From September 21 to 22, ebm-papst celebrated its 30th anniversary in China with a series of events in Shanghai. Several members of the Group’s management team and employees from across China were joined by government representatives, customers and business partners to reflect on the company’s development in China and discuss the opportunities emerging in an increasingly digital economy.

Over the past three decades, ebm-papst has made three fundamental transitions in China: from trading and sales to local production; from production to a broader base spanning R&D and supply chain capabilities; and from a product supplier to a systems and technology partner. Sustained investment and local innovation have transformed China from a market served by ebm-papst into an important part of the Group’s global manufacturing, engineering and innovation network.

“When we entered China 30 years ago, our role was largely to bring products and technology into the market. Today, the exchange works both ways: expertise built in China—in manufacturing, engineering and innovation—contribute to our global network. This shift from serving China to innovating with China is one of the most important outcomes of our journey here. China is not only a key market; it is helping shape the capabilities ebm-papst will need for the future,” said Dr. Klaus Geissdoerfer, CEO of the ebm-papst Group.

This development reflects ebm-papst's long-standing "Local for Local" strategy. Through this approach, the company stays close to customer markets, enables faster innovation, shortens response and delivery times, and provides faster support for increasingly diverse requirements. China has become one of the strongest examples of how this approach creates value for customers while strengthening the Group's global competitiveness. Today, ebm-papst operates a local network in China encompassing R&D, testing, manufacturing, supply chains, warehousing, logistics and customer support, with a localization rate of more than 90 percent. The China headquarters in Shanghai, the Xi'an production site and the South China Air Technology Hub in Foshan work as an integrated network.

Innovation at ebm-papst begins with the customer’s application. Across data center cooling, reliable air circulation in cleanrooms, and the modernization of existing buildings and industrial facilities, the company combines expertise in aerodynamics, motors, electronics, controls and digitalization. High-efficiency EC technology, demand-based control and operational monitoring help customers improve system efficiency, reliability and lifecycle performance. The Xi’an site has also been recognized as a National Green Factory, while its photovoltaic installations can supply approximately half of the site’s electricity demand—concrete measures to improve operational efficiency and reduce resource consumption.

“Customers no longer judge performance by a fan’s data sheet alone. They look at energy use, reliability and operating cost across the entire system. The rapid growth of AI is raising the bar for data center cooling and opening new ground for innovation. By engaging earlier in customer projects, we can turn local engineering, manufacturing and service into measurable operational improvements. Ultimately, our contribution should be visible in system performance and energy bills, not only in product specifications,” said Thomas Nuernberger, Chief Sales Officer of the ebm-papst Group and President & CEO Air Technology APAC & MEA.

Looking ahead, ebm-papst will continue to respond to the industrial changes driven by AI and digitalization, deepen local innovation and bring engineering experience and solutions developed in China to a wider global market. Throughout this next chapter, the company will continue to live its values: creating value through efficiency, advancing innovation with enthusiasm, and putting humanity at the heart of its relationships with employees, customers and partners.