an acquisition for the ages - mideaimg.midea.com/global/about_midea/publications/... · world‟s...
Post on 02-Jun-2020
2 Views
Preview:
TRANSCRIPT
Advances Fusion, February-March, 2016
1
Vol. 6, #2, February-March 2016, No. 56
An Acquisition for the Ages
Midea is set to buy a majority interest in Toshiba’s home appliance business
Advances Fusion, February-March, 2016
2
ADVANCES
Contents
Midea Advances Newsletter is published monthly
by Midea International Business. We welcome all
comments, suggestions and contributions of
articles, as well as requests for subscription to our
newsletter. You can reach us by email at:
kevin.mcgeary@midea.com
Address:
ADVANCES, Midea International Business
Midea HQ
No. 6 Midea Road
Beijiao, Shunde, Foshan, Guangdong
P.R.C. 528311
Web: www.midea.com/global
Phone: 0086 13266591586
Quote of the
Month:
A single arrow is
easily broken, but
not ten in a bun-
dle. —Japanese
Proverb
NEWSLINE
Profit up 21% Year-on-Year PAGE 3
LittleSwan Profit up over 30% PAGE 3
www.midea.com
GERMANY:
Walpurgichsnacht PAGE 22
INDONESIA: Balispirit Festival PAGE 19
Robotics Businesses
Formally Open PAGE 5
Toshiba and Midea Sign
MOU on Sale of Toshiba’s
Home Appliances Business PAGE 4
CAC Makes Its Mark in Milan PAGE 10
China’s Most Generous
Person PAGE 10
Wuxi Factory’s Outstanding
Female Employee PAGE 13
Four Product Categories
Exhibited at Chicago Show PAGE 6
Going Green by Turning
Black PAGE 9
Divisions Lavished with
International Design Awards PAGE 7
Water Heaters Gain North
Vietnam Certification PAGE 12
CHINA: Tomb-Sweeping Day PAGE 18
FUSION
PEOPLE
Brand Licensing Agreement
with US Giant PAGE 11
Rice Cooker JV Formed in
Korea PAGE 12
SPAIN: Moors & Christians
Festival PAGE 21
INDIA: Kumbh Mela PAGE 20
Midea-Carrier Announces
New Latin America CEO PAGE
8
AWE
FUSION
Fridges That Give Nutrition
Advice: The Brave New
World of M-Smart PAGE 14
Dessert-Serving Robots,
Olympic Champions, and
Singing Water Heaters PAGE
15-16
Midea the Biggest Winner at
Appliances Awards PAGE 17
Advances Fusion, February-March, 2016
3
Profit up 21% Year-on-Year
By MIP
R evenue for Midea Group Co Ltd. (000333.SZ) in
2015 was RMB 139 billion (US$22.3 billion). Earnings per share
were at RMB2.99 (US$0.48) and net profit attributable to share-
holders was RMB12.7 billion (US$2 billion), a year-on-year in-
crease of 21 percent, according to Midea‟s annual report, which
was published March 26.
Last year Midea, which has long been a highly successful
original equipment manufacturer, increased investment in re-
search and development, innovation, and brand building. The
gross margin ratio was 25.92 percent, up 0.46 percentage points
on the previous year.
The group maintained its status as an industry leader in
several product categories. The refrigerator business pulled in
RMB 11.4 billion (US$1.75 billion), a year-on-year increase of 17
percent; the washing machine business saw revenue of RMB 12
billion (US$1.84 billion), a year-on-year increase of 20 percent;
the small appliances business earned RMB 35.4 billion (US$5.43
billion), a year-on-year increase of 8 percent.
In ecommerce, Midea was China‟s top home appliances
brand, with revenue of RMB 16 billion (US$2.46 billion), lead-
ing the way in eleven product categories. Strategic cooperation
with ecommerce giants JD and Alibaba helped Midea to one of
the most lucrative days in its history on November 11.
With its stability and high dividends, Midea Group has
proved highly rewarding to shareholders. It plans to distribute a
cash dividend of RMB12 (tax included) for every 10 shares of
all shareholders resulting in a total cash dividend payment of
RMB5.1billion, and meanwhile increase shares by converting
capital reserves into share capital on the basis of 5 shares for
every 10 shares.
Market cap exceeded US$20 billion, doubling since Sep-
tember 2013, bringing substantial long-term benefits for the
shareholder.
With its large integrated logistics platform, Midea scored
many major achievement in the past year, including the launch
of the Mission air conditioner on four continents; the establish-
ment of its first R & D center in the United States; and entry
into the Forbes 500.
NEWSLINE
By Advances
LittleSwan Profit up over 30%
T he revenue of
Midea-owned washing ma-
chine brand LittleSwan was
US$2.02 billion in 2015, a
year-on-year increase of
21.54 percent, with profit at
US$141 million, a year-on-
year increase of 31.65 per-
cent. Due to an aggressive
marketing drive, sales in Chi-
na reached US$1.42 billion, a
year-on-year increase of
18.93 percent, while export
sales rose 27.38 percent. Good
strategy and telling partner-
ships with giants such as Jing-
dong helped online sales in-
crease 110 percent year-on-
year.
LittleSwan is among the most
valuable brands in China. The
company was established in
1958, when it stood alone as
the first washing machine man-
ufacturer in China. It was ac-
quired by Midea in 2010.
Advances Fusion, February-March, 2016
4
Toshiba and Midea Sign MOU on Sale of
Toshiba’s Home Appliance Business By Midea Group
T oshiba Corporation (TOKYO: 6502, “Toshiba”)
and Midea Group Co., Ltd. (SZSE: 000333, “Midea”) have
jointly announced that they have signed a Memorandum of
Understanding on Toshiba‟s sale to Midea of a majority inter-
est in its home appliance business (the “Business”). Under
the envisaged agreement and upon completion of the transac-
tion, the Business will continue to develop, manufacture and
market white goods, such as refrigerators, washing machines,
vacuum cleaners and other small domestic appliances under
the Toshiba brand name.
On December 21, 2015, Toshiba announced the
“Toshiba Rebuilding Initiative”, which included the potential
re-organization of the Business. Toshiba has subsequently
carried out procedures to identify a trusted partner that would
be committed to building on Toshiba‟s achievements to fur-
ther grow the Business.
Toshiba
and Midea have
built up a
strong relation-
ship
over 20 years in
a number of
areas, includ-
ingcompressors,
small domestic
appliances and
inverters. This
proposed trans-
action will fur-
ther cement and
enhance the collaboration of two leading players with exten-
sive expertise to create increased immediate and long term
values for consumers, business partners, employees and share-
holders.
Going forward, the parties will continue discussions in
good faith, towards a definitive agreement that is ex-
pected to be finalized by the end of this month.
About Midea
Midea was established in 1968 and has grown into a lead-
ing global manufacturer of consumer appliances and heating,
ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems, with a
uniquely broad product range that includes air-conditioners,
refrigerators, laundry appliances, kitchen appliances and various
small home appliances. Midea had total revenues of US$23 bil-
lion in 2014 and over 100,000 employees worldwide.
To find out more about Midea, please visit http://
www.midea.com/global
About Toshiba
Toshiba Corporation, a Fortune Global 500 company,
channels world-class capabilities in advanced electronic and
electrical product and systems into five strategic business do-
mains: Energy & Infra-
structure, Community
Solutions, Healthcare
Systems & Services,
Electronic Devices &
Components, and Life-
styles Products & Ser-
vices. Guided by the
principles of The Basic
Commitment of the
Toshiba Group,
“Committed to People,
Committed to the Fu-
ture”, Toshiba pro-
motes global opera-
tions and is contributing to the .realization of a world where
generations to come can live better lives.
Founded in Tokyo in 1875, today‟s Toshiba is at the heart
of a global network of over 580 consolidated companies em-
ploying 199,000 people worldwide, with annual sales surpassing
6.6 trillion yen (US$55 billion).
To find out more about Toshiba, visit www.toshiba.co.jp/
index.htm
NEWSLINE
Advances Fusion, February-March, 2016
5
Robotics Businesses Formally Open
By Advances
G uangdong Midea-Yaskawa Service Robotics Busi-
ness Ltd. and Guangdong Yaskawa-Midea Industrial Industri-
al Robotics Systems Ltd. formally launched on March 1 at
Midea‟s Innovation Center in Shunde, China. This came seven
months after Midea signed two joint ventures with Japanese
automation giant Yaskawa, the service robotics business is
60.1 percent owned by Midea and the industrial robotics busi-
ness is 51 percent owned by Yaskawa.
CEO of Guangdong Yaskawa-Midea Industrial Industri-
al Robotics Systems Seigo Nishikawa, and CEO of Guang-
dong Midea-Yaskawa Service Robotics Zhen Shaoqiang at-
tended the opening ceremony along with around 50 employ-
ees. Seigo Nishikawa pledged to work hard with Midea to make
the joint venture world famous. Zhen Shaoqiang promised to
help Midea use its status as a globally significant manufacturer
to become a world leader in smart home and automated manu-
facturing technology.
Sales of industrial robots in China increased from 4400
units in
2005 to
6.5
million
in 2015.
The
Inter-
national
Federa-
tion of
Robot-
ics pre-
dicts
that this will reach 10 million by 2017.
The service robotics industry is still in its infancy. In 2014
the global industry was worth US$5.97 billion, yet by 2018 it is
expected to reach US$39.4 billion. Service robots will become
more affordable to middle class people in the coming years and
have particularly strong potential in countries where the popula-
tion is ageing and people need to be taken care of as they be-
come less mobile.
NEWSLINE
Advances Fusion, February-March, 2016
6
Four Product Categories Exhibited at
Chicago Show By Shine Lee
M idea exhibited its kitchen appliances, small appli-
ances, refrigerators and washing machines at the 119th annual
International Home & Housewares Show in Chicago. The
three-day exhibition, which concluded March 8, features more
than 2,200 exhibitors from over 45 countries. These include
the industry's leading brands and their cutting-edge products.
New products that Midea exhibited included its smart
microwaves, which come courtesy of the new Global Innova-
tion Center, and the Mini Series from the Small Appliances
Division.
NEWSLINE
Advances Fusion, February-March, 2016
7
Divisions Lavished with International Design
Awards
S everal Midea product divisions have been lavished
with some of the world‟s most prestigious design awards in re-
cent months. Each new award helps Midea cement its place as a
globally respected brand:
The iF Design Award
Germany-based iF International Forum Design GmbH is a
world famous organizer of the annual iF Design Awards, which
has been accepting and judging design submissions from the
world‟s best designers since the organization‟s inception in 1953.
These days, annual design submissions total around 5,000, from
approximately 70 different countries.
Midea is a regular participant and the results for 2016 were
announced in late February, revealing a rich haul of twelve sepa-
rate product design awards, in addition to another for Midea
subsidiary Little Swan.
Midea‟s winners included the Bladeless Ceiling Fan which
offers LED lighting; the Skittles Series Rice Cooker and Grill
which as multi-colored design; and the LittleSwan Star Series
washing machine.
You can see the full list of winners here: http://
www.midea.com/global/about_midea/News/201603/
t20160302_199516.shtml
RedDot Awards
The RedDot Award, which highlights the importance of
design for business and society, is one of the top awards of its
kind. The German RedDot institution honored five products
under Midea Residential Air Conditioning (RAC) with awards
on March 7, with the particularly prestigious "Best of the Best"
award going to the Hybrid Air Conditioner.
Also from RAC, the designers of the “X360 Air Condi-
tioner”、“OA Air Conditioner” 、“HEMNES Air Purifi-
er”、and “PZ Series Air Conditioner”, were presented with
awards at the same ceremony. Midea Vice President Monica
Yuan told state media in China in March that "innovation is the
source of corporate profitability". These awards augur well for
Midea's future.
The same week, Midea‟s Small Appliances Division won
five awards. The winners were the Halo Series which includes
kettles, rice cookers, and bread makers; the MB-WFZ4000XM
induction heating rice cooker; the Mini-series of red appliances;
the MY-HT5096H induction heating pressure cooker; and the
MB-FZ4001 rice cooker.
The MB-FZ4001 in particular marries the retro and the
modern, bringing users back to the days of cooking with fire-
wood. Founded in 1955 by the Design Zentrum Nordrhein
Westfalen, RedDot is as prestigious as the iF.
NEWSLINE
By Advances
Skittle Series
Hybrid Air Conditioner
Advances Fusion, February-March, 2016
8
Midea-Carrier announces new Latin
America CEO
J oão Cláudio Guetter has been appointed chief executive
officer of Midea-Carrier‟s operations in Latin America. Coming
from Electrolux, where
he was responsible for
operations in Latin
America and the Carib-
bean, Guetter replaced
Carlos Renck on Janu-
ary 1.
Renck is still on
the board of directors
and Luis Felipe Costa
remains CEO in Brazil.
This is part of a re-
structuring that adapts
to the current Brazilian
market, and promotes
closer relations be-
tween brand and con-
sumer.
"Our segment is in-
creasingly demanding
and we have created a
structure that will bet-
ter serve the needs of
our customers, in addi-
tion to providing more
innovative products
and expand the brand
also to the home appli-
ances industry," Guet-
ter told local media in
Sao Paulo.
In 2015, the
Company recorded a
growth of 70 percent in
the home appliances
portfolio offered in Bra-
zil, with the launch of
two lines of kitchen
products: Midea Liva and Midea Desea. "Our goal is to grow
not only in Brazil, but also in Argentina and Chile. We also aim
to expand the reach of the Midea brand in other countries in
Latin America in the medium term. We are currently developing
a growth plan for the next
five years, which we
should announce later this
year," adds Guetter.
A market leader in the air
conditioner segment,
Midea Carrier continues
to invest in its plant in
Manaus, with products
aimed at residential use,
and in its plant in Canoas,
which produces commer-
cial air conditioning
equipment. "In line with
the company headquar-
ters, we will make Midea
Carrier one of the major
players in the market",
said Guetter.
João Cláudio Guetter is a
Mechanical Engineer who
graduated from Federal
University of Paraná and
has a post-graduate degree
in Economics, followed
by a Master's Degree from
ISAD / University Católi-
ca of Paraná. Throughout
his career, he led teams in
different areas, such as
sales, marketing, supplies
and operations, both in
Latin America and the
United States, always
showing exceptional leader-
ship with telling results.
NEWSLINE
By Nadia Mathias
João Cláudio Guetter (left) and Luis Felipe Costa
Advances Fusion, February-March, 2016
9
Going Green by Turning Black
A fter a recent agreement with the World Wildlife
Fund (WWF), Midea observed Earth Hour by switching off all
lights in its headquarter building for an hour on the evening of
March 19.
To celebrate Midea's cooperation with the WWF, the tour
of the Heart Panda statues stopped off outside Midea's global
HQ for the days leading up to Earth Hour.
Midea Residential Air Conditioning (RAC) got together
with The WWF to launch the Star Program at The Beijing Na-
tional Convention Center on March 1. The program aims at
“shooting for the stars” in carbon emissions reduction and in-
spiring a trend throughout the industry.
NEWSLINE
By Advances
Lucky panda
Advances Fusion, February-March, 2016
10
CAC Makes its Mark in Milan
F ounded in 1960, Mostra Con-
vegno Expocomfort (MCE) has been held
biannually in Milan since 1982. It is Italy‟s
oldest heating, ventilation and air condition-
ing (HVAC) exhibition, and every time in-
vites industry leaders from around the world.
During the MCE Expo, customers can
share and discuss their experiences in their
local market. Also, as the second largest city
in Italy, it is a good place through which to
enter one of the world‟s most difficult and
sophisticated markets. Customers of MCE
have high purchasing and decision-making
power. Up to 75 percent of the customers
can make purchases or sign contracts during
the exhibition.
Needless to say, Midea Commercial Air
Conditioning (CAC) was represented at the
exhibition, which falls from March 15-18,
with some of its latest and best products.
Products on show included the All DC Inverter
Modular Chiller, the Medium Static Pressure
Duct, and the Wall Mounted S Panel.
Malpensa Airport
Industry leaders arriving at the exhibition had
their lives made more comfortable by Midea
the moment they stepped off the plane. Milan
Malpensa Airport has installed air conditioning
from Midea CAC.
The equipment mainly includes Mini VRF and
Rooftop Packaged units and the total capacity
is 180 HP. This is CAC‟s first airport project in
Italy and one of a long line of major airport
installations landed by Midea.
NEWSLINE
By Advances
Milan Malpensa Airport
Advances Fusion, February-March, 2016
11
Brand Licensing Agreement with US Giant
By Advances
M idea has signed a brand licensing agree-
ment with chemicals, fibers and plastics materials manu-
facturer Eastman. This is Eastman‟s first venture into
China‟s domestic market.
Eastman is a global specialty chemical company
that produces a broad range of advanced materials, ad-
ditives and functional products, specialty chemicals, and
fibers that are found in products people use every day.
Many plastic products such as tableware and ba-
bies‟ bottles contain the chemical bisphenol A. With the
formula (CH3)2C(C6H4OH)2, it has been listed by
Canada, the United States, and Norway as a banned
substance for food packaging and babies‟ bottles, yet
in developing countries it is still commonly found.
For this reason, Eastman has created Tritan, a
copolyester brand that supplies plastic products with-
out the chemical. Midea‟s Small Appliances Division
has used Titan as a supplier since 2014, and the suc-
cess of this cooperation has led to a brand licensing
agreement.
Midea is now free to use the Tritan brand in
advertising, web pages, promotional items, merchan-
dising, displays and packaging. This will show the
consumer that Midea is one of the safest suppliers of
cooking products.
Eastman‟s global sales director Randy Beavers expressed
his optimism about the deal, stating that the two compa-
nies have a similar attitude to social responsibility.
In many markets, Eastman Tritan™ copolyester has
transformed how brand owners, designers, molders and
consumers think about clear polymers. By redefining
toughness, Tritan adds lasting value to products.
By providing a balance of clarity, chemical resistance and
other market-specific performance advantages, Tritan
helps differentiate products. By providing practical pro-
cessing and sustainability solutions, Tritan helps bring
innovations to the market.
NEWSLINE
Advances Fusion, February-March, 2016
12
Water Heaters Gain Vietnam Certification
By Advances
R epresentatives
of Vietnam‟s Ministry of
Industry and Trade have
awarded Midea‟s Water
Heating Division the
much sought-after CR
certification after carrying
out tests. The certification
will significantly shorten
test time and reduce the
associated import and
export procedures.
Auditing experts
carried out tests on oper-
ating systems, certifica-
tion compliance, manu-
facturing sites, and af-
tersales service. The an-
nual examination proved that Midea has kept up with the minis-
try‟s require-
ments. This will
speed up the
processes that
enable Midea to
meet customer
demand.
Midea‟s first
non-Chinese
production base
was built in Vi-
etnam and the
country is key to
the brand‟s
strategy in
ASEAN mar-
kets.
NEWSLINE
By Advances
Rice Cooker JV Formed in Korea
M idea has formed a US$12 million joint venture with
South Korean rice cooker manufacturer Cuchen, with Midea
owning a 60 percent share. Established in 1976 and entering
Nasdaq in 1994, Cuchen has been cooperating with Midea since
2013.
The board of directors will consist of five members, three
from Midea, two from Cuchen, according to Li Guolin, General
Manager of Midea‟s Small Appliances Division. The two sides
will conduct in-depth
cooperation in re-
search and develop-
ment, technology, and
manufacturing, shar-
ing patented technol-
ogy along the way.
The rice cooker
industry is in some-
thing of a golden age that looks set to con-
tinue.
Advances Fusion, February-March, 2016
13
Wuxi Factory’s Outstanding Female
Employee
A t Midea Inter-
national‟s end-of-year cele-
brations, the world‟s most
popular sport was used as
a metaphor for how a
good business is run.
While the sales and mar-
keting teams can be
thought of as strikers,
other positions such as
legal, finance and auditing
also have assigned roles.
Though in football,
as in life, it is normally the
strikers who take the plau-
dits, the “goalkeeper” of
Midea‟s Wuxi factory has
been the outstanding fe-
male employee of 2015.
Ge Fenhua is a ruthless
quality control manager
who lets no shoddy product
get past her at Midea‟s fac-
tory in central China‟s Wuxi
City.
Though she is just a cog in the machine, she brings an
understanding of the big picture to her work, offering well-
informed advice on how to improve operations and efficiency.
She reduced the installation time on her assembly line by almost
two minutes through her analytical thinking, saving time and
money for the whole factory.
Despite being a strict perfectionist, Ge is a popular and
friendly figure with colleagues, earning a reputation as some-
thing of a Mother Goose for taking new colleagues under her
wing. She has been nicknamed “Mrs. Ge” by colleagues to fit
with her gentle-natured school mistress persona.
"I will continue to work hard to uphold the concept of
quality first,” Ge said in reaction to receiving the award.
“In response to this honour, I will strive to create even
greater quality. The Laundry Division will continue to be a ma-
jor
force
in the
over-
all
devel-
opment of Midea Group,” said Ge.
You might say that 71 percent of the Earth‟s surface is
covered by water. The rest is covered by Ge Fenhua.
PEOPLE
By Cha Meng
Ge Fenhua
Advances Fusion, February-March, 2016
14
Fridges that Give Nutrition Advice: The Brave
New World of M-Smart By Advances
M idea unveiled the next developments in its M-
Smart program at the Into the Future press conference at the
Kerry Hotel in Shanghai‟s Pudong District on March 8.
Midea‟s Chief Technology Officer Zack Hu and M-Smart R &
D Manager Li Qiang both gave speeches outlining the future
strategy of Midea‟s smart home program.
“The additions required to make hardware smart are
not simple. They require profound familiarity with the core
functions and users‟ needs to make the necessary upgrades.
Using intelligent technology, the product features require an
iterative upgrade,” Zack Hu told the press conference. With-
out the hardware, the intelligent software is merely a concept
that can never be brought to life,” Zack Hu told the confer-
ence.
Midea‟s strengths include its large number of existing
users and vast product range. Becoming the “King of the
World in Smart Home Technology” is central to Midea‟s long
-term strategy.
Mr. Hu introduced Midea‟s Smart Air, Smart Nutrition
and Smart Water solutions with 22 new products which be-
tween them have nearly 30 features that were pioneered by
Midea.
As part of the Smart Nutrition strategy, M-Smart refrig-
erators will act as a “gatekeeper of nutrition”, it was explained.
Its smart technology can identify over 500 distinct images and
its label-recognition technology boasts 100 percent accuracy.
There is also an intelligent medicine management system
which provides timely reminders about when to take medi-
cine, a use-
ful feature
in countries
with ageing
popula-
tions. A
new M-
Smart mi-
crowave
does an
unprecedented job of making complicated processes simple for
the consumer, an even shows users how to make the perfect
steamed fish.
The press conference came on the eve of The Appliances
and Electronics World Expo is being held at the state-of-the-art
New International Expo Center in Shanghai. Midea‟s stand is
operating in Hall W2 from March 9-12.
What makes M-Smart unique? According to R & D boss
Li Qiang, in a word: centralization.
M-Smart‟s strategy involves cloud computing, terminals,
and open source technology. With an open software develop-
ment kit (SDK), with an open platform for third-party cloud,
Midea is establishing itself as an ecological technology leader
with M-Smart, and building an image as the Master of Intelli-
gent Hardware.
More than 50 partners including Huawei, COFCO, IBM,
and OnStar are on board. Midea also signed a strategic coopera-
tion agreement with GM OnStar, pioneering the intelligent ecol-
ogy between the smart mobility of connected vehicles and smart
home systems in China, which would be first seen in the latest
generation Buick LaCrosse. It is also the first example of inter-
connected cross-category intelligent devices in China.
Up to now, Midea M-Smart has helped many smart home
big players achieve open access; these include Huawei, Tencent,
Xiaomi, TCL, LeTV and OnStar etc., allowing consumers to
manage their household appliances more efficiently.
IBM, Ali Cloud, and Amazon also formed a "Band of
Brothers" alliance with Midea, so as to establish an ecosystem of
household appliances and offer individualized services through-
out the entire process, from operation systems to cross-category
intelligent usage, to cutting-edge after-sales service.
AWE
Advances Fusion, February-March, 2016
15
Dessert-Serving Robots, Olympic Champi-
ons & Singing Water Heaters By Advances
M idea displayed its M-Smart system at the Appli-
ance & Electronics World Expo (AWE) in Shanghai in
March. Customers and media from around the world came to
Midea‟s stand to marvel, with write-ups appearing in China
Daily among other places.
As the Internet of Things becomes a reality, M-Smart
products offer smart air, water, and nutrition solutions. Of the
450 Midea products shown at AWE, 92 classify as M-Smart.
China‟s all-conquering swimming, diving and fencing teams
team came to Midea‟s booth as representatives of the brand.
AWE is the most important event in the Chinese
household appliance industry, of which Midea is the king. The
booth created scenes to show what life will be like at all times of
day in the future. All of these scenes were based on consumer
needs and how to meet them seamlessly.
Drawing inspiration from Germany's "Industry 4.0", last
year China launched a "Made in China 2025" to comprehensive-
ly upgrade its manufacturing industry. Midea being at the fore-
front of this campaign, 22 new M-Smart products were unveiled
along with 30 new technological features.
In Kitchen appliances, there was the range of hoods with
unprecedentedly efficient absorption and intelligent steam
washing technology which can effectively solve the problem of
AWE
Members of China’s fencing team
Members of China’s swimming and diving team
Advances Fusion, February-March, 2016
16
Dessert-Serving Robots, Olympic Champi-
ons & Singing Water Heaters (Cont.) By Advances
AWE
Japanese robot giant Yaskawa, there were 5 Midea robots serv-
ing ice cream on the stand. Science fiction has never seemed
so unthreatening. In the appliances indus-
try, Midea is leading the way in both in-
dustrial and commercial automation.
It is also the first example of intercon-
nected cross-category intelligent devices
in China. Up to now, M-Smart has helped
many smart home big players achieve
open access; these include Huawei, Ten-
cent, Xiaomi, TCL, LeTV and OnStar
etc., allowing consumers to manage their
household appliances more efficient-
ly. IBM, Ali cloud, and Amazon also
formed a "Band of Brothers" alliance with
Midea, so as to establish an ecosystem of
household appliances and offer individu-
alized services throughout the entire pro-
cess, from operation systems to cross-
category intelligent usage, to cutting-edge
after-sales service.
Midea is now more than just an appliances
manufacturer, it is a brand that is changing
people‟s lives, giving them time for the
things that really matter.
cleaning stubborn kitchen stains.
In bedroom products, there was a fan which can
modify its wind speed according to what is happening in
the room. It can also be connected to Midea‟s residential
air conditioners to work together.
In bathroom products, there was a water heater
which can play music and whose temperature can be
controlled by Bluetooth, WIFI and apps. This product
takes singing in the shower to a whole new level.
In laundry, there was also the world‟s first front-
loading washing machine with a lifting door. The
“Beverly”, “The Smart Hybrid” and other smart wash-
ing machines under Midea‟s LittleSwan brand are firmly
at the forefront of the industry. Their ease of use
(clothes can be added in the middle of a wash), and aes-
thetic attractiveness (brand agreements with Disney and other
family-friendly brands have been good for image), have been
noted by visitors.
After the recent establishment of a joint venture with
Dessert-serving robots made possible by the new Midea-Yaskawa JV
Advances Fusion, February-March, 2016
17
Midea the Biggest Winner at Appliance
Awards By Advances
M idea picked up ten prizes, making it the biggest
winner at The China Appliance Award Ceremony on March
10. At the ceremony,
held at the same time
as The Appliance &
Electronics World
Expo (AWE) in
Shanghai, Midea won
two consumer awards,
five product awards, a
design award, a crea-
tivity award and an
appliances award.
China‟s most
prestigious appliances
award selects 318
nominees from the
20,000 products dis-
played at the AWE, including air conditioners, refrigerators,
and washing machines, as well as audio-visual, kitchen, small,
cleaning, environmental, health, and digital appliances. After
on-site reviews by industry professionals, 185 finalists are
selected ahead of the ceremony.
Judging by the winners, this year‟s awards particularly
encouraged the development of interoperable “smart” prod-
ucts as China attempts to upgrade its manufacturing industry.
Here are the winners:
Consumer Award
1. The Spring Series Water Heaters (Serial Number
RSJ-20/100RD/120RD/150RD/180RD)
2. 2. Vandelo Freezer (Serial Number BD/BC-
150KSV)
Product Award
1. Beverly Electric Water Heater (Serial Number
F80-30EQ2HEY)
2. Filter Type Air
Purifier (Serial
Number: KJ400G
-B21)
3. Electric Pressure
Cooker (Serial
Number:
PHT5083P)
Vandelo Refriger-
ator (Serial Num-
ber: BCD-
401WGPZV)
4. LittleSwan Rotary
Drum Washing
Machine (Serial
Number:
BVL1D120G6)
Design
Award
1. Midea IH Rice Cooker (Serial Number: MB-
FZ4001)
Creativity Award
1. The Midea
Bubble Robot
(Serial Number:
VBO1)
Appliances
Award
1. 1. Midea Split
Air Conditioner Ev-
erest Series (Serial Number: KFR-26GW/
BP3DN1Y-TA100B1)
AWE
Spring Series water heaters
IH Rice Cooker
Vandelo refrigerator
Advances Fusion, February-March, 2016
18
CHINA: Tomb Sweeping Day
By Advances
FUSION
year, on Qingming.
Activities
Young and old pray before the ancestors, sweep the
tombs and offer food, tea, wine, chopsticks, joss paper acces-
sories, and/or libations to the ancestors. Some people carry
willow branches with them on Qingming or put willow
branches on their gates or front doors. They believe that wil-
low branches help ward off the evil spirit that wanders on
Qingming.
On Qingming, people go on family outings, start the
spring plowing, sing, and dance. Qingming is also a time when
young couples traditionally start dating. Another popular thing
to do is to fly kites in the shapes of animals or characters from
Chinese opera. Another common practice is to carry flowers
instead of burning paper, incense, or firecrackers.
Traditionally, the family will burn spirit money and paper
replicas of material goods such as cars, homes, phones and
paper servants. In Chinese culture, it is believed that people
still need all of those things in the afterlife. Then family mem-
bers take turns to kowtow three to nine times (depending on
the family adherence to traditional values) before the tomb of
the ancestors. The Kowtowing ritual in front of the grave is
performed in the order of patriarchal seniority within the fami-
ly. After the ancestor worship at the grave site, the whole fami-
ly or the whole clan feast on the food and drink they brought
for the worship either at the site or in nearby gardens in the
memorial park, signifying family reunion with the ancestors.
T omb Sweeping Day, also known as Qingming, is a
day on which Chinese people honor their ancestors. Falling on
April 4 this year, the festival is held to coincide with rising tem-
peratures and increasing rainfall as it has its roots in agriculture.
Tomb Sweeping Day became a national holiday on the
Chinese mainland in 2008, it is used to visit the graves of ances-
tors to pay respect. It is also customary to consume qingtuan,
green dumplings made of glutinous rice and barley grass.
Origins
The festival originated from the Cold Food Festival
("Hanshi Festival"), established during the Spring and Autumn
Period (771-476 BC). Duke Wen, ruler of the state of Jin start-
ed it to honour his retainer Jie Zitui, who had loyally followed
him during his years of exile. According to legend, Jie once
even cut meat from his own thigh to provide the duke with
soup. Once he was enthroned as duke, however, Jie considered
his services no longer required and resigned. Jie moved into the
forest with his mother. Duke Wen went to the forest in 636 BC
but could not find them. He ordered his men to set fire to the
forest in order to force Jie out. When Jie and his mother were
killed instead, the duke was overcome with remorse and or-
dered three days without fire to honor Jie's memory. The city
erected over the former forest is still called Jiexiu (lit. "Jie's
rest").
The present importance of the holiday is credited to the
Tang Emperor Xuanzong. Wealthy citizens in China were re-
portedly holding too many extravagant and ostentatiously ex-
pensive ceremonies in honor of their ancestors. In AD 732,
Emperor
Xuanzong
sought to
curb this
practice by
declaring
that such
respects
could be
formally
paid only
once a
Advances Fusion, February-March, 2016
19
INDONESIA: Balispirit Festival
By Advances
FUSION
tred at Bedulu, just to the east of Ubud. A great flowering of
Balinese culture followed.
In 1900, Ubud became a Dutch protectorate at its own
request, and the colonialists interfered little, allowing the tradi-
tional arts and culture of the area to remain relatively un-
changed. The modern era of Ubud perhaps began in the
1930s, when foreign artists were encouraged by the royal fami-
ly to take up presence in the town. From their Ubud base, the
likes of Walter Spies and Rudolph Bonnet were instrumental
in promoting an understanding of Balinese art and culture
worldwide. From the 1960s onwards, travellers started to ar-
rive in earnest, mostly intrepid types as the infrastructure was
still primitive.
The Festival
The goal of the BaliSpirit Festival is to awaken and nour-
ish each individual‟s potential for positive change within, lead-
ing to positive change in homes, in communities, and around
the world. Through the beneficial and inspirational traditions
of yoga, dance, and music, the BaliSpirit Festival illustrates the
Balinese Hindu concept of Tri Hita Karana: living in harmony
with our spiritual, social, and natural environments.
The founders of the BaliSpirit Festival provide financial,
logistical, and organizational support to local charities, with a
special emphasis on children‟s programs, multicultural educa-
tion and performance, healthcare, HIV& AIDS awareness, and
environmental conservation in Bali and greater Indonesia.
This year‟s festival, held from March 29-April 3, will
include dance and martial arts, self-development and seminars,
and top musicians from around the world.
T here was a time when people went to music or cul-
tural festivals, went wild, and then needed weeks to recover
from the madness. Like the growing Wanderlust festival,
BaliSpirit is a relatively new phenomenon, a festival where you
are built up rather than burnt out. With health and wellness
presenters from around the world (and participants from more
than 50 countries), Balispirit aims to inspire and energize peo-
ple as well as bring them together.
Looking beyond sex, drugs and rock „n‟ roll, BaliSpirit is a
poster child for a new generation of festivals for the rapidly
growing holistic travel marketplace. It is an experience that will
engage all six senses as Ubud Town has done for centuries.
History of Ubud
Put on the map by Eat, Pray, Love author Elizabeth Gil-
bert, Ubud has a known history back to the eighth century,
when the Javanese Hindu priest Rsi Marhandya came to Bali
from Java, and meditated at the confluence of the nearby Wos
rivers. A shrine was established and later expanded by Nirartha,
the Javanese priest who is regarded as the founder of Bali's
religious practices and rituals as we know them today. At this
time the area was a centre of natural medicine and healing,
“Ubad” is ancient Balinese for medicine.
Further temples and monasteries were established over
the next 400 hundred years. Many of the dances, drama and
rituals still practiced in Ubud today, originated at this time.
The Javanese Majapahit kingdom conquered Bali in 1343,
and the key final victory was against the Pejeng Dynasty cen-
Advances Fusion, February-March, 2016
20
INDIA: Kumbh Mela
By Advances
FUSION
after the Deva-Asura war, which went on for quite some time,
both the involved parties came to a conclusion that instead of
fighting, they should come together and churn the milky ocean
to obtain the Elixir. The sea was churned and elixir was ob-
tained but it was not meant for the Asura or the demons,
hence the god who appeared from the sea with the Kumbh or
the pitcher of elixir ran from the chasing Asuras. In this chase
a few drops fell on earth and now at these four places the
Kumbh Mela is conducted.
Though all Kumbh Melas enjoy similar numbers of dev-
otees, the name of Haridwar comes at the top of all Indian
pilgrimages. Hence the Kumbh Mela of Haridwar enjoys ex-
ceptional media coverage and tourist traffic. The place is
termed as the gateway to heaven in Hindu mythological scrip-
tures.
The major event of the festival is ritual bathing at the
banks of the
river. Other
activities include
religious discus-
sions, devotion-
al singing, mass
feeding of holy
men and wom-
en and the poor,
and religious
assemblies
where doctrines
are debated and standardized. Kumbh Mela is the most sacred
of all the pilgrimages.
K umbh Mela is a mass Hindu pilgrimage of faith in
which believers gather to bathe in a sacred river. Traditionally,
four fairs are widely recognized as the Kumbh Melas: the
Haridwar Kumbh Mela, the Allahabad Kumbh Mela, the
Nashik-Trimbakeshwar Simhastha and the Ujjain Simhastha,
although priests at other places have also claimed their local
fairs to be Kumbh Melas.
These four fairs are held periodically at one of the four
places by rotation. The main festival site is located on the banks
of a river: the Ganges (Ganga) at Haridwar; the confluence
(Sangam) of the Ganges and the Yamuna and the mythical Sar-
asvati at Allahabad; the Godavari at Nashik; and the Shipra at
Ujjain. Bathing in these rivers is thought to cleanse a person of
all sins.
At any given place, the Kumbh Mela is held once in 12
years. This year‟s Kumbh Mela is in Ujjain, and lasts until April
30.
Rivers have always held a special place in Hindu mytholo-
gy, as these are considered to be the carriers of life and fertility.
Hence they have always been central to major festivals in India.
The Kumbh Mela. This fair is perhaps the largest religious
gathering in the world. A vast number of people gather at dif-
ferent places and perform rituals on this day by the banks of
different rivers. "Kumbh" means a pitcher or a pot, the word
Kumbh also signifies a Hindu sun sign, Aquarius. The word
Mela means a fair or a gathering.
During the festival the banks of India‟s holy rivers be-
come a large bathing ground for the rich, the poor, sadhus
(holy men) and women alike. For each place the Kumbh Mela
repeats every 12 years, but in actuality the four sites celebrate it
every year.
The Myth behind the celebration of Kumbh Mela is that
Sadhus
Advances Fusion, February-March, 2016
21
SPAIN: Moors & Christians Festival
By Advances
FUSION
ous groups that make up the Moorish and Christian armies
march in procession, desperately trying to out-
shine each other‟s‟ sumptuous costumes. This
four century-old festival is one of Spain‟s biggest
and in certain cases, such as that of Alcoy, over
5,000 people take part in the procession.
Another part of the festivities are the religious
ceremonies held in honor of Alcoy‟s patron saint.
Another special moment is the spectacular final
battle. It follows the so-called
"embajadas" (meeting of envoys) in the castle, in
which each side reads a text in an attempt to per-
suade the other side to surrender. Once negotia-
tions have failed, a mock battle ensues in which
thousands of kilos of gunpowder is used, ending
in victory for the Christians.
T he Moors and Christians Festival (Spanish:
Moros y Cristianos) commemorates the battles that
took place between the Moors and Christians during
the Reconquista from the 8-15th Centuries.
The battle reenactments take place throughout
Spain but primarily in the southern part of the Valen-
cian Community and in Alicante. The most popular
Moors and Christians festival takes place in the city of
Alcoi, Valencia from the 22-24 April. This date coin-
cides with another popular festival in Valencia and Cat-
alonia known as Saint George‟s Day, or Sant Jordi. Leg-
end has it that when James I of Aragon re-conquered
the city from the Moors, the Moors were frightened
away from re-attacking the city when Saint George appeared
before them.
The Moors and Christians Festival begins with the
shot of gunpowder and is filled with medieval music, fire-
works and many other events. The festival culminates when
the Christians reenact a battle around the castle in which
they overthrow the Moor invaders.
Beginning in the early hours of the morning, the
streets, balconies and windows fill with people intent on not
missing a single thing. To the accompaniment of music and
with all the pomp and majesty you could hope for, the vari-
Advances Fusion, February-March, 2016
22
Germany: Walpurgisnacht
By Advances
FUSION
(Burning of the Witches), which sees huge bonfires lit all over
the country (including on Petřín hill in Prague) and an effigy of
a witch thrown onto the pyres. Old brooms are also burnt and
there‟s partying through the night.
Sweden, too, has a few witches in the broom closet.
Here, the celebration is known as the Feast of Valborg and is
nowadays treated more as a spring welcome than a time of
witches, being marked with bonfires and choral singing across
the country. The largest celebration is in Stockholm‟s Skansen
open-air museum, where a festive concert runs from mid-
afternoon to around midnight. In Gothenburg, students from
the Chalmers University have for the last century conducted
the Cortège parade, with floats showing mock scenes from
major events over the past year. More than 200,000 people line
the streets to view the parade.
W alpurgisnacht, known in English as Walpurgis
Night, is believed to be the night of a witches' meeting on the
Brocken, the highest peak in the Harz Mountains, a range of
wooded hills in central Germany between the rivers Weser and
Elbe. It falls on the night of April 30, the Eve of Saint Walpur-
ga day.
Born and educated in the south of England, Saint Wal-
purga (710–25 to 777 or 779) travelled with her brothers as a
missionary to Francia (now Württemberg and Franken). She
helped spread Christianity throughout what was then a mostly
pagan central Europe. Because of her rigorous training, she was
able to write her brother
Winibald's vita and an
account in Latin of his
travels in Palestine. As a
result, she is often called
the first female author of
both England and Ger-
many.
Traditionally, frightened
peasants used to hang
crosses and herbs on sta-
ble doors to protect their
livestock on Walpurgis-
nacht; ringing church
bells or cracking whips
were other ways to pre-
vent stray witches from
dropping by. Today, how-
ever, people come to be
with the witches as they
recount the year‟s evil deeds, not to escape them.
One of the best places to celebrate Walpurgisnacht is the
town of Thale, where not-so-pagan hordes of 35,000 or more
arrive for colourful variety events and the Walpurgishalle muse-
um tells you all you need to know about sacrifices, rituals and
local myths. People dress as witches and toss away all reserve as
they dance around fires. Wherever you are, expect to see the
dawn in with some very strange characters! If it wasn‟t enough
that one mountain should claim to be haunted, there are other
such Walpurgisnacht events elsewhere in Europe.
In the Czech Republic the local variation is Carodejnice
Walpurga
Advances Fusion, February-March, 2016
23
SNAPSHOT
Walking on the Wild Side: Midea Walking on the Wild Side: Midea Walking on the Wild Side: Midea
Links up with the WWFLinks up with the WWFLinks up with the WWF
top related