MANN+HUMMEL Marks 30 Years in China, Targeting "15th Five-Year Plan" to Build Global Innovation Hub

As the inaugural year of China’s “15th Five-Year Plan” (2026–2030), 2026 marks a pivotal transition for the automotive industry toward industrial restructuring and high-quality development. Against this backdrop, MANN+HUMMEL co-hosted the Global Automotive Industry Ecosystem Development Summit, focusing on new paradigms for foreign investment in China, supply chain collaboration, and healthy mobility solutions. Senior executives from both global and China operations participated, signaling a strong commitment to deepening local partnerships. Since entering the Chinese market in 1996, MANN+HUMMEL has established eight operational sites and three major R&D centers in China, employing over 1,800 people and achieving a localization rate exceeding 90%. The company has upgraded its strategy from “In China, for China” to “In China, for the World,” integrating China into its core global innovation system. In 2023, MANN+HUMMEL inaugurated its Global New Energy Technology Center in Shanghai, led by a Chinese team. In 2024, Xu Jie was appointed President of both the Global Passenger Car Division and China Region, further strengthening localized decision-making capabilities. MANN+HUMMEL explicitly views China as the central engine driving the global automotive transformation. Data shows that China’s new vehicle launch cycle ranges from 12 to 18 months—significantly faster than the 24–36 months typical in Western markets. By 2025, China’s retail penetration rate for new energy vehicles (NEVs) surpassed 50%, L2+ advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) adoption exceeded 60%, and vehicle exports topped 7 million units, making China the world’s largest automobile exporter. Technologically, MANN+HUMMEL is transforming filtration from a traditional supportive component into critical infrastructure for NEVs. In intelligent cabins, the company offers HEPA-grade air quality management systems, humidity control, antimicrobial solutions, odor elimination, and digital fragrance modules. For electric drive systems, it has developed high-efficiency pleated microfilters and integrated oil filter modules. In battery safety, it launched a smoke-free explosion-proof valve compliant with China’s new national standard GB 38031-2025. For air suspension systems, it provides lifetime-maintenance-free regenerative air dryers. Organizationally, MANN+HUMMEL established its Global Filtration Materials Business Unit in 2025, forming one of the three pillars of its “Strategy 2030” alongside Mobility and Life Sciences & Environment. This move reinforces end-to-end self-reliance across the filtration materials value chain. The company is shifting its positioning from a component supplier to a strategic partner in co-creating system-level value, leveraging system integration and intelligent collaborative design to enhance performance while optimizing total cost of ownership for customers. In the aftermarket segment, aftermarket business accounts for 50% of both MANN+HUMMEL’s global and China revenues. In China, the company is transitioning from “selling filters” to delivering “full lifecycle services,” adopting a dual-track model combining an e-commerce flagship store with a digital distribution platform. Aftermarket data also feeds back into original equipment (OE) R&D. Its global aftermarket network, spanning over 80 countries, supports Chinese automakers’ international expansion by providing spare parts systems, technical adaptation kits, and brand endorsement. Looking ahead, MANN+HUMMEL has defined three strategic priorities: deepening “In China, for Global” R&D and innovation; expanding cross-industry filtration solutions; and building an open innovation ecosystem in collaboration with Chinese tech companies and universities. The company aims to play four key roles in China—as an innovation engine, a provider of integrated system solutions, an enabler of clean powertrains, and a strategic partner—continuously embedding itself deeply into China’s automotive industrial ecosystem.