The above picture shows Hansheng's main workshop for the production of coaxial cables

"Selling products" is inferior to "setting standards." This is a well-known saying in the business management world. Leading the development of international standards means joining the upstream of the industry's global value chain. It can be said that from "being rejected" to "participating in the development" to "being invited to lead the development," Hansheng's experience is a microcosm of Chinese coaxial communication cable companies' technological transition from "following" to "leading."

Starting from a small OEM factory 34 years ago, the development history of Zhuhai Hansheng Science and Technology Co., Ltd. can be divided into two stages. The first stage was to spend more than 10 years gradually mastering the core technology of communication cable products, expanding product categories and varieties, improving domestic and international market share, and until the beginning of this century, it developed into a leading domestic and internationally renowned coaxial communication cable leading enterprise; the second stage is the past 10 years, which attaches importance to the transformation of core technological achievements into international standards and promotes product R&D to meet international standards. By 2016, two international standards of the International Electrotechnical Commission participated in by Hansheng had been released and implemented; to date, Hansheng has led the development of a total of four international standards of the International Electrotechnical Commission for communication cables and components, greatly enhancing China's

The international voice of enterprises in related fields.

"Whether it is expanding the market or striving for excellence, taking to the international stage and leading the development of international standards requires unwavering innovation." said Shou Weichun, chairman of Zhuhai Hansheng Science and Technology Co., Ltd. A set of data shows Hansheng's adherence to innovation – from 2016 to 2018, the company's R&D investment accounted for 3.24%, 3.32%, and 3.89% of the annual sales revenue respectively, far exceeding the industry average.

Building "hard power" to tackle "hard bones"

"Selling products" is inferior to "setting standards." This is a well-known saying in the business management world. "Leading the development of international standards means joining the upstream of the industry's global value chain, which is not easy." Shou Weichun said that the series of standards in the field of communication cables and components have always been led by European and American countries, and it is difficult for China to gain leading voice. "Hansheng can only tackle 'hard bones' and win with 'hard power.' For example, a key indicator of coaxial communication cables is the level of electromagnetic shielding effectiveness. In the past, the highest level of relevant standards of the International Electrotechnical Commission, the European Union, and the American Cable Communications Engineering Association was only Class A+. Hansheng introduced a complete set of precision testing systems from Europe, upgraded the entire set of process equipment, and directly improved the shielding level of braided cable assemblies to Class A++, achieving a "hardcore" breakthrough with ultra-strong performance."

This is just a microcosm of Hansheng's "hard power." According to data, Hansheng launched lotus-shaped cables and physically high-foam coaxial cables in the 1980s and 1990s, 50-ohm coaxial cables and 3G feeder cables before and after the international financial crisis, and in recent years, it has developed high-temperature-resistant coaxial cables and stable-phase cables… These series of breakthroughs have established an excellent market reputation and enviable status for the company.

Over the years, Hansheng has focused on meticulous work and steady progress, moving into the high-end optoelectronic communication cables, components, and device fields. The company has obtained more than 50 national patents and mastered multiple core technologies with independent intellectual property rights. Hansheng has also set up the Guangdong Provincial Enterprise Technology Center, the Guangdong Provincial Communication Cable Engineering Research and Development Center, and the Labor Model Innovation Studio. These institutions all aim at new product R&D and improving product competitiveness. A total of four categories of communication cables have been rated as "national key new products," and three major projects have been included in the "national torch plan" and "key national torch plan."

Shou Weichun introduced that innovation has allowed Hansheng to gradually establish a high-end brand image. Currently, all Hansheng products in the domestic market use independent brands, and 50% of the international market also uses independent brands. Many internationally leading companies in various fields have actively established comprehensive cooperation with Hansheng. The modern network constructed by Hansheng's high-quality cables is gradually covering every corner of the world, bringing convenience to users in various countries.

Wei Xiaolan, deputy manager of the technology department of Hansheng Science and Technology Co., Ltd., frankly stated that formulating relevant international standards of the International Electrotechnical Commission is a very "grinding" task. From "being rejected" to "participating in the development" to "being invited to lead the development," Hansheng's experience can be regarded as a microcosm of Chinese coaxial communication cable companies' technological transition from "following" to "leading." IEC 61196-6-4, released and implemented in 2018, is the first international standard of the International Electrotechnical Commission led by Hansheng. The product corresponding to this standard is the coaxial cable for access networks, mainly used in cable television, security monitoring networks, and satellite broadcasting systems. "China's cable manufacturing companies have mastered the core technology of coaxial cables for access networks, and the product varieties are very complete, with both output value and export volume ranking among the world's top manufacturers, and they have strong market competitiveness. Leading the development of relevant international standards will undoubtedly give China's coaxial cable industry "wings," playing an important role in comprehensively improving the overall profitability, technology level, and sustainable development capacity of enterprises."

Layout of new tracks and seizing opportunities

In the exhibition hall of Hansheng's technology department, the company's new products are lined up on the exhibition table - high-speed data transmission communication symmetrical cables are widely used by data platforms in all walks of life across the country, helping to build high-speed data systems; leakage cables can guarantee the stable transmission of electromagnetic signals in special sections such as high-speed railway bridges and tunnels, helping mobile operators solve the "pain point" of short transmission distances of ordinary base station signals, and ensuring that high-speed railway passengers' mobile phone signals are fully accessible; automotive intelligent cables, with their low attenuation, lightweight, and environmental resistance performance, are widely favored by customers in the fields of intelligent driving and the Internet of Vehicles… These seemingly ordinary cables are closely related to industrial development and people's livelihood needs, becoming indispensable infrastructure for economic and social development.

"The cable manufacturing industry is directly related to technological changes, the development of the Internet, and network construction, with strong cyclicality and being greatly affected by policies. Therefore, cable companies must understand industrial laws, follow customer needs, and "step on" the market rhythm." Xu Feng, deputy general manager of Hansheng Science and Technology Co., Ltd., gave the example of feeder products. In the past, due to the construction of 3G and 4G networks, the feeder products produced by Hansheng were in short supply, and sales once soared to nearly 2 billion yuan, setting a company record for single-product sales. "Later, as network construction slowed down, feeder sales also continued to decline. To this end, Hansheng mainly adopted two coping strategies: one is to increase R&D investment and improve the technological content of existing feeder products; the other is to quickly launch a new product matrix such as optoelectronic composite cables suitable for 5G network construction."

Hansheng repeatedly enjoys the benefits of being ahead of the curve. Today, driven by the strong demand for 5G networks, the photoelectric composite cable product, which combines the advantages of fiber optic communication and power transmission, is rapidly expanding in the market due to its ease of operation in the deployment of 5G base station networks. "The arrival of 5G, the Internet of Things, and the intelligent age will be a huge opportunity for cable companies. R&D of new technologies and the reserve of new products are still the top priorities for Hansheng in the new round of development." said Shou Weichun.

People are the key to success

In the main lobby of Hansheng Company, there is a "Study Abroad Honor Roll" displaying information on nearly 30 employees who studied abroad at internationally renowned universities during their employment at Hansheng. As a national high-tech enterprise, Hansheng always keeps up with the times, placing talent cultivation in the context of economic globalization, and focusing on building a talent team with a global vision. Batch after batch of young people have gone from Hansheng to bring back the world's leading management and technological concepts.

In his third year at Hansheng, Wu Daogeng went to a famous overseas university for business studies with the company's sponsorship. "Before joining Hansheng, I majored in polymer materials at university. Studying business and management broadened my horizons and laid the foundation for me to manage projects at Hansheng after returning to China." said Wu Daogeng.

“For enterprises to gain a foothold in fierce competition, they must attach great importance to talent cultivation. Talent is the foundation of innovation and entrepreneurship, the source of development, and the most important resource of an enterprise. Cultivating innovative talents must be integrated into technological innovation, accumulating strength for the long-term development of the enterprise." Shou Weichun introduced that as the practical ability of the talent team becomes stronger and the speed of enterprise technological innovation becomes faster, the role of technological innovation in promoting the development of the enterprise is also becoming increasingly apparent.

On this basis, Hansheng also invested in cooperation with scientific research institutions to run junior college programs, selecting employees to participate in exchanges and learning, and drawing nourishment for technological innovation.

In terms of enterprise management, Hansheng launched the SAP system to help the enterprise conduct production cost analysis, simplify business processes, provide data support for strategic decision-making, and promote the enterprise to achieve refined management. Last year, Hansheng successfully passed the external audit certification of the ISO9001:2015 version of the quality management system international certification agency, and the enterprise quality management system runs in a standardized and orderly manner, showing a high level of management.

Currently, a new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation is looming worldwide. With innovation as the core and people as the foundation, Hansheng focuses on cable technology, striving to become a world-class company and forging a unique path for the revitalization of national industries.

——Excerpt from December 4, 2019, Economic Daily