Automotive parts face the pain of core technology

Reporters often hear various complaints during their contact with enterprises. Some of them complain that their own car companies complain about the technology of their own parts and components companies, and some of them complain that self-owned brand companies do not use domestic products. Products and technologies, of course, also have complaints from host companies regarding the blockade of foreign-funded parts companies.

In the process of consumers buying cars, most of them have experienced the choice of buying foreign brand products or independent brand products. The reporter noted that almost all self-owned brand car companies have emphasized the degree of internationalization of their major configurations while emphasizing their own models. As Chery A3, in describing how high-quality its products, it deliberately emphasized the body design of Pininfarina of Italy, the chassis adjustment of the British MIRA and the ESP system of the United States TRW; Geely emgrand EC7 also deliberately emphasized its Delphi engine. Management systems, electrical systems from Siemens in Germany, body molds from Fuji in Japan, braking systems from Bosch in Germany, and airbags from Autoliv in Sweden. Of course, consumers are not all fans or sympathizers of self-owned brands. Knowledgeable and non-knowledgeable individuals must also make decisions based on their quality and actual conditions.

From the perspective of the automotive market, consumers are concerned about the concerns of the company. The core of the problem is not something else. It is the core technology of the vehicle represented by the level of auto parts.

Indeed, China is currently the world's largest auto market and automobile manufacturing country. Almost all of the world's advanced automotive brands are also producing in China. However, it is undeniable that, as far as core technology is concerned, the gap between our current level and advanced technology is still relatively large. Van Andre, president of Volkswagen China, once said that compared with Chinese automakers, Volkswagen has five to ten years of technology leadership.

What is the real difference? The "China Auto Blue Book" written by the China Association of Automotive Engineers and the Research Department of Industrial Economics of the Development Research Center of the State Council shows that China's 100% engine EFI system, engine management system, 100% ESP system, central controller, electric rear view Mirrors, 90% of thermostats, ABS systems, airbag systems, electric windows, 80% of electric glass lifts, 70% of air-conditioning units and air-conditioning compressors are controlled by wholly foreign-owned enterprises or produced for foreign joint ventures .

Therefore, the executive vice chairman and secretary-general of the China Automotive Engineering Society, Fu Yuwu, said with emotion: “The day when our core technology is acquired is the time when China’s automotive industry is a strong country.”

With regard to the acquisition of core technologies, there have always been disputes between self-owned and imported technologies. In the face of a large number of lessons and facts, many companies have to look to obtain or obtain through global procurement or cross-border mergers and acquisitions, which means that most companies have chosen an effective channel for direct access to products or technology from abroad.

According to the reporter, even if world-famous multinational parts and components companies such as Bosch, Delphi, Denso, and BorgWarner, their technology sources are not fully developed independently, a large part of which comes from domestic or overseas mergers and acquisitions. However, each merger and acquisition business that they conduct is more than just a simple expansion of the company's scale, but must be the acquisition or supplementation of core technologies that are integrated with their own core businesses.

After the global financial crisis, not only did many Chinese companies have some actions, they either prepared or already implemented mergers and acquisitions abroad to acquire technology and develop new markets. Even some of the old multinational companies are implementing cost reductions and expansion in the opposite direction. Strategy. For example, German Volkswagen AG, which has always been extremely strict with its supply control, recently planned to do its best to abandon imports of parts and components from its German headquarters and instead develop and produce in China; some other multinational car companies are in India, Southeast Asia, etc. Countries and regions have increased investment to find further opportunities for expansion. Under this background, if many domestic parts and components companies still hold the cost and quantity to win the market operation, the results may be pulled further and further in the core technology field.

When the reporter interviewed Dong Jianping, deputy secretary-general of the China Automotive Industry Association, he told reporters that many of our parts and components companies do not have a deep understanding of the technology, and most of the independent research and development stay on the surface. It is not as good as changing the technology. origin of. To adopt a different way of acquiring technology is not only a requirement for business leaders, but also a strategic thinking for the entire industry.