Hitachi Energy honored with 2025 Sino-Swiss Business Award

The 2025 Sino-Swiss Business Award ceremony, jointly organized by the Swiss Chamber of Commerce in China and the Embassy of Switzerland in China, recognized Hitachi Energy with the second place for "Innovation Pioneer Award" and the third place for "Talent Development Award"; the company was also granted the "Legacy Award" for its outstanding and long-standing contributions to Sino-Swiss business relations. The awards program was staged on Aug. 27 in Beijing.

"We are deeply honored to receive the Sino-Swiss Business Award once again. This recognition affirms both our innovation and our commitment to sustainable talent development,” said James Zhao, Executive Vice President and Region Head of Greater China, Hitachi Energy. “As a global leader in electrification, Hitachi Energy is committed to addressing the most urgent energy challenge of our time – balancing soaring electricity demand, while decarbonizing the power system. Talent and innovation are key to accomplishing these goals. Hitachi Energy will continue to work closely with our customers and partners in China, pushing the boundaries in power electronics, digitalization, services and sustainable solutions to inspire the next era of sustainable energy."

Continuous innovation advancing low-carbon energy transition

Hitachi Energy was also shortlisted for the "Innovation Pioneer Award" with its leading "VirtuPlan" virtual power plant solution. As renewable energy continues to develop rapidly in China, the power grid faces multiple challenges in maintaining a supply-demand balance and ensuring operational security. Traditional power system control & dispatching focus on large generators, leaving significant untapped potential in Distributed Energy Resources (DERs), such as distributed battery energy storage systems (BESSs), Electric Vehicle (EV) charging piles, and battery swap stations. Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) provide an innovative solution by aggregating and coordinating DERs through control software and communication systems, enabling them to operate collectively like a conventional power plant.

Hitachi Energy has deeply integrated its global industry expertise into virtual power plants with localized communication hardware and has collaborated with multiple domestic grid companies, power generation groups, and energy enterprises. For example, it partnered with China Southern Power Grid to launch China’s first virtual power plant demonstration project in Shenzhen. It supported Huadian Zhejiang in building the country’s first virtual power plant system that is routinely connected to dispatch and participates in Automatic Generation Control (AGC) frequency regulation and ancillary services. Currently, the "VirtuPlan" solution has helped aggregate hundreds of DER units with dispatchable capacity exceeding 300 megawatts (MW), enabling participation in AGC frequency regulation and peak shaving with a second-level response time and over 99 percent control precision.

Diversity and inclusion driving sustainable development

Hitachi Energy's talent strategy is rooted in the sustainable development of both employees and the business. By fostering a diverse and inclusive global team and collaborative culture, the company continuously drives innovation. The company empowers employees throughout their career lifecycle by reinforcing its mission, values, teamwork, and leadership development, achieving a win-win outcome for individual growth and business success. The comprehensive talent development initiatives include the flagship Power+ Global Trainee Program, various programs for young talent and manager development, and mentoring. It also provides employees with cross-business unit, cross-functional, and international rotation opportunities, creating unique work experiences that help develop their potential. Hitachi Energy ensures equal development opportunities for employees from diverse backgrounds. Currently, women represent over 32 percent of the workforce at Hitachi Energy's offices in China. Leveraging global platforms and dedicated female development programs, it continuously supports career advancement and leadership growth.

Furthermore, guided by Hitachi Energy's "Sustainability 2030" strategy, the company launched a series of educational initiatives in 2023 in Meigu County, Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province, collaborating with schools and non-profit organizations to revitalize education in impoverished ethnic minority mountainous areas. Over the past three years, Hitachi Energy has supported nearly 250 Yi ethnic children annually, enabling them to complete compulsory education. Starting in 2024, the company has also organized annual volunteer teaching activities, where Power+ Global Trainees travel to Hongxi Junior High School in Meigu County to deliver educational support, integrating Hitachi Energy's sustainability vision into talent development.

The Sino-Swiss Business Award has been held biennially since its establishment in 2013. At the 2023 ceremony, Hitachi Energy received the Innovation Pioneer Award for its outstanding EconiQ® eco-efficient portfolio and was runner-up for the Talent Development & Diversity Award.

This year’s awards coincide with the 75th anniversary of Sino-Swiss bilateral relations. To mark this milestone, the committee established the Legacy Award to recognize companies that have operated in China for over 20 years and have made outstanding contributions to Sino-Swiss business relations. Hitachi Energy is among 30 companies honored with this prestigious award.