Nidec Appliance, Commercial and Industrial Motors (ACIM) Business Unit has officially inaugurated its new Nidec Qingdao Industrial Park, located near the eastern coast of China, approximately 500 km south-east of Beijing city.
Located in Jiaozhou, it spans the equivalent of 15 football fields and is capable of delivering 18 million motors and over 20 million electronic inverters per year.
Equipped with 75 production lines, the site is a result of the integration of two long-standing facilities and consolidates more than twenty years of presence that the company has in Qingdao.
Through the integration of motors and electronics production under the same roof, the site is creating strong synergies across processes, expertise and logistics, enabling faster execution and stronger support to serve over 70 customers across Asia, Europe and the Americas.
Since the beginning of the project, sustainability was a guiding principle: the campus was structurally designed and prepared to have carbon-neutral operations, in addition to advanced waste management (less than 1% to landfill), rainwater reuse and onsite solar generation.
Further features like natural gas-powered kitchens and electric bike charging stations reinforce the environmentally responsible vision.
The campus also promotes social wellbeing through rest areas, maternity spaces, clothes changing rooms, showers, and dedicated lockers, all aimed to provide a safe and people-centered workplace.
Katia Drusian, CEO of Nidec ACIM, says: “What makes me proudest is how this campus came to life: shaped with vision, grounded in care and guided by the people who will make it thrive.
“Aligned with it, comes sustainability which is embedded in the structure and has influenced every choice we made.
“The Qingdao Campus is a continuation of the path we’ve walked for decades in China, where ACIM already operates 4 major facilities and employs nearly 2,300 people, always with the intention to grow responsibly, relying on the strong engagement with local institutions to then generate long-term value.”
According to the company, the solid partnership with the Chinese government was a key element. The close accompaniment and responsiveness to the business needs resulted in an assembly process completed in record time – just 18 months – ensuring the plans’ continuity with no disruptions.
Moreover, the campus’s location within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Demonstration Zone is seen as an opportunity due to the strategic position it has in China’s national strategy as well as for opening possibilities to broader contribution in the regional ecosystem, with further developments, connections and services.
Alberto Casnati, president of Nidec Global Appliance, says: “This campus was intentionally designed to foster proximity, not only in geographic terms, but also in the way we operate.
“Being closer to our customers enables us to better understand their needs and respond with greater speed, flexibility, and efficiency, reinforcing our commitment to long-term collaboration.
“Our focus remains on serving key industries such as home appliances, air conditioning, food service, and refrigeration through our advanced motor and inverter production technologies. At the same time, we are actively exploring new markets and opportunities where we can bring value.”
When it comes to innovation, the campus features real-time digital monitoring and a fully automated warehouse.
From a product’s development perspective, the 8,500 m² integrated Research & Development center includes 8 laboratories that aim to accelerate further development and innovation cycles.
Thanks to its structure and available space, the campus has the possibility to host expansions and vertical integration of components that can enhance supply chain control while reducing lead times.
This same foundation positions the site as a potential location for future projects across Nidec Appliance Automotive Division, to which ACIM belongs.
Valter Taranzano, CEO of Nidec Appliance Automotive Division (AAD), says: “For us, this campus is strategic in several ways, including the fact that its size enables us to think about it as an evolving infrastructure, built to grow jointly with Nidec.
“We have opportunity and space to expand laboratories, production lines, and this is what we will and are already doing. We are currently getting ready to host electronic production also for the automotive sector, which is part of our Division, but even beyond.
“In this sense, we plan to start new rounds of discussions and collaborations with the government aiming to generate additional opportunities for our business as well as positive impact within Qingdao and China.”
Mitsuya Kishida, CEO of Nidec Group, says: “Nidec opened its first facility in China in 1992, in Dalian. Today, with the new Qingdao campus, we reaffirm our confidence in this country and in the value of shared, sustainable, innovation-driven growth.
“This inauguration is a result of solid partnerships, built over time through a common vision and with the support of those who believed in our journey. With Qingdao, we strengthen our ability to look ahead with competence, consistency, and ambition.”
