方洪波：坚定生长 海阔天高

2022年1月12日，在数字化转型“十年更新”的历史节点上，美的集团董事长兼总裁方洪波向全体员工发表了《坚定生长 海阔天高》的主题演讲，致敬全球各地的美的人，与16万美的人一起倾听时代的声音，一起回首，反思，坚定生长。科技推动变革依旧是这个时代的主旋律。在大时代转折点，方洪波带领美的人剖析“危”与“机”，持续颠覆、进化，坚定科技推动变革的方向，升级存量、创造增量，朝着“更新十年”，朝着伟大百年企业的目标迈进。

面对疫情危机、“双碳”挑战、市场变幻、新技术挑战等百年未有之大变局，全体美的人齐心协力，相互守望，度过了非比寻常的两年。平凡是一种力量，汇聚成美的力量，激励着美的一路披荆斩棘，坚韧地推动了美的实现逆势增长。

美的“科技领先、用户直达、数智驱动、全球突破”四大战略路径已深入美的人心，成效显著。美的五大业务板块坚定走自己的路，持续迭代优化，不断突破边界：

智能家居事业群打造深度开放的家居生态圈，推出全新智慧家解决方案，IoT场景生态的想象空间不断拓展；

暖通与楼宇事业部升级为楼宇科技事业部，提供智慧楼宇整体解决方案，发布数智电梯新品牌LINVOL、楼宇数字化平台iBuilding；

机电事业群升级为工业技术事业群，家电芯片实现规模化量产，新能源车零部件业务来到起飞的拐点，工控产业边际不断扩张；

机器人与自动化事业部业绩大幅提升，库卡多款新产品投入市场，从汽车等优势行业向一般工业突破，瑞仕格在电商零售销售利润双增长；

数字化创新业务不断孵化和吸收新品牌、新业务，始终保持最前沿的市场嗅觉，美云智数赋能更多制造企业数字化转型，安得智联助力行业客户全渠道发展，万东医疗攻克国产医疗制造“卡脖子”难题。

无论有多少坎坷险阻，多少困难挫折，美的人都会迎难而上！只要坚定方向不停奔跑，就能看见希望，拥抱未来。

在变幻莫测、市场加速的当下，按部就班意味着平庸，也意味着死亡之危。无论是商业模式还是科技创新，都必须持续变革，从而维持机制的活力，保持市场竞争力。

美的站在一个面向全球突破的新起点上，需要有更高的要求、更高的视野、更高的标准来审视自己，看清自己的现状。

美的面向全球市场的竞争力需要进一步加强，基础研究、技术研发存在“卡脖子”现象，制度、商业模式的创新变革还不够坚决，解决固步自封、盲目自信的心智问题迫在眉睫。

在美的，唯一不变的就是变。没有更好的年代，也没有更坏的年代，只有更新的年代。持续进化、自我颠覆是美的前进的唯一路径。

科技领先是美的最核心的战略。美的未来几年经营思路的核心就是对科技执着地投入，以新战略推动新增长，通过认知升级、思维突破，不断升级存量，创造增量。

创新和求变是美的最大的增量，就是要做美的没有做过的事情，坚定投资未来，不断构建超越时代的引领能力，美的将奔赴更广阔的星辰大海。

万物枯荣，寒冬时要更加坚定生长。美的在专注ToC业务“数一战略”的同时，坚定点燃第二引擎，向ToB转型，开创新局面。

美的从一粒种子成长为一棵大树，公司治理的先进性、价值理念的与时俱进、管理层的心灵成长，这三点是这棵大树的树根，要牢牢地扎入大地，坚定生长，才能实现枝繁叶茂。公司治理要进一步分享责任、权利和义务，激发活力，激发企业家精神；价值理念要把以员工、用户、客户、合作伙伴为中心落到实处，大家有共同的信仰和理念，美的才能生生不息；管理层要不断自我反思和否定，进行精神、认知等全方位的成长。

理解过去，方能筹备未来。百年企业的变迁告诉我们，“成熟的”大企业都不喜欢冒险、不喜欢自我否定。但历史同样告诉我们， “成功的”企业都在不断地自我革命、自我否定。

而美的在发展历程中的每一次主动转身，也都尝到了甜头。从1993年改制上市，到2012年起通过数字化转型、管理模式创新等一系列变革，美的完成短期业务目标的同时又进行了长远规划。“十年更新”期间，美的经营数据、产业布局已发生巨大变化。

大道至简，美的志存高远，要在不确定的环境中建立起确定性的优势，必须最先使用行业领先技术，在最美好的时候建立第二增长曲线，构建新的增长赛道，实现从低附加值向高附加值转变。

面对未来宏大叙事的构架已经清晰，美的在全新战略布局下，坚持自我否定和变革的基因，在新时代呼唤新英雄，寻找有饥饿感的人，不断加大科学家队伍的建设。

伟大企业必然会经历周期性的洗礼。美的无城可守，必须敢于变革，坚持做长期而正确的事情，避免“大而不美”，坚持利他主义，激发企业家精神，通过科技投入、产业转型升级、管理层更替、重视新世代人才，重新验证伟大企业的发展规律，迎接一个“更新十年”。

54年来，美的不是躺赢的，是干出来的！

很多人毕生追求，一直等待，可能也没有机会；有些人从来都没有机会，被飞速变化的数字时代所抛弃。

百年变局，百年机遇，就在美的面前，就在美的人面前。得时无怠，时不再来；坚定生长，海阔天高；青春和理想就是美的的天空。

只有天空才是我们的极限，让我们的青春和理想在天空中飞扬！让我们朝着伟大的世界级科技集团全力奔跑！

再见容易，重逢却难！

让我们一起继续守望、携行——

与更青春、更美的自己在未来重逢！

Technology-driven transformation remains the main theme of the current era. Standing at this turning point, Paul, together with Mideans, analyzed the "risks" and "opportunities" of continuous change and evolution guided by technology-driven transformation. Midea will continue to upgrade its existing operations and create new businesses, firmly heading towards the goal of becoming a century-old company, starting from this "new decade".

Facing profound change unseen in a century such as the COVID-19 pandemic, peak-carbon and carbon-neutral challenges, social upheaval and tests from new technologies, all Mideans have worked together and grown with resilience over the past two extraordinarily difficult years. Mediocrity has been a strength for Midea inspiring Midea Group to buck the trend and obtain remarkable results.

Midea's Four Strategic Focuses – "Technology Leadership, Direct to Users, Digitalization & Intelligence Driven, Global Impact" – have been firmly planted in each Midean's mind, yielding significant results. Midea continuously optimizes its five business segments to break new ground:

The Smart Home Business Group has created a fully open home ecosystem and launched brand-new smart home solutions, and the scope of our IoT ecosystems continues to expand.

The HVAC & Building Technologies Division has been reformed into Midea Building Technologies Division, a provider of comprehensive smart building solutions. It has launched LINVOL, a new digital elevator brand, and iBuilding, a digital building platform.

The Electromechanical Business Unit has been transformed into Midea Industrial Technology Business Group. It is exploring the broader industry of large-scale production of home appliance chips, the launch of five key NEV (electric vehicle) parts and automated manufacturing.

The Robotic & Industrial Automation Division has seen substantial improvement in business performance. KUKA has placed a number of new products on the market, with breakthroughs made in new industries rather than just their traditionally strong business fields such as automobile. Both E-Commerce retail sales and profit of Swisslog have doubled.

The Digital Innovation Business keeps incubating and absorbing new brands and new businesses, always remaining highly sensitive to the cutting-edge market. Midea Cloud is empowering more manufacturing companies in digital transformation. Annto Logistics Technology enables the omni-channel development of industry partners. Wandong Medical has made breakthroughs in medical device manufacturing in China.

Mideans will always rise to challenges regardless of any ups and downs! There is always hope, and we will have a brighter future as long as we continue to forge ahead in a set direction.

In an ever-changing market with accelerating uncertainty, following the old paths equals mediocrity, and means death. We must continue to reform in both business model and technology innovation to maintain our vitality and market competitiveness.

At this new junction, aiming for global impact, we need to examine ourselves and our situations against higher requirements, higher standards, and a broader vision.

Midea needs to enhance its global competitiveness and achieve significant breakthroughs in basic research and technology R&D. We have not been decisive enough in innovation and reform of our systems and business models. It is imperative for us not to be arrogant and get out of our comfort zone.

In Midea, the only thing that never changes is change itself. There is neither a better era nor a worse era, only a new era. Continuous evolution is the only pathway towards a brand-new Midea.

Technology Leadership is the core strategy of Midea. In the next few years, Midea’s key business principle is to implement new strategies, firmly investing in technology to boost new growth areas, continually upgrading existing operations and achieving further growth by enhancing our own perspective and breaking down established mindsets.

Midea innovates and changes for greater growth, and innovation is to do things we have not done before. We should further invest in the future and build capabilities that give us a competitive edge surpassing current trends and drive Midea towards a brighter future.

In this cold winter, we need to be more determined to grow. We should ignite our "Number Two Engine" decisively and embrace ToB transformation to break new ground whilst still retaining the "Number One Engine" of ToC business.

Midea has grown from a startup into a global enterprise like a magnificent tree growing from a tiny seed. Thanks to its advanced governance mechanism, future-proof values, and managerial mindset growth, which are its three strong roots reaching deeply into the soil nourishing the branches and leaves. Under an advanced governance mechanism, we empower responsibilities, rights and obligations and encourage entrepreneurship. With future-proof values, we should truly put employees, users, customers and partners at the center of all things. Only if we share the same belief and ideas can Midea continue to prosper far into the future. The Management needs to reflect on and challenge themselves, endeavoring to achieve all-round growth both spiritually and intellectually.

We need to plan ahead using correct interpretations of the past. Transformations over the last century tell us that "established" companies hate to take risks and challenge themselves. But history also tells us that "successful" companies continually reform and challenge themselves.

Each change made along Midea's development journey has borne fruit. Midea reformed its corporate system and went public in 1993. Since the digital transformation and model revamping from 2012, it has accomplished many of its short-term business targets. We have also made long-term plans. Amid the 10-year transformation, Midea experienced radical changes in business data and industrial deployment.

Great truths are always simple. While aiming high, Midea needs to find certainties amid uncertainties to build strengths. We must be the first to apply industry-leading technologies, create a second growth curve at the optimum time, and open up a new avenue for growth to realize a transition from low added value to high added value.

With a great story woven by all Mideans, Midea calls upon new heroes for the new era, eagerly seeking talent, and expanding the team of scientists.

A great company will inevitably undergo different cycles. Midea must guard against itself, never retreating and boldly embracing transformation. We should persist in doing the right things over the long term and avoid being "big but not perfect". We should advocate altruism, inspire entrepreneurship, and develop via technological investments, industrial transformation and upgrading, appointment of competent managers, and emphasis on new-generation talent to embrace a decade of course resetting.

Over the past 54 years, Midea has been built by all hard-working Mideans.

Many people may have been pursuing dreams their whole lives, constantly waiting, but may not get the opportunity they need; some may have never had an opportunity, and have been left behind in the rapidly changing digital era.

After the decade of course resetting, Midea and Mideans are standing in front of opportunities unseen in a century to deliver robust growth. Let's make every effort to seize the day, since it will never occur again. Built to Grow, Expand to Fly. Our youth and dreams have the power to drive Midea higher and further.

We will never stop pursuing our youth and dreams as there are no limits upon us! Let's join forces to build Midea into a technology-driven group with global impact!

It may be easy to say goodbye but it's hard to meet again! Let's keep moving forward on the same mission – and meet our better selves in the future!