36Kr Research Institute | Research Report on Chinese Enterprises' Overseas Expansion from 2025 to 2026
Currently, Chinese enterprises going global are experiencing a paradigm shift from "product output" to "capability output." Emerging technologies represented by artificial intelligence have given rise to a new form of digital services represented by "Token going global." Relying on the advantages of China's core infrastructure such as power and computing power, Chinese AI models and services are empowering global developers through API calls, open - source ecosystems, etc., and have become a highly explosive growth pole in the new wave of going global. 36Kr Research Institute has been tracking the dynamics of enterprises going global for a long time and continuously observing the trend evolution. In recent years, the institute has successively released the "Research Report on the Development of Chinese Enterprises Going Global from 2023 - 2024" and the "Research Report on the Development of Chinese Industries Going Global in 2024", systematically sorting out the overall situation of enterprises going global and the situation of key industries going global. Relying on the previous research accumulation, this research aims to comprehensively depict the new landscape of Chinese enterprises going global, deeply analyze the new environment and new trends faced by enterprises going global, and focus on the four major tracks of consumption, production capacity, technology, and services to summarize the core characteristics, key models, and strategic layouts of enterprises going global, providing references for enterprises that have gone global or plan to go global to formulate global strategies.
Driven by multiple factors, Chinese enterprises going global are accelerating towards a new stage of "in - depth localization development"
Driven by multiple factors such as national strategic guidance, the evolution of the global pattern, domestic industrial upgrading, and the leap - forward development of enterprise strength, Chinese enterprises going global have entered a new development stage. Looking back on the process, from the early trade - oriented going global mainly based on the OEM of light industrial products, to cross - border mergers and acquisitions aimed at obtaining technology, brands, and market channels, and then to the diversified layout in fields such as infrastructure, energy, automobiles, home appliances, and cross - border e - commerce in recent years, the tracks and models of enterprises going global have been continuously iterated and upgraded. Currently, enterprises going global have entered a new stage centered on in - depth localization development. The going - global model is accelerating the upgrade to the output of the entire industrial chain and industrial ecosystem, highlighting more localized operations, compliant development, and global brand building, and promoting Chinese enterprises to achieve a deep transformation from "going out" to "going in."
Illustration: Development stages and characteristics of Chinese enterprises going global
The four major going - global tracks of consumption, production capacity, services, and technology work together to lead China's industries to break through to the high - end of the global value chain
Driven by the resonance of multiple factors such as industrial capacity upgrading, the evolution of global market demand, and the reconstruction of the international trade pattern, enterprises going global, relying on the domestic industrial advantages and core capabilities, are evolving in depth along four differentiated models: Consumption going global centered on terminal consumer goods and brands, Production capacity going global centered on manufacturing and supply chains, Service going global centered on solutions and operation capabilities, and Technology going global centered on technology and standards. The four tracks work together to jointly build a three - dimensional going - global matrix from "physical product output" to "digital service empowerment" and from "tangible assets" to "intangible capabilities", outlining the going - global picture of Chinese enterprises continuously climbing in the global value chain.
Illustration: Ecosystem map of Chinese enterprises going - global tracks
Facing diverse risks and challenges, reshape the new pattern of going global with in - depth localization and brand globalization
Currently, Chinese enterprises going global are facing multiple risks and challenges such as geopolitics, the macro - environment, localized operations, and intellectual property rights. In this context, in - depth localization has become the strategic cornerstone for enterprises going global. Enterprises will upgrade from single - product localization to full - dimensional localization in R & D, production, marketing, operation, talent, and culture, and build sustainable overseas competitive advantages by deeply integrating into the target market. At the same time, brand globalization has become the key to victory. The growth logic of enterprises has shifted from scale expansion to value improvement. Through the globalization of brand positioning, communication, and experience, enterprises can achieve a leap from "Made in China" to "Chinese Brands". Looking forward to the future, Chinese enterprises going global will also evolve in depth in terms of industrial collaborative ecosystem, technological innovation digitalization, green and low - carbon globalization, and the popularity of cultural core, jointly driving enterprises going global to upgrade in a higher - quality, more resilient, and more sustainable direction.
The key research questions of this report are as follows:
- What characteristics are presented in the overall scale, industry distribution, and regional layout of Chinese enterprises going global?
- What kind of external environment do Chinese enterprises going global face?
- What new trends and characteristics have emerged in Chinese enterprises going global?
- Regarding the four major going - global tracks of consumption, technology, production capacity, and services, which are the representative enterprises in each field? What kind of differentiated development models and paths have been formed?
- What risks and challenges do Chinese enterprises going global face? How will the future trends evolve?
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