Special Report by the Shanghai Securities Journal ▏VIE Technology: Leveraging Intelligent Chassis to Build Resilience in Smart Manufacturing

At the headquarters of VIE Technology, located in Diankou, Zhuji, Shaoxing, a reporter from the Shanghai Securities Journal met Chen Feng, the company’s chairman, who had just returned from a business trip to Wuhan.

In 2025, Chen Feng felt the market changes particularly keenly: “Industry competition is fiercer than at any other stage in the past. On the one hand, industry capacity remains high, intensifying competition; on the other hand, technological upgrades and the trend toward intelligentization are bringing new opportunities and room for growth.”

How can we tackle this challenge? Chen Feng’s approach is to seek change, embrace innovation, and focus on long-term value. As a local supplier with four decades of deep expertise in chassis control systems, VIE Technology’s strategic adjustments in recent years represent a proactive response to this round of transformation.

Unearth the “bright spots” in niche sub-sectors.

Chen Feng said that the business trip to Wuhan was aimed at advancing the construction of VIE’s new base in the Central China region. “The Central China region is home to leading automakers such as Xiaomi, Xpeng, Geely, and Dongfeng—so we simply have to follow our key customers.” This strategic move reflects a significant shift in VIE’s approach: from spreading out across a broad range of markets to focusing on precise positioning.

In Chen Feng’s view, the “tipping point” for the automotive industry is fast approaching: “In the future, the whole-vehicle market will become increasingly concentrated among the leading players. Under this new landscape, if component suppliers can’t run side by side with the top-tier automakers, their room for survival will rapidly shrink.”

Therefore, whether it’s building a central China base in Wuhan or expanding production lines in Anhui, Zhejiang, and other regions, VIE’s strategy consistently revolves around its core customers, aiming to strengthen both production capacity and supply-chain stability. In the context of the modular and systematic trend in chassis control systems, the company has further deepened its partnerships with numerous vehicle manufacturers and has been recognized for many consecutive years as an “Outstanding Supplier.”

“As long as companies stay focused on their core business and refine and perfect their products, they can still find a foothold in today’s fiercely competitive landscape,” said Chen Feng. In addition to concentrating on leading OEMs, VIE is also turning its attention to new niche markets. For instance, more than a decade ago, VIE had already begun deploying cutting-edge technologies such as wire-controlled steering and wire-controlled braking in the commercial vehicle sector. At that time, industry demand was limited, but Chen Feng insisted on treating what he’d been working on ten years earlier as something that needed to be prepared for today. As wire-controlled steering and wire-controlled braking technologies accelerate their penetration into medium- and heavy-duty trucks, the wave of commercial vehicle intelligence—represented by smart heavy trucks—is opening up new growth opportunities. VIE’s years of accumulated technological expertise are now starting to deliver real value.

Proactively go global to unlock new growth opportunities.

Against the backdrop of an accelerating restructuring of the global automotive industry chain, going overseas is becoming an increasingly strategic choice for more and more component manufacturers. Chen Feng has his own perspective on this: “Truly competitive overseas expansion isn’t about blindly following others or being forced to survive—it’s about honing your strengths and taking the initiative!”

In his view, for component manufacturers looking to go global, there are three prerequisites: First, build barriers in the domestic market to achieve differentiated advantages; second, establish a stable cooperative foundation with foreign-invested brands already operating in China, gradually integrating into the international supply chain; and third, treat overseas expansion as a long-term strategy characterized by a steady pace and a long time horizon.

VIE Technology’s overseas expansion is precisely guided by this logic. With four decades of deep-rooted expertise, the company has become part of the supply chains of numerous foreign brands, including Audi, Nissan, Toyota, and Daimler, continuously building up its system capabilities—such as global project management, quality systems, and testing and validation—that are geared toward international markets.

At the R&D level, VIE Technology’s Hungarian R&D center is responsible for developing intelligent technologies and algorithms, serving as a key technological hub for the company’s entry into the European market. Construction of bases in Morocco, Mexico, and other regions is also steadily progressing and will in the future serve as pivotal points for reaching both European and North American markets.

Solidify long-term value with the “5+N” capability framework.

As external markets accelerate their transformation, cultivating internal strengths has become an essential requirement. In recent years, VIE Technology has established a “5+N” system: The “5” represents five core business groups—commercial vehicles, passenger cars, lightweight chassis, supply-chain operations, and overseas development—which form the main framework supporting the company’s steady growth. The “N” encompasses a range of cutting-edge areas, including EMB systems, in-wheel motors, wireless charging, and key components for humanoid robots—representing VIE Technology’s forward-looking strategic positioning to meet future industry trends. Around these key areas, VIE Technology has set up R&D centers in multiple locations, building a comprehensive capability chain—from traditional mechanical components all the way to intelligent technologies, algorithms, and lightweight materials, thereby laying a solid technological and industrial foundation for addressing industry-wide transformations.

In Chen Feng’s view, no matter how the market evolves, the fundamental nature of supply-chain competition will remain unchanged. To this end, VIE Technology is advancing cost management, R&D innovation, lightweight process upgrades, modular design, and digital transformation of its production operations. At the same time, in terms of industrial ecosystem development, VIE Technology is shifting toward the role of a “chain-leading collaborator.” Currently, it has jointly invested with leading industry capital firms such as Xiaomi Capital, SAIC Capital, and BAIC Capital.

Speaking about the future, Chen Feng said with firm conviction: “When we run a business, the core principle is to ensure its sustainability—not just short-term success. I believe that as long as VIE Technology remains committed to innovation and continues to invest deeply in its niche markets, it will surely carve out a solid foothold and move steadily toward our goal of becoming a century-old enterprise.”