China News Service, Changsha, September 17th, title: He Qinghua, founder of Sunward Intelligence: A dream builder running toward the sun
Author Bai Zu and Liu Shuangshuang Wang Haohao
Get up at 6 o'clock in the morning, walk no less than 20,000 steps a day; do things vigorously, and have a full schedule of work every day-this is the 75-year-old company-based founder and chairman of the company He Qinghua Daily life.
He Qinghua accepted an exclusive interview with Chinanews.com.
Photo by Wang Haohao
Everyone knows that He Qinghua is a thirsty and innovative person, a model of perseverance and dedication, with a deep sense of family and country, an ideal flame that will never go out, and a mechanical dream running toward the sun.
It is precisely because of his perseverance and struggle that in just 20 years, he has developed a small company that initially relied on leased workshops and extremely simple office conditions into a high-end, high-end industry-university-research-integrated enterprise ranked among the top 50 global construction machinery manufacturers.
Innovative life symbols burned in the bones
He Qinghua's key word in life is undoubtedly "innovation."
When a reporter from Chinanews.com recently interviewed him, he, who has been struggling in the front line of scientific research, talked about "innovation" 94 times.
"I like innovation, and I am also a person who is good at innovation." He Qinghua said that since he was a child, he loved to make some things, such as self-made water turbine generators with rubber bands. After watching "Robinson Crusoe", he hoped that he would become a reality. Robinson in life owns a wooden gun, a wooden plane, and a wooden boat.
In 1969, as an educated youth, He Qinghua entered the Yiyang County Zhihu Commune Agricultural Machinery Factory as a worker, and the "machine fate" began.
"Rice milling machine, rice harvesting machine, rice transplanting machine, car, tongs, planing, milling, electric welding, I am interested in everything here, and the machinery is infinitely attractive to me." He Qinghua, who loves to study, quickly mastered I drove tractors and other related technologies, explored the self-made end milling heads, double-end milling machines, rice transplanters and other machinery, which became the technical pillars of the factory and the intimate "Master Xiaohe" in the eyes of local farmers that "everything can be repaired".
His mechanical talent is gradually being inspired here.
Later, He Qinghua worked as a worker in a state-owned enterprise at the Changsha Passenger Car Factory for 6 years and was given the "national food".
After the country resumed the college entrance examination, he was admitted to the Central South Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (now Central South University) as a graduate student, and stayed as a teacher for 15 years.
Seeing that many scientific research results are difficult to transform into productivity, he resolutely "goes to the sea" to establish Sunward Intelligence.
"Innovation is certainly important, but we cannot innovate for the sake of innovation. We must start from the actual situation of the enterprise and have a sound innovation system." He Qinghua said that on the road of innovation, Sunward Intelligent did not follow the trend of copying the innovation model of other enterprises. Instead, in constant exploration, a pioneering innovation concept was formed, which eventually became the core of Sunward Intelligence.
In October 2001, Sunward's first excavator rolled off the assembly line.
Photo courtesy of Sunward Intelligent
What is pilot innovation?
He Qinghua explained that after undergoing the baptism of reform and opening up, the development of Chinese enterprises' product technology has changed from planning guidance to market guidance.
Market guidance is divided into market-following and market-leading. The former is to follow the market demand and produce what the market needs, and the latter is to carry out research and development in advance through research and analysis when a certain technological product is not available in the market. Related technical products, leading to market consumption.
Sunward's leading innovation concept is the latter.
On the basis of pursuing the concept of pioneering innovation, Sunward Intelligent has derived four modes of original innovation, integrated innovation, open innovation and continuous innovation.
Original innovation refers to the achievement of pioneering technological results through independent research and development; integrated innovation refers to the selection, matching, integration and series optimization of various existing technologies and basic components to form new products or practical technologies; open innovation refers to the establishment of good humanities The environment attracts talents from all parties to join; continuous innovation is the continuous improvement, improvement and upgrade of products and technologies.
"We abandoned the model of following the market. The forward-looking approach entered the market before others, which gave the company a differentiated development opportunity. But this is also a more complex and difficult whole-process product development model, which often requires Experience more twists and turns and pay a greater price." He Qinghua once participated in the National Science and Technology Conference as the only representative of private enterprises in Hunan Province in 2004, expounding four innovations.
Although the road is difficult, Sunward’s pioneering innovation concept has achieved tangible success in various development stages and fields. For example, in terms of product technology, there are hydrostatic pile drivers, Small excavators, integrated down-the-hole drilling rigs, tunnel drilling robots, hydraulic hybrid excavators, etc.; in terms of strategic business planning, Sunward Intelligent has been involved in special equipment and general aviation shortly after its establishment, and the development of general aviation is even greater than other companies. Ten years earlier.
In 2012, He Qinghua inspected the Xutuan Mine in Huaibei.
Photo courtesy of Sunward Intelligent
Home and country are casting great powers in "losing money business"
In 1991, He Qinghua was promoted to professor by exception.
But a few years later, with many scientific research achievements and his career on the rise, he decided to "go to the sea" to start a business.
At this time, He Qinghua, why is it improper to put a good professor, and he wants to do something he has never set foot in?
"In the field of mechanical teaching and scientific research for 15 years, what worries me the most is that many scientific research results cannot be transformed into productivity and cannot serve the country." He Qinghua said that the development of the country's social economy requires new technologies and new products. "Talking on paper." Can't do it.
"I know how to turn things on paper into products. In this case, setting aside all kinds of honors and worries to start a business from scratch is my inevitable choice and the responsibility of scientific researchers."
"At that time, we developed the ZYJ series of hydraulic static pile driver. The boss in Zhongshan just needed this product." With the technology and the market, He Qinghua believes that the time to start the company is ripe.
On August 28, 1999, "Changsha Shanhe Construction Machinery Co., Ltd." led by He Qinghua himself was formally established.
"I like mountains and big rivers very much. I usually like to climb and swim, so I got this name." He Qinghua said, "Shanhe" has the concept and goal of attaching importance to innovation and R&D and taking a long-term view.
"At that time, China's excavator market had great potential, but foreign brands such as Carter in the United States and Komatsu in Japan were'popular' in the market with the support of local government policies." He Qinghua said that the key core technology must be firmly in his own hands. At that time, the company's workshops could not support the research and development of large excavators, so it had to start with small excavators.
Soon, Sunward's first SWE45 excavator went on the market, followed by various excavators such as smart excavators, hybrid excavators, and hydraulic hybrid excavators.
From renting a factory in Guanshaling Industrial Park in Changsha to relocating the company as a whole to Xingsha Park in Changsha County, Sunward has developed the earliest moulded and intelligent excavator cab in China in just a few years, becoming the first domestic breakthrough. Excavator hydraulic cylinder manufacturing threshold enterprise, and listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange in 2006.
If the company is getting better and better, can you breathe a sigh of relief?
With capital flow, should you consider investing in high-yield projects such as real estate?
He Qinghua's answer is no. He did not hesitate to turn his development goal to a new field of equipment manufacturing: special equipment and general aviation.
"You can't just do business only for profit. Wherever there is profit, you can develop." He Qinghua said, Sunward does not make the same products as others.
Special equipment and general aviation are completely new fields, and it is difficult to make profits in the short term.
However, products in these fields are extremely needed for national development, and there is always someone to do it.
"If others don't do it, we will do it at all times."
"I have had a strong interest in aircraft since I was a child. After setting up a business, I learned that China’s general aviation industry has a lot of room for development in the future. However, at that time, China’s aviation development was dominated by the government. The efficient development path is to do some pioneering work for the development of China’s aviation industry.” He Qinghua said, for this reason, Sunward Intelligent has set up “one point and three lines” more than ten years ago (one point is focused on equipment manufacturing, and the third line is engineering equipment, Special equipment and aviation equipment) as a strategic mission.
At present, Sunward Intelligent's special equipment and aviation equipment development has achieved many achievements: wheeled armored engineering vehicles have appeared in Zhurihe military parade; "Longma No. 1" battlefield intelligent transport vehicle has repeatedly won the championship of related competitions; "Goddess" light aircraft was born ; UAV technology is moving towards autonomy; China’s first light sport aircraft with a take-off weight of 700 kg was awarded airworthiness certification.
"We have developed general aviation for nearly 20 years. At that time, others did not even hear the concept of connecting aviation. We have not made any money in this field in the past ten years, and basically lost money." He Qinghua said, why even if we lose money, we must have lost money. Do you want to go on?
Because the country needs.
"As long as our products can contribute to the country, Sunward's strategic determination and persistence is worthwhile."
Various equipment products of Sunward Intelligent are displayed.
Photo courtesy of Sunward Intelligent
Building a dream to strengthen the core expansion of China's construction machinery industry
For more than 50 years since he became involved with machinery in 1969, He Qinghua has always been revolving around machinery.
Among them are his obsession with machinery and his expectations for the development of China's construction machinery industry.
"The Chinese nation has fallen behind in the modern machinery industry. We must always strive for China's machinery to catch up with the world's advanced level, and to add Chinese wisdom and Chinese power to the world's machinery industry." He Qinghua said, "Made in China, Created in China, and Wisdom in China" Creation is the goal that aspirants pursue and strive for at different times.
He Qinghua firmly believes that ideals make the future.
Therefore, whether he is a farmer in the "thatch", or a "snail" in the Zhihu Commune by the Dongting Lake, or temporarily working in the workshop of the Changsha Coach Factory, his ideal flame of "making a difference" has never been extinguished.
"Teacher He's concentrated research in the field of machinery has reached a state of'selflessness'. His sensitivity and specificity to machinery have been integrated into his blood, even at the time when the Chinese people were most active in thinking and society was undergoing major changes. He also "takes only one scoop for three thousand weak waters" and always keeps his focus on machinery." said a disciple of He Qinghua.
It is this focus that made He Qinghua a well-deserved pioneer of modern Chinese rock drilling equipment. He led his team to develop the first tunnel rock drilling robot in the field of rock drilling equipment in China; it became the transformation of static pressure precast pile equipment. "Revolutionary", discovered the law of sudden changes in the working load of static pressure piles; became a practitioner to realize the "Made in China" of bored pile equipment; became a pioneer in the development of the national brand of excavators in China, and led a team to develop in the early 21st century At that time, China's best excavators were successfully exported to high-end markets in Europe and America.
Today's Sunward Intelligence has occupied an important position in the territory of China's construction machinery.
In the first half of this year, Sunward Intelligent achieved revenue of 6.887 billion yuan during the reporting period, a year-on-year increase of 57.24%; realized a net profit of 532 million yuan attributable to the parent, a year-on-year increase of 33.36%; total assets reached 19.205 billion yuan, an increase of 10.64% compared to the end of the previous year ; International market revenue increased by 44.43% year-on-year; overseas sales of excavating machinery increased by 125% year-on-year, and the European region achieved a growth of 145%.
On September 17, 2020, General Secretary Xi Jinping, who was on an inspection tour in Hunan, came to Sunward in the rain to inspect the production line and product display, and understand the technology research and development, manufacturing, sales and operation.
Hearing that the company has successfully developed more than 200 equipment products with independent intellectual property rights and core competitiveness, the general secretary happily said to the employees of the company: "Innovation is the most important quality of business operations, and we must do it in the future. Yes. The key core technology must be firmly in our own hands, and the manufacturing industry must also be grasped in our own hands."
"The general secretary came to the company to investigate and investigate, which greatly encouraged the morale of all Sunward Intelligent employees. My biggest impression of this investigation is that the general secretary attaches great importance to innovation and the development of equipment manufacturing." He Qinghua said, Changsha is a construction machinery In the capital, there are many construction machinery companies here. The general secretary chose Sunward to investigate, which is an affirmation of Sunward's 21 years of focusing on innovation, rooting in the industry, and working hard to solve the stuck neck technology. It is both an encouragement and a spur.
He Qinghua accepted an exclusive interview with a reporter from Chinanews.com.
Photo by Wang Haohao
He Qinghua said: "The volume of Sunward Intelligence will be greater in the future. We formulated a performance outlook of '20 billion in two years and quadrupling in five years' in September last year; the constant search for innovation and technological breakthroughs will be the eternal topic of Sunward Intelligence. The technical content of our products will become higher and higher, and more and more product categories will be available; with the help of the "Belt and Road" construction, we have established an international engineering company, using more than 10 overseas subsidiaries and more than 100 agent systems to form In the future, Sunward Intelligent will be a more influential construction machinery company at home and abroad, and will play a more important role in China's construction machinery landscape."
Over the past few years, He Qinghua is still full of energy and vitality.
He considers himself a "trend-leading'post-70s' old playboy".
"'SUNWARD' translated into Chinese actually means'toward the sun'; healthy living, happy work, and always having curiosity and freshness about new things are very important. If you have ideals and pursuits, you will always be young. I am the one forever. A mechanical dream chaser running towards the sun." (End)