THALES
Thales provides innovative solutions for Chinas infrastructure, the backbone of Chinas economic growth. With more than 30 years of development in China, Thales has become a trusted partner in Chinas aviation and urban rail transit industries. In China, Thales currently has 1,300 employees, of which 95% are Chinese nationals. Thales strategy is to cooperate with local companies to promote its local business. In China, Thales is developing through local joint ventures. Thales develops Innovation Centers around the world. These centers serve as structures for collaborative innovation and combine new design methods, simulation tools and visualization in order to co-create truly differentiated products with "client-users" and ultimately design better products. In June 2014, Thales opened its Innovation Center in Hong Kong. A true incubator of ideas for representatives from academia, government and industry, the Hong Kong Innovation Center will focus on the concept of smart cities, working specifically in the areas of transportation and safety. In 2016, Thales is developing a new Innovation Center in its Beijing office, focusing on aerospace and signaling systems for railways. To prepare for the future, relationships with universities and research centers are key. To this end, Thales has established several academic partnerships in China.