Sylvain Muradian, Vice President and Marketing Director of Michelin China
“Every time Michelin participates in the CIIE, it witnesses the accelerated pace of China’s high-level opening up. The CIIE brings innovation to the public and also leads cooperation into the future,” said Sylvain Muradian, Vice President and Marketing Director of Michelin China, in an interview with The Paper.
This is Michelin's fifth time participating in the China International Import Expo (CIIE). "The CIIE has allowed us to meet more like-minded partners, leading to numerous strategic collaborations and order signings," explained Mu Huadi. "More importantly, through the CIIE, Michelin has gained valuable experience in China and confidence in the future: the Chinese market is becoming a powerful engine for global green travel and high-quality development. Michelin not only showcases its innovation but also gives back to the global market through localized practices."
China's economy has shifted from pursuing "speed" and "quantity" to focusing more on "quality" and "innovation," and the automotive industry can be seen as a microcosm of this transformation. Last year, China's automobile production and sales remained the world's largest for the 16th consecutive year, with new energy vehicles accounting for over 40% of the market.
Moody stated frankly that this market environment presents both opportunities and challenges for Michelin.
The rapid development of new energy vehicles has placed new and higher demands on tires, requiring them to be not only more wear-resistant and safer, but also quieter and more energy-efficient.
According to Mu Huadi, Michelin was one of the first international tire brands to respond to the "electrification, high-end, and intelligentization" trend in China's automotive industry, and was the first to launch Acoustic quiet tire technology in the Chinese market. Since 2019, the Shenyang plant has successively invested in the construction of 5 quiet tire production lines, and the Shanghai plant has put 3 lines into operation, specializing in the production of quiet tires.
“Currently, all Michelin tires sold in China are compatible with new energy vehicles, and the company holds a market share of over 30% in the high-end new energy vehicle market,” he added.
According to Moowardi, the rise of Chinese domestic automakers has brought a new pace: "Their pace is faster, and their demands for supply chain responsiveness and flexibility are also higher. Michelin has transformed from 'push production' to 'make-to-order' through the construction of intelligent production lines and lean supply chain management. Now, our response time for additional orders has been shortened from three weeks to as fast as 24 hours. At the same time, we are also accelerating our Industry 4.0 transformation, applying artificial intelligence, big data, and automation technologies on a large scale in the production process, which allows us to respond to customers faster and serve our partners more flexibly."
Furthermore, Mooward believes that the growing emphasis on sustainable development across society has placed higher demands on products and production methods. He mentioned that, according to the group's goals, by 2030, Michelin's tires will use 40% sustainable materials, and by 2050, they will be 100% made from sustainable materials. In China, the Shenyang plant is striving to achieve carbon-neutral production capabilities by 2028, becoming one of the group's benchmarks for sustainable transformation.
"For Michelin, upholding the brand's core values and local innovation are not mutually exclusive. We adhere to the core value of 'innovation' while using local insights and practices to ensure the brand continues to thrive in China. Michelin not only achieves 'in China, for China,' but also 'in China, for the world.'"
