The stock quantification of the market does not mean the bottleneck of product innovation. After more than 100 years since the introduction of electric water heaters, the product form has finally undergone a disruptive change. Midea's recently launched superconducting water heater breaks through traditional limitations with its pioneering energy storage heat exchange technology, creating an entirely new category of water heaters.

In fact, as one of the strategic focuses on technology leadership, Midea has been innovating in kitchen and bathroom products to an uncountable extent. The beauty water machine and the COLMO Turing series dishwasher, which entered the public eye last year, are equally impressive. However, when external technologies, represented by AI, have a huge deconstructive effect on home appliances, Midea, aiming for global breakthroughs, will face more challenges.

Regarding this, Zhang Bin, the president of Midea Group's Kitchen and Hot Water Division (hereinafter referred to as Midea Kitchen and Hot Water), said in an interview with the author: "The premise of all technological innovation is that we must understand what users really need. We must always maintain communication with users, discover their pain points, and only then can we provide them with products that are healthier, more energy-efficient, smarter, and more aesthetically pleasing." The four "mores" mentioned by Zhang Bin are actually the core directions of product and technological innovation for Midea Kitchen and Hot Water.

President of Midea Group's Kitchen and Hot Water Division, Zhang Bin

Integrating all the advantages of existing product categories on the market and solving a series of pain points such as insufficient hot water, poor water quality, slow heating, and inconvenient installation in one go, Midea's superconducting water heater redefines a product form that has remained unchanged for a century. Zhang Bin revealed that Midea Kitchen & Heating had already started technological layout in this area about ten years ago.

It is precisely such dedicated research and long-term accumulation that enables Midea to achieve revolutionary innovation in electric water heater products. It is understood that the superconducting water heater launched by Midea Kitchen & Heating this time breaks through the capacity limitations of storage water heaters, with 40°C continuous water output reaching 2000L; a single energy storage can be used for two days, with an energy-saving efficiency of 40%; moreover, the innovative application of tankless and magnesium rod-free dynamic heating ensures water quality health; a narrower, thinner, and smaller design brings a more aesthetically pleasing visual experience.

Zhang Bin revealed that during the development of this product, Midea has been continuously interacting with users. On one hand, they have used convenient online data methods to study consumer pain points regarding water quality, temperature, and energy efficiency; on the other hand, they have conducted on-site visits to explore personalized demands of users in using water heaters.

"Regardless of how the environment changes, the user's direction towards a better and higher quality life remains unchanged, which is the fundamental driving force behind our product and technological innovation," Zhang Bin also said: "We need to provide users with healthier, smarter, more beautiful, and more energy-efficient products. The key is what technical solution you use to achieve it, and every major leap is a significant iteration of the product."

Not just the superconducting water heater, but also the beauty water machine and COLMO Turing series dishwasher launched by Midea in recent years. It is understood that after users continuously use soft water for 28 days, it can reduce pore blockage by 25%, reduce skin oil content by 41%, and increase skin moisture by 69%. The Midea beauty water machine, certified by SGS, can be applied to various scenarios such as beauty washing, hair washing and care, and pet cleaning.

And the COLMO Turing series dishwasher truly demonstrates a high-end kitchenware cleaning solution, with its unique AI bionic hand washing 100% covering the cabinet, providing excellent care for high-end tableware; moreover, it achieves efficient water and energy saving while also removing detergent residue. These products are just a small part of Midea's rich product innovation results. Facing a broader global market and the burgeoning wave of generative AI, Midea will face a more complex technological innovation environment.

AI will lead to the emergence of more disruptive products

Midea's in-depth research on the details of users' use of home appliances is very thorough. The aforementioned COLMO Turing series dishwasher has developed an automatic lifting function to solve the pain point of users bending over to put away dishes. This is a direct manifestation in product development of what Zhang Bin mentioned: "The prerequisite for all technological innovation is that we need to figure out what the user really needs."

The increasingly surging AI wave now allows the entire Midea to not only connect with users more efficiently, but also make its products smarter. On March 6th, Midea's home air conditioners introduced DeepSeek, ushering the air conditioner industry into a new era of proactive healthy air services. This also gives Midea's kitchen and heating products vast room for imagination in AI-driven R&D innovation.

Zhang Bin said: "AI can give us more intelligent advantages in providing users with interconnected and comprehensive overall solutions. Being more intelligent is actually one of the directions of our product innovation; we, Midea, have been laying out in AI for a long time, not only establishing an AI research institute at the group level, but also investing heavily in AI talent teams globally."

In terms of hardware, software, individual products, suite systems, and scenario-based interconnectivity, Midea Kitchen & Heating is continuously deepening the application of AI. One thing is certain: consumers' pursuit of a better life has never stopped and is always improving. One of the missions of enterprises in technological innovation is to continuously meet users' needs through better technology, and AI further broadens the perspective of technological innovation.

"Currently, the products on the market are far from reaching a stage where consumers have no demands at all, and this is our opportunity. The key is whether we have the capability to create products that meet or even exceed user expectations," Zhang Bin said, "Personally, I believe that in this industry, AI will lead to the emergence of more disruptive products."

According to Zhang Bin, Midea Kitchen and Heating will soon release products that are connected to DeepSeek; moreover, the Midea Home app has already taken a substantial step in this regard, with all smart devices forming a matrix of interconnectivity on the Midea Home platform.

Not only at the level of product hardware and smart home, AI empowers the entire internal operations of Midea, which consumers cannot perceive, but it allows Midea to research user needs and solve pain points more efficiently and with greater focus; and by concentrating on work and streamlining processes, the core goal is to provide better products for users.

Local people know local people best

Looking at the increasingly vast overseas market and facing the personalized demands of a diverse audience, whether it's understanding user needs or developing products, the overall work of Midea Kitchen & Heating appears very complex, with greater pressure. Zhang Bin revealed that in the past year and a half, he has spent a significant amount of time overseas. For Midea Group, which has incorporated global breakthroughs into its four main strategic pillars, globalization is an essential path to exploring more growth opportunities.

However, the vastly different dietary habits, cooking practices, water usage methods, living characteristics, and geographical cultures pose a heavy challenge to the overseas market expansion of all products under Midea's Kitchen and Heating Division. Zhang Bin also frankly stated that the differences between each country and region are too great.

Therefore, localized user research and integrated coordination with domestic research institutions are particularly important. Zhang Bin said, "We must first have a very strong local research and planning capability. Many of our overseas R&D centers and branches have local staff who truly understand the needs of local users." As Zhang Bin said, "Locals know locals best."

More importantly, how to provide corresponding solutions after gaining insights into the needs and pain points of local users, that is, how to address the localization of products? In this regard, the "2+4+N" global R&D network established by Midea has played a significant role. It is understood that nearly half of the 33 research and development centers built by Midea Group worldwide are located overseas, and the total investment in R&D expenses over the five years prior to 2024 is close to 60 billion yuan.

Huge R&D investment is aimed at providing better solutions for global users. Zhang Bin said, "We need to strive for product leadership, performance leadership, brand leadership, or feature leadership. In short, we should achieve leadership in one or more aspects based on the needs of local consumers, thereby capturing the minds of local consumers and enhancing the product competitiveness and brand reputation of Midea."

It is understood that, in addition to user interaction and planning, Midea Kitchen & Heating also relies on the global planning of Midea International to continuously improve its capabilities in various aspects such as terminal retail, logistics distribution, and full-process services in each market, meeting the needs of local market users.

Zhang Bin said straightforwardly that making products that satisfy consumers more is the most important thing for him personally and for the entire Midea. When talking about future goals, he said with a smile: "To create products that make users happier and more content, and to do this work faster and better in the future, that is my goal."