has been recognized by the World Economic Forum Lighthouse Factory for supply chain resilience, and is set to reach 6 million units of output by 2026. He also stressed Midea's "local for local" employment strategy, with 97 percent of its 20,000 regional employees being local hires.

"This ensures we integrate culturally and economically into our markets," he said.

Looking ahead, Midea is targeting $1.5 billion in Asia-Pacific revenue by 2028 with a projected compound annual growth rate of 30 percent. To get there, the company plans to launch over 1,000 new products and expand to 2,000 brand shops across the region. Jiang said that Midea will continue to strengthen its 1,800 service centers and host more than 200 training sessions each year to ensure a "99 percent rapid response within three days". He believes that partner enablement and knowledge sharing are essential to building an intelligent and resilient industrial ecosystem.

On corporate social responsibility, Jiang pointed to an on-site initiative in Bali, where Midea joined local partners to plant over 1,000 corals in Nusa Dua and Lipah.

"It's a gesture of sustainability, community and ocean health," he said. Midea also continues to connect globally through sports partnerships, including its upcoming role as the Main Partner Sleeve Sponsor of FC Barcelona alongside long-standing collaborations with the Asian Football Confederation and Manchester City Football Club. Jiang said such initiatives "extend Midea's message of care and innovation to a global audience."

Closing the event, he returned to the conference theme of "Power of One" — a concept he interpreted as the intersection of technology leadership, localized production and strategic partnerships.

"With your trust, confidence and support, we are building unstoppable momentum. Together, we are moving forward toward our vision of becoming the world's No 1 smart home appliance company," Jiang said.