ABB highlights China's key role in smart power

ABB Group will provide tailored products and solutions that can rapidly respond to customer needs in China, underscoring the country's pivotal role in the company's global Smart Power strategy, an executive of the Swiss technology company said.

Speaking at the company's booth during the eighth China International Import Expo in Shanghai, Sergio Silvestri, senior vice-president for smart power Asia of ABB Electrification, said that as the largest consumer of electricity globally, China is not only vast and dynamic, but also at the forefront of the world's most ambitious energy transition.

What makes China particularly attractive to ABB is its dynamic market environment, Silvestri said, marked by both a high degree of innovation and intense competitiveness.

"China is a place where we must be present," he said, noting that such competition pushes companies to improve and grow. China's ambitious industrial and energy-transition targets further reinforce its appeal as a market for long-term investment and innovation.

To strengthen its market position in China, the Zurich-headquartered group showcased nearly 50 smart technologies and digital solutions, including eight new products at the CIIE this year. During the expo, ABB Electrification launched its latest air circuit breaker and smart substation control and protection system.

Silvestri, who is also board chairman of ABB Xiamen Low Voltage Equipment Co Ltd, said that the company — which employs more than 3,000 people in Xiamen, Fujian province — exports smart power products and solutions to over 70 countries and regions worldwide, particularly in Southeast Asia, the Middle East and South America.

Silvestri said that the plans for his division over the next three to five years will focus on continuous product innovation and investment in talent development, underscoring the company's long-term commitment to the Chinese market.

He added that ABB approved a new assembly line for the SACE Emax 3 circuit breaker at its Xiamen Industrial Park, backed by significant investment. Order intake for the product will begin in January 2026.