Industry backdrop: the boom has arrived, and going global is no longer optional
At the just-concluded 4th ePaper Industry Innovation Conference, a set of data prompted deep reflection among smart manufacturing companies in the audience:
Market explosion: The global ePaper and ESL (electronic shelf label) market is entering a USD 10 billion-scale boom, expected to exceed USD 6.8 billion in 2026 and to grow at a CAGR of more than 15% toward USD 11.2 billion by 2031.
Shift in the landscape: Europe and the United States account for 70% of the main battlefield, but leading Chinese companies have already risen to rank among the global top three.
Surging intent: According to the latest data jointly released by LinkedIn and BCG, the share of domestic companies planning to expand overseas has surged from 27% four years ago to 73%.
Yet at the entrance to a new era of capability internationalization 3.0, most smart manufacturing companies and hard-tech founders still face three critical pain points:
1. Cannot hire: Local overseas teams are hard to build, and key talent with an international perspective and compliance execution capability is scarce.
2. Cannot build trust: Without international brand awareness, overseas customers and channels hold trust barriers against new Chinese brands.
3. Cannot find the right customers: Traditional exhibitions and intermediaries are inefficient, making it hard to reach overseas Tier 1 decision makers and C-level executives directly.
Forum highlights: a keynote speech on using LinkedIn as the vehicle to build the three engines of going global, plus a LinkedIn panel discussion.
The forum was moderated by Esme Liu, Director of New Business for South China at LinkedIn China. It featured a keynote by Jeff Zhang, Deputy General Manager of Talent Solutions at LinkedIn China, and invited executives from benchmark overseas-expanding companies in the ePaper and smart hardware fields to hold a lively panel discussion on breaking through — how to leap from selling hardware to becoming an overseas brand — and on tackling the hard part: building local overseas teams and finding customers.
1. Jeff Zhang (LinkedIn): using LinkedIn as the vehicle to build the three engines of going global
In his keynote, Jeff stressed that going global has long gone beyond simple hardware export and is now about the globalization of a company's overall capabilities.
LinkedIn's network of more than 1.3 billion members, over 71 million companies and 100% of the Fortune 500 can provide Chinese companies with:
Team building: Using LTI Talent Insights big data to understand talent distribution and recruit overseas general managers and scarce technical talent.
Brand building: Building a three-dimensional employer brand and executive IP through Rock Your Profile — after visiting a dedicated hiring page, the in-message reply rate of job seekers increased 2.6 times.
Customer acquisition: Direct connection to more than 85 million business decision makers worldwide for precise reach and trust building.
2. Wang Tianjiao (Marketing Director, Hanshow): LinkedIn lessons from a global benchmark
As a globalization benchmark in the ESL and ePaper field, Hanshow has built strong brand presence and local teams overseas. In the panel, Wang Tianjiao shared: Hanshow has always valued LinkedIn as a global digital communication channel. LinkedIn is not only an important platform for Hanshow to build localized brand awareness and share innovative applications and best practices in European and American markets, but also an important channel for connecting with overseas customers, partners and outstanding local talent.
3. Fang Jijun (General Manager, JOYOSOLAR): from flying around the world to accumulating digital network assets
JOYOSOLAR has been deeply engaged in going global in smart hardware and ePaper displays for years. In the discussion, Fang Jijun offered a profound industry insight: “I personally fly to multiple countries each year to attend more than 10 different overseas industry annual conferences and exhibitions.” Fang pointed out that, facing the limits of offline energy, JOYOSOLAR highly values LinkedIn's long-term value as a digital social tool. In the future, JOYOSOLAR will fully step up its LinkedIn presence, converting connections made face to face offline into online long-term network and brand assets, and precisely targeting decision makers at overseas system integrators (SI) and channel partners.
Exclusive benefit: LinkedIn global online and offline 1-on-1 in-depth diagnosis sessions now open for registration
To help more smart manufacturing companies and hard-tech founders break through overseas trust barriers and turn team building, brand building and customer acquisition into executable actions, the LinkedIn team is now officially opening a dedicated 1-on-1 global expansion diagnosis and guidance service.
Exclusive guidance benefits you will receive (free of charge):
1. Target market and talent big data diagnosis (LTI report): customized analysis of talent distribution and competitor dynamics in target countries and regions.
2. Company Page and executive IP (Rock Your Profile) building guidance: 1-on-1 coaching on how to build an international brand image that fits local trust habits in Europe, the US, the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
3. B2B key account development and localized team building plans: practical strategies for efficiently reaching overseas decision makers and recruiting local talent, tailored to real business pain points.
Format:
Online sessions: remote 1-on-1 in-depth communication to efficiently answer going-global pain points.
Offline salons and closed-door meetings: on-site exchanges at companies or at LinkedIn offices, connecting with industry ecosystem resources.
Register now and start your globalization upgrade journey. Whether you are a startup team preparing an overseas pilot or an industry leader seeking a second growth curve overseas, you are welcome to register with your business pain points and needs.
Smart displays for the world, with LinkedIn as your partner. Let us accompany your company as it goes deeper into the global stage.
