Ground-breaking ceremony for greenfield project in China

Suzhou, China, is where the ifm group of companies will build their new plant—and where the ground‑breaking ceremony took place. On the 40,000‑square‑metre site, a sustainable production facility will be constructed in accordance with the DGNB Gold standard. As China is the third‑largest sales market for the ifm group, the country holds strategic importance.

The first steps toward establishing the facility were taken two years ago, when the plant was registered under the name ifm Technology Suzhou. It will serve primarily the Chinese market. “The building will cover approximately 19,500 square metres and include production, storage, and office space. We developed the final design in collaboration with architects and construction planners,” says Andrzej Durdyn, Managing Director of ifm Technology Suzhou. The symbolic ground‑breaking ceremony marks the official start of construction, with completion scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2026. The facility will eventually employ up to 1,000 people, with headcount increasing gradually in line with economic conditions.

Located about 100 kilometres west of Shanghai, Suzhou offers ideal conditions for ifm’s greenfield project. In this metropolis of ten million, state‑of‑the‑art industrial infrastructure provides a strong foundation for innovative, sustainable developments such as the planned production facility. ifm has designed the building to meet the German Sustainable Building Council’s (DGNB e.V.) criteria for sustainable construction and will pursue DGNB Gold certification. Ecologically, economically, and socio‑culturally, the new facility is intended to satisfy the Council’s stringent Gold‑standard requirements.

This greenfield project also presents a unique opportunity for ifm employees. Last summer, for the first time in the company’s history, HR managers invited staff from all ifm locations worldwide to participate in the plant’s development. There was significant interest from employees across diverse professional backgrounds and regions—many eager to gain international experience in Suzhou and enhance their cultural and language skills.