Singapore
On July 21, the Shanghai Midea Global Innovation Campus, integrating technology offices and innovation research and development, held its grand opening ceremony, marking the official commencement of operations. Following the Global Innovation Center in Shunde, Foshan, Guangdong, this campus becomes Midea’s second all-category, global innovation and R&D base in China. Positioned in Shanghai with a global outlook, it serves as a crucial hub for Midea’s worldwide expansion and represents a significant step forward in the company’s strategy to lead in technology.
As a key component of Midea’s “2+4+N” global R&D network, the Shanghai Midea Global Innovation Campus will work in close collaboration with more than 30 R&D centers worldwide to advance the implementation of Midea’s technology leadership strategy and accelerate its transformation into a global technology group. The first cohort of nearly 2,000 R&D personnel has already settled into the campus, covering cutting-edge fields and industries such as artificial intelligence, new energy, new materials, robotics, and healthcare. The opening ceremony was attended by Zhang Xiaoyi, Vice President and Chief Design Officer of Midea Group; Wei Chang, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer; Wang Jinliang, Vice President; Sun Nianxiang, President of the Central Research Institute; Xu Yi, President of the AI Research Institute; along with representatives from project partners and campus employees, totaling over one hundred participants.
Future-Oriented Architectural Design and Technology-Driven Workspaces
Located in the heart of the Xihongqiao Business District in Qingpu, Shanghai, and adjacent to the National Exhibition and Convention Center, the Shanghai Midea Global Innovation Campus represents a total investment exceeding RMB 7 billion, with a total floor area of 400,000 square meters. Viewed from above, the campus buildings form the shape of the Chinese character “回,” redefining the relationship between architecture and nature with a bold, unconventional approach. Through the use of varied design techniques such as elevation, cantilevering, and rooftop structures, the campus maximizes green space, creating a three-dimensional, richly layered forested landscape.
According to Wang Jinliang, from its groundbreaking in early 2021 to its inauguration today, the campus has undergone more than four years of meticulous craftsmanship, with every inch of space embodying the wisdom and innovation of its designers and builders. Guided by the concept of “A City of Technology Above the Forest,” the architectural design features China’s first-ever group-core and large-span cable-stayed structural system. The project used a total of 66,000 tonnes of steel, with 14 core cylinders supporting two L-shaped towers. The structure boasts a maximum span of 70 meters, a maximum cantilever of 45 meters, and 172 cable-stayed steel cables—the largest in China with a maximum diameter of 214 millimeters and a tensile force exceeding 1,000 tonnes. The innovative construction techniques alone have earned the project more than 50 architectural patents, with exceptional attention to detail evident throughout.
In terms of landscape design, four irregularly shaped podium structures are covered with forest greenery, forming undulating “urban hills.” The main towers, elevated by core cylinders, appear to grow organically from the earth, “floating” above the ground. The integration of architecture with the rolling forested terrain creates a “three-dimensional forest,” breaking the traditional enclosed nature of office spaces and offering employees a distinctive ecological experience. The campus’s flora has been artfully arranged into four seasonal themes—spring, summer, autumn, and winter—allowing employees to stroll through vibrant landscapes of green, red, yellow, and other hues, fully immersing themselves in the beauty and inspiration of nature.
From Design to Operations: A Commitment to Green Principles Throughout
As a benchmark for green and intelligent campuses, the Shanghai Midea Global Innovation Campus embodies Midea’s commitment to technological innovation, human-centric design, smart systems, and low-carbon sustainability throughout its entire lifecycle—from design and construction to operations and maintenance. In response to challenges such as urban environmental factors, highway noise, and intense western sunlight, the building’s façade adopts an innovative double-skin curtain wall system. The outer layer, composed of white perforated metal panels resembling sun-shading “scales,” is precisely controlled by an intelligent system that adjusts gracefully according to the season, time of day, and angle of sunlight—providing efficient shading during harsh summer afternoons, and fully opening during gentler hours to invite natural light indoors, framing views like works of art.
The rooftop is no longer a silent cover, but a solar-powered energy canvas. Midea Energy has implemented an integrated Building-Applied Photovoltaics (BAPV) and sightseeing corridor PV solution for the campus, breaking away from the traditional separation of photovoltaic systems and architectural structures. This innovative approach redefines the building’s energy ecosystem, with approximately 20,000 square meters of solar panels installed—capable of saving about 20% of the campus’s total annual electricity consumption.
Inside the buildings, Midea Building Technologies has deployed three major solutions: high-efficiency air conditioning, intelligent building management, and smart elevators—ensuring efficient, reliable, and intelligent temperature control, transportation, and building operations. The intelligent building solution leverages the NZ+iBUILDING smart management platform to oversee 16 operational scenarios, including smart access, visitor management, intelligent meeting rooms, smart parking, and energy consumption monitoring. This fully digitalized environment enables seamless user experiences and supports efficient campus operations.
Notably, the high-efficiency chiller plant system is expected to achieve an average annual Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) of over 5.2, saving more than 1 million kWh of electricity annually and delivering an energy savings rate of up to 30%. The smart elevator solution leverages cloud computing to provide seamless access, intelligent dispatching, and cloud-based maintenance, meeting the campus’s high-capacity transportation needs while exemplifying intelligent operations and low-carbon sustainability.
Focusing on “Two New and One High” to Drive Midea’s Strategic Transformation
The Shanghai Midea Global Innovation Campus will host multiple science and technology R&D divisions, including artificial intelligence, intelligent manufacturing, smart healthcare, and smart logistics, to advance innovation across Midea’s full product portfolio. The first wave of resident teams includes the Central Research Institute’s Humanoid Robotics Innovation Center, the Medical Research Institute, the Embodied Intelligence Institute of the AI Research Institute, the Intelligent Manufacturing Institute’s Intelligent Manufacturing Algorithms Institute, and the KUKA Robotics R&D Center, among others.
Wei Chang stated that the Shanghai campus will focus on the “Two New and One High” strategy: targeting emerging industries with a strong emphasis on robotics, healthcare, and new energy; advancing along new technology tracks by deepening expertise in artificial intelligence, humanoid robotics, and new materials; and prioritizing the recruitment of top-tier talent to build a high-caliber workforce. These efforts aim to accelerate breakthroughs in key areas and press the “fast-forward button” on Midea’s strategic transformation.
With the official opening of the Shanghai Midea Global Innovation Campus, the “dual-core” R&D layout linking it with the Global Innovation Center in Shunde, Foshan, is now fully established. Working in synergy with Midea’s four all-category overseas R&D bases in the United States, Germany, Japan, and Italy, as well as more than 30 specialized overseas R&D centers, this strengthens the “2+4+N” global R&D network. Looking ahead, Midea will leverage its technology leadership strategy to enhance both the density and depth of its talent pool. Capitalizing on Shanghai’s strategic location, the company will attract top industry leaders and high-end professionals across diverse technological fields, building a world-class talent hub to support its ambition of becoming a globally leading technology group.