(Yicai) Nov. 8 -- Zeiss Group remains fully confident about the future development of the Chinese market, as China's economy is experiencing major transitions, according to the chief executive officer of the Chinese arm of the German manufacturer of optical systems and optoelectronics.

China is not only a big market where to sell products but also a source of business innovation, Maximilian Foerst told Yicai at the ongoing China International Import Expo. Relying on China's innovation ecology, Zeiss got ideas from local scientific researchers and then explored new product development and industrial production before pushing them to market, he added.

Zeiss set up three exhibition areas, themed innovation reshapes big health, innovation empowers future technologies, and innovations drive smart manufacturing, at the sixth CIIE, showcasing 70 innovative solutions, including some debuts and premieres.

Zeiss will continuously expand investments in China and enhance its research, development, and manufacturing infrastructure and capabilities to actively strive for growth in the Chinese market, said Foerst, who is also the president of Zeiss China.

For example, the presence of Zeiss' key products in the Yangtze River Delta region will be further expanded after the new research and development and manufacturing base of the company's unit in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, becomes operational next year.

During the interview, Foerst also stressed the role of openness and innovation for high-tech firms. Innovations are the results of mutual learning, he said, adding that the opener an environment is, the easier it is to generate new ideas. "Cutting off the innovation process and carrying out scientific research under blockades and restrictions of personnel mobility are inefficient."

As a firm operating worldwide, Zeiss supports free trade and abides by the policies of countries where it does business, Foerst pointed out.

China has been Zeiss' biggest market worldwide since 2021 and one with the highest innovative vitality and fastest growth. In the fiscal year 2022-2023, Zeiss China's revenue rose 22 percent to CNY13.5 billion (USD1.9 billion) from the previous year.

Editors: Tang Shihua, Futura Costaglione