Overseas battery companies, such as Japan’s Hitachi Group, are rapidly expanding their presence in the Chinese market, where competition has shifted from focusing mainly on capacity and price to emphasizing advanced technology, innovative solutions, and superior service capabilities.
While China continues to drive the global battery industry, it faces significant challenges including overcapacity, intense price wars, technical limitations, and stricter compliance standards for foreign expansion. Companies are urgently transforming by adopting intelligent manufacturing, securing supply chains, and pursuing green, low-carbon growth strategies.
This environment presents opportunities for experienced international firms with technological expertise and industrial upgrading capabilities.
At the recent China International Battery Fair in Shenzhen, more than 3,000 international companies from over 90 countries and regions, including the US, Germany, the Netherlands, Japan, and South Korea, showcased their latest innovations across the entire battery supply chain. Their exhibits ranged from power and energy storage batteries to raw materials, intelligent equipment, and battery recycling solutions.
Leading among these exhibitors is Hitachi, alongside subsidiaries like Hitachi High-Technologies and Hitachi High-Technologies Analytical Science.
“China accounts for nearly 70 percent of global power battery output, making it a crucial growth market for us,” said Long Jian, the company’s chief marketing officer and deputy general manager in China, during the event. He highlighted that Chinese battery manufacturers are pushing aggressively towards high-end, intelligent, and eco-friendly manufacturing sectors, aligning well with Hitachi’s core strengths in these areas.
To deepen its reach in China’s battery industry, Hitachi has established a dedicated incubation fund aimed at fostering technological innovation and other needs, supported by initial funding from its headquarters in Japan, though the company refrained from disclosing specific figures.
The company’s Chinese clients include battery producers and raw material suppliers. “Lithium battery companies prioritize product performance, stability, reliability, and total lifecycle costs, as well as after-sales support,” explained Gu Jiahui, chairman and president of Hitachi High-Tech.
As Chinese lithium battery firms accelerate their expansion into international markets, their demand for global technological expertise and quality service continues to grow.
Similar strategic movements are observed among other international corporations, such as French software developer Dassault Systèmes, US security solutions firm Tyco International, and South Korea’s Samsung SDI, which are strengthening collaborations with Chinese battery equipment companies.
For instance, Dassault Systèmes and Guangzhou-based Inpai Battery Technology announced a deepening partnership on digital R&D, integrated manufacturing processes, supply chain coordination, and AI applications—all aimed at bolstering Inpai Battery’s growth in power and energy storage sectors.