Nowadays, enhancing industrial energy conservation and promoting green development have become important aspects of promoting new industrialization. After going through the initial stage, with the increasingly widespread application of permanent magnet technology in industries such as power, coal, metallurgy and chemical engineering, the "grassroots" Anhui VOOFU Permanent Magnet Technology Co., Ltd. has grown into a leading enterprise in the industry with the title of a national specialized, refined, distinctive and innovative "small giant" enterprise. How did this local "giraffe" enterprise acquire its "black technology" expertise?

"New technologies" provide "new solutions" for the transformation.

The trend of energy conservation and carbon reduction in the industrial sector is unstoppable. The transformation of equipment towards intelligence, digitization and low-carbonization has become a vast market opportunity.

At the end of May this year, a batch of the self-owned patented product, the permanent magnet speed regulator TW750, produced by VOOFU Permanent Magnet, was delivered to Panjiang, Guizhou Province. It is known that the permanent magnet speed regulator TW750 can adjust the load speed to improve efficiency, and the energy-saving effect is obvious.

As can be seen, permanent magnet technology has become the "new darling" for the transformation of traditional industries, being widely applied in various sectors such as power, coal, metallurgy and chemical engineering. Domestic enterprise VOOFU, with its independently developed patented technology, helps industrial enterprises achieve "green development" and provides "new solutions" for high-energy-consuming industrial enterprises.

In October last year, the VOOFU permanent magnet 100,000 Nm permanent magnet drive test bench for transmission performance was successfully completed and underwent simulation tests. This marked a significant breakthrough in the construction of traditional permanent magnet technology and permanent magnet drive infrastructure in our country.

As a high-tech enterprise and a specialized and innovative "little giant" enterprise, VOOFU's permanent magnet production line was put into operation in Hefei in 2021. After two years of rapid development, it achieved full-scale production in 2023 and completed the construction of the second-phase factory this year, further expanding its production capacity.

Startups by the grassroots choose to be based in their hometowns.

"In 2015, we officially started our business in Shanghai," said Xu Xiu-kun, the chairman of Anhui VOOFU Permanent Magnet Technology Co., Ltd. "At that time, I was a technical staff member of a Fortune 500 company. Due to my exposure to and familiarity with permanent magnet technology, I believed there were vast application scenarios in China. So, together with nearly ten colleagues from my department at that time, I embarked on the 'grassroots entrepreneurship path'."

Xu Xiu-kun is no stranger to entrepreneurship. Back in his university days, while studying at Anhui Agricultural University, Xu Xiu-kun started working part-time from the very beginning to earn tuition fees and living expenses. By the second semester of his sophomore year, he was not only able to support himself but also had some savings left over.

In 2018, the team began to search for their "headquarters". "One third of us are from Anhui. During this process, we visited many cities for investigation. Eventually, we were attracted by the warm 'business environment' of Hefei," Xu Xiu Kun said. At that time, the High-tech Zone was particularly interested in this industry and extended an invitation to them.

At that time, Wu Jing, who was working as a financial officer in Shenzhen, accepted the invitation from her friend Xu Xiu Kun and officially joined the team, becoming the general manager of the company. "Coincidentally, my parents' former home was right where the current factory is located," Wu Jing said with emotion. "My parents lived here, and now I have returned here. Perhaps this is a kind of inheritance."

In April last year, the first phase of the transmission R&D production base of Anhui VOOFU Permanent Magnet Technology Co., Ltd. was officially put into operation at Nangang Science Park. Wu Jing explained that the reason for the further increase in capital investment was due to the ten major emerging industry guiding funds established by Anhui Province. "Led by Hefei High-tech Venture Capital, they invested 20 million yuan in our early A-round financing, and the B-round financing also reached the 50 million yuan level. This has been of great help to our start-up enterprises," Wu Jing said.

Nowadays, the company's second-phase factory has been officially put into operation. With leading-level professional capabilities and mature technologies, VOOFU's permanent magnet business has gradually grown into a leading enterprise in the industry. It has received titles such as a national high-tech enterprise and a national specialized, refined, distinctive, and innovative "small giant" enterprise. At the same time, its core technology has been evaluated as "domestically leading" in the scientific and technological achievement registration of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

Hefei Seizes the Leading Position in High-End Equipment Manufacturing

Anhui VOOFU Permanent Magnet Technology Co., Ltd. represents a "snapshot" of the development of high-end equipment manufacturing industry in Hefei. As the second cluster in Hefei with a scale exceeding one hundred billion yuan, the high-end equipment manufacturing industry is currently in a crucial period of growth and expansion.

According to statistics, in 2023, the 634 state-owned enterprises in the equipment manufacturing industry of Hefei achieved an output value growth rate of 11.6% and an added value growth rate of 4.3%, becoming the "leaders" in fields such as construction machinery, industrial robots, industrial mother machines, and intelligent complete sets of equipment.

In addition, Hefei has established numerous new research and development institutions and innovation platforms, such as Hefei University of Technology's Intelligent Institute and the Hefei Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, which have enhanced the technological research capabilities of Hefei's equipment manufacturing industry.

Relying on the existing foundation in specialized fields such as robots and detection equipment, Hefei has established a number of high-end production lines and supporting projects, promoting the establishment of the Magi robot production base, the headquarters of Huashe Anhui testing base, and the Guoji Machine special inspection, etc. This has created a "1+5" layout of "manufacturing base + R&D center, sales center, listed entity, supplier cluster, and supporting industry fund".

A relevant official from the Municipal War Prevention Office stated that Hefei is focusing on targeted efforts in the areas of "integration" and "aggregation" of industries, with the aim of creating a high-end industrial development zone with distinct characteristics, green and intelligent features, and self-reliance. As can be seen, Hefei is accelerating the construction of a national-level comprehensive innovation research and industrialization base for high-end equipment and new materials, strengthening the "backbone" of the new era's industry.