BERLIN, Sept. 6, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The IFA 2016 made a splash as it opened in Berlin, Germany on September 2, 2016, with the gathering of many leading players across the global consumer electronics industry. TCL Group drew the attention of attendees and industry watchers when news spread that the Chinese manufacturer was the only brand to walk away with two innovation awards. At the same time, the fashionable design and superior technology of the line of electronic products exhibited by TCL also won the praise of visitors at the exhibition.
TCL, a star player in terms of innovation at IFA 2016
In recent years, TCL Group has won several awards for innovation at the IFA. This year, the Group stood head and shoulders above its global peers when it was revealed that the manufacturer was alone in winning two innovation awards, with the TCL QUHD quantum dot TV Q65X1S-CUD garnering the Quantum Dot Technology Gold Award and the groundbreaking dirt-free washing machine XQM85-9005BS stepping off the podium with the Cleaning Technology Gold Award. The wide range of products using the most cutting-edge technology on display, including QUHD quantum dot TVs as well as tablets and smartphones with VR displays, led to the 1,854 square meter TCL exhibition area remaining crowded with visitors throughout the event.
Technological innovation drives the rapid rise of the industry leader
TCL, founded in 1981, is quite representative of a company that is a leader in its field, having frequently been a pioneer in terms of R&D and innovation, and with its long list of China firsts, including the country's first hands-free touch tone phone, first 28-inch color TV, first diamond mobile phone, first internet television and first quantum dot TV, among others.
With the rise of the Internet, China has become one of the leaders in the world in terms of online applications and services, opening up opportunities for growth among China's many manufacturers. TCL Group was one of the manufacturers who took the lead in transforming its corporate culture in order to meet the challenge. The group developed world-class abilities in terms of the integration of the vertical industry chain, and built an entire industry chain encompassing brown goods, while goods and communications devices. In addition, TCL has the capacity to research and develop as well as produce panels and chips. China Star Optoelectronics Technology (CSOT), a subsidiary, has evolved into one of the world's leading LCD panel suppliers. CSOT also serves as a benchmark in terms of transformation into an information- and intelligence-based company, meeting most of the smart industry 4.0 standards. On the back of the company's already strong industrial foundation, in 2014 TCL Group developed a transformation and upgrading strategy based on a restructuring that it described as "Intelligence + Internet" coupled with a development and implementation business model characterized as "Product + Internet", providing an opening to new markets and successfully transforming the operating model from a product-centric one to a user-centric one, focused on quality smart products and Internet application services. The innovative strategy paved the way for the creation of the "Intelligent Manufacturing in China + Internet" industry model, allowing TCL to serve as an exemplary firm for creating an Internet-based ecosystem.
As of the end 2015, TCL Group had applied for 18,813 patents, including 12,024 invention patents. According to the 2015 patent approvals statistics report released by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services, a US-based patent service provider, in January 2016, CSOT ranked 70th on the organization's list of number of US patents approvals in 2015, with 494 patents approved. Among the three Chinese companies that made it into the list of the top 100 companies, CSOT took second place.
An international brand with global influence
As one of the first Chinese manufacturers to expand beyond the borders of its home market, TCL Group has been continuously implementing an international strategy for over 15 years since 1999 when the company formally made the move to go international. In 2004, the group successfully acquired the television business of French multimedia company Thomson and the mobile phone business of French telecommunications equipment manufacturer Alcatel-Lucent, enabling the company to expand into Europe, the US and other markets with demanding requirements for product quality, leveraging its years of experience in building out distribution channels as well as in product technologies. TCL Group is currently the world's third largest TV manufacturer in terms of sales of LCD TVs and the world's fifth largest vendor in terms of sales of both mobile phones and LCD panels.
TCL's unwavering adherence to a philosophy of mutual development has proven to be the key to the success of its international strategy. Seeking organic growth whilst contributing to the economic and social development of local communities by fulfilling its commitment to local development and social responsibility has always been and continues to be at the heart of the company's international strategy. With its strong competence in research and development of new technologies and its outstanding industrial capabilities, the group has established several advanced manufacturing facilities and R&D centers around the world over the past few years, making great contributions to the social and economic development of local communities by enhancing industrial and technological development capabilities and creating jobs within the communities. The group now has 75,000 employees, 23 R&D centers and 21 manufacturing facilities worldwide, and has set up sales branches in over 80 countries and regions worldwide, with operations spanning over 160 countries and regions.
With its prowess in technological innovation, industrial capabilities and well thought-out global business strategy, TCL has rapidly expanded its brand influence in markets worldwide, becoming a global leader in smart products manufacturing and Internet services.
