Two German companies' expansion trajectories highlight the growing appeal of the Sino-German Eco-Park in the Qingdao Area of the China (Shandong) Pilot Free Trade Zone.

Siempelkamp, the park's first German investor, has completed three rounds of expansion since 2014, increasing its total investment from 11.8 million euros ($13.5 million) to 34 million euros. It has also announced plans for a new plant and a regional Asia-Pacific trade headquarters in Qingdao.

ElringKlinger Group made a remarkable leap in just two years: after initially setting up in 2019, it registered a new company in March 2024, and officially opened its Asia headquarters for high-performance materials on April 21 this year. The company's products have expanded from the automotive and medical sectors into high-end semiconductor equipment manufacturing.

ElringKlinger board member Dirk Willers affirmed the company's commitment to Qingdao, saying it plans to further expand semiconductor production and establish local R&D capabilities in the city.

These are not isolated cases.

In the first half of this year, the park's first foreign-funded manufacturing R&D facility, the OESL ContiTech Qingdao R&D Center, was inaugurated.

As of now, the park has attracted 78 German-speaking enterprises. In 2025 alone, eight new German-speaking companies were established with a total investment of $556 million, achieving an industrial output of 2.63 billion yuan ($388 million).

To support this growth, the park has tailored services for German firms. For instance, it provided customized "turnkey" plant construction plans for Elringklinger, integrating green technologies and efficient logistics to accelerate project completion.

The living environment is also a key consideration for long-term German residents. In late June, a Sino-German international sports and culture festival opened in the park.

With its comprehensive services and industrial ecosystem, the Sino-German Eco-Park is steadily expanding its role as a hub for German and European enterprises in China.

ElringKlinger's Asia headquarters plant in Qingdao's Sino-German Eco-Park symbolizes deepening German-Chinese industrial cooperation. [Photo/Guanhai News]