The central role of Shanghai in innovation and global growth
UFI at the centre of the dialogue on innovation and investments in Shanghai. Indeed, we took part in the Investment Promotion Conference, which was held in Shanghai in recent days during the 8th China International Import Expo (CIIE).
Chen Jining, Secretary of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee, Gong Zheng, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee and Mayor of Shanghai, Hua Yuan, Secretary-General of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee, and other key leaders attended the conference. On behalf of UFI Group, CEO Asia-Pacific & India, Simone Trazzi, joined the conference alongside other international leaders to discuss new opportunities for foreign investments and strategies to support the city’s industrial transformation.
Thanks to this important opportunity, UFI Group has featured alongside two other major multinationals in two of the most authoritative Chinese newspapers, China Daily and Shanghai Daily, both of which dedicated significant coverage to the company’s success story and innovative commitment at the economic heart of China: Shanghai.
The importance of these newspapers
China Daily and Shanghai Daily are among the leading English-language news sources in China, internationally recognised for the quality and authority of their analysis on the economy, innovation, and industrial development. Our presence in these publications represents an acknowledgement of the strategic role our Group plays in the Chinese and global industrial landscape.
- China Daily is China’s voice to the world, with a global reach and a solid reputation among investors, institutions, and international stakeholders.
- Shanghai Daily is the benchmark for the international community in Shanghai, telling the stories of the city’s growth and transformation and of the companies that choose it as a hub for innovation.
UFI and Shanghai: a “glocal” growth story
Both newspapers highlight how the UFI Group, a world leader in filtration, thermal management and green hydrogen technologies, chose Shanghai as its base for expansion in Asia as early as 1983, opening its first wholly owned plant in the Qingpu district in 1996. Today, Shanghai is home to the Asia-Pacific regional headquarters, four manufacturing plants, and one of the Group’s three R&D centres – the world’s largest dedicated to thermal management – confirming its role as a launchpad for innovation and growth across Asia. There are also three other manufacturing sites in China: one in Chongqing, another in Changchun, and the most recent, UFI Green Technologies in Jiaxing, dedicated to electric mobility technologies.
Key points highlighted by the articles.
Shanghai is the economic and technological heart of China, offering advanced infrastructure, an innovative ecosystem, and strong appeal for foreign investment. The metropolis continues to attract foreign capital thanks to pro-business policies, sustained economic growth, and an advanced industrial ecosystem:
- In the first seven months of 2025, 3,624 new foreign enterprises were registered, with nearly 10 billion dollars in new investment.
- The city’s GDP grew by 5.5%, surpassing the national average.
UFI has successfully integrated its global engineering culture with the speed of the Chinese market, developing advanced solutions for sustainable mobility, industry, and the hydrogen economy. For this reason, the Group continues to invest in R&D and production in Shanghai: the Qingpu site remains the cornerstone of UFI innovation, whilst the new Jiaxing plant, inaugurated in 2024, further strengthens its leadership in the new energy sector.
The articles also emphasise how UFI’s “glocal” strategy – global in vision, local in speed and proximity – has been recognised as a model of international growth success.
UFI aims for integrated solutions in filtration, thermal management and hydrogen.
“In Shanghai, we are actively expanding our R&D capabilities. Our focus is on battery thermal management and next-generation filtration media, supporting the rapid evolution of NEVs and the broader energy transition. At the same time, we are diversifying into Heavy Duty and Industrial, always with a bespoke, solutions-driven approach.” says Simone Trazzi, CEO Asia Pacific & India of the UFI Group. “Since 1983 when we began our journey in China, our greatest gains have been learning to win “globally” – combining the scale and speed of China with our engineering culture to deliver system solutions that create real-world benefits for people and industries“.
The city of Shanghai offers key advantages: proximity to customers, a mature industrial ecosystem, an integrated supply chain, and local talent. For these reasons, UFI will continue to invest in China and Shanghai, focusing on production capacity, digitalisation, and collaboration between local and global teams.
Our presence in China Daily and Shanghai Daily further enhances UFI’s international reputation and attests to the trust placed in our Group by Chinese institutions and the market.
