Mittelständlers have hesitated to localise manufacturing in China more than absolutely necessary or to establish a local R&D organisation. Fear of technology theft is one of the big reasons for this.
China on the other hand is an ideal location to pursue product or technology development due to the availability of low cost suppliers for tooling and prototypes, the lower cost of hiring engineers, the ease of finding potential partners willing to share the risk of new projects, and the fast paced tempo.
We have helped establish successful R&D organisations from which no technology has been stolen to this date. We can advise on appropriate safeguards in this respect.
We also have a long track record in the localisation of manufacturing. Localisation has not only led to dramatically reduced costs, but has sometimes even resulted in better product quality due to a wider availability of suppliers in China and ambitious young factory managers.
