Within the space of one generation, China has transformed itself from a developing country into the world's second largest national economy. The country's increasing prosperity has also been accompanied by an ever greater awareness of the importance of the sustainable management of natural resources. There is a growing perception among a large proportion of the Chinese population and within the government that China can and must play a significant role in protecting the environment. This is highlighted by the development of renewable energies and numerous initiatives to increase energy efficiency.

"As a supplier of wind energy plants, Rexroth is supporting the rapid development of renewable energy in China," explains Dr. Karl Tragl, chairman of the executive board of Bosch Rexroth AG. "As a system partner, we also offer an extensive range of components, services and system solutions that enable the energy consumption of machines and plants to be sustainably reduced, while maintaining productivity levels. In China, we can see a rapidly increasing demand for these solutions, because each and every kilowatt hour of energy saved helps to protect the environment."

The Chinese government is set to reinforce this trend. "The current five-year plan commits the Chinese economy to reducing its energy intensity by 16 percent by 2015," says Fo-Wai Lau, managing director of Bosch Rexroth in China. "This goal is the number one priority and it is taken very seriously by Chinese machine operators. The government is offering financial incentives and is also penalizing companies that do not reach their energy efficiency targets. This has prompted almost all Chinese machine manufacturers to work on new designs that will enable them to meet this key customer demand for improved energy efficiency."