Gathering Wisdom in Jingchu · Linking the Globe – Practical Pathways for the Global Expansion of Hubei's Automotive Industry Chain

In the roundtable forum titled "Gathering Wisdom in Jingchu · Linking the Globe – Practical Pathways for the Global Expansion of Hubei's Automotive Industry Chain," Xu Liya, Deputy Secretary-General of the Shanghai Jiao Tong University Antai EMBA Automotive Association, served as the moderator. She engaged in an in-depth dialogue with Dr. Yang Rongguang, Dean of the School of Foreign Languages and International Trade at Hubei University of Automotive Technology, Liu Peng, General Manager of MiEE Automotive, David, CEO of Italy's POLESTAR ENERGY S.L., and Deng Wenshan, General Manager of Hubei Dunjia Special Vehicle Co., Ltd.

Xu Liya pointed out that Hubei, as a significant base for China's automotive industry, is actively integrating into the wave of globalization. This forum aimed to pool wisdom, clarify strategies for Hubei's automotive companies going global, explore feasible pathways, and support the international layout of the regional industry.

Liu Peng, General Manager of MiEE Automotive, shared strategies for the global expansion of Hubei's automotive industry from a platform perspective. He noted that Hubei possesses the advantage of a clustered, complete industrial chain. Shiyan, as the original base of the Second Automobile Works (Erqi), has the comprehensive capability where "you can assemble an entire car just by sourcing components within Shiyan." However, challenges such as outdated mindsets, insufficient international resources, and limited brand recognition persist, with the Hubei region not being well-known internationally. To address this, enterprises can leverage external resource hubs like Shanghai and Guangzhou to compensate for weaknesses and enhance strengths. Shiyan City has established the "Shiyan (Shanghai) Offshore Innovation Center" in Shanghai. MiEE Automotive, as the operating entity, provides a contact point and resource connection for Hubei enterprises, assisting them in testing international markets with lower costs.

Dr. Yang Rongguang from Hubei University of Automotive Technology emphasized the urgent need for inter-disciplinary talents who "are proficient in languages, understand automobiles, know international trade, and are familiar with cultures" for the automotive industry's global expansion. He stated that the current lack of such talents severely restricts companies' overseas market development and service system establishment. He stressed that going global involves not just product export but also systematic capabilities including technical standards, after-sales service, and localized ecosystems. To address this, the institute has implemented a "Three Integrations" training model: integrating language skills with professional technical teaching; strengthening a four-year corporate internship system; and establishing cross-border e-commerce training centers and industry academies to promote university-enterprise collaboration. This aims to systematically respond to the new talent demands arising from automotive global expansion through educational mechanism innovation.

Mr. David, CEO of Italy's POLESTAR ENERGY S.L., stated that China holds a leading global position in electric vehicle technology, particularly boasting significant advantages in battery production, intelligent platforms, and manufacturing processes. Europe looks forward to establishing in-depth cooperation with Chinese companies, not only for product procurement but also hoping for Chinese investments in local production facilities and industrial chain localization to jointly promote European industrial restructuring. He noted that global expansion requires overcoming challenges like logistics and certification, which involve relatively long cycles, and suggested Chinese suppliers enhance their forward-looking capabilities and pre-emptively establish compliance systems. The ultimate goal of cooperation, he said, is to move beyond mere trade and build a mutually beneficial new automotive industry ecosystem through technology sharing and localized production.

Deng Wenshan, General Manager of Hubei Dunjia Special Vehicle, shared practical experience from the initial phase of the company's global expansion. When exploring the Laos market, he conducted on-the-ground research, living and eating with drivers to gather firsthand feedback. This allowed him to accurately identify key pain points such as vehicle overheating in high temperatures, excessive load on braking systems during long descents, and susceptibility to deformation after one year of use. Based on these practical issues, Dunjia proposed targeted technical solutions. During communications with local partners, they focused on explaining the effectiveness of these solutions, ultimately securing the first order through professional capability and a pragmatic attitude, achieving the critical breakthrough from 0 to 1. This experience provides an important example for SMEs going global: deeply understanding the specific usage scenarios and adopting a pain-point-oriented approach.

This roundtable forum facilitated in-depth dialogue across four key dimensions: platform, academia, international perspective, and practical experience. It systematically analyzed the opportunities and challenges facing the global expansion of Hubei's automotive industry chain and clearly outlined a "Practical Pathway" integrating ecosystem co-construction, talent cultivation, cultural adaptation, market insight, and risk management. The insightful views shared by the guests provide valuable reference and direction for the globalization of Hubei's, and indeed China's, automotive industry, and are poised to effectively assist more Chinese enterprises in achieving steady and sustained progress in global competition.