Hisense Group, the Chinese electronics conglomerate, has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the Jiading district government in Shanghai to set up its Shanghai innovation centre and East China regional headquarters in the district, according to an announcement published by the WeChat account of the Shanghai Jiading government and reported by Chinese outlet Gasgoo.
The agreement, signed on 20 September 2026, also covers the establishment of a global R&D centre and China headquarters for Sanden, Hisense's automotive components subsidiary. The two sides plan to cooperate on automotive industry upgrades, new consumption scenarios, chip technology development and two-way industrial introduction, the announcement said.
Automotive electronics is one of the core areas of the cooperation. The agreement leverages Jiading's dense automotive industry ecosystem and supply chain advantages to promote the strategic upgrading of Hisense's automotive electronics business, according to the announcement.
Aligning with Shanghai's industrial plan
The cooperation is tied to Shanghai's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) modern industrial system, which targets intelligent connected new-energy vehicles, integrated circuits and new consumption as three core tracks. Jiading, home to Shanghai International Automobile City, has a complete vehicle and parts industry chain, and Hisense's decision to place both a regional headquarters and core R&D centre in the district is aimed at accelerating technology iteration and customer development in its automotive electronics business, the announcement said.
Beyond automotive, the two sides will explore cross-industry integration in new consumption scenarios, focusing on customised, scenario-based and smart consumption experiences. Hisense also plans to work with universities, research institutes and upstream and downstream companies in the Yangtze River Delta region to make Jiading a hub for its industrial R&D in East China.
Hisense, founded in 1969, owns five listed companies: Hisense Visual, Hisense Home Appliances, Sanden Holdings, Qianzhao Optoelectronics and Colin Electric. Its brands include Hisense, Toshiba TV and Ronshen. The group operates 32 R&D centres, 41 industrial parks and production bases, and 65 overseas companies and offices worldwide.
The deal marks a further step by a major Chinese electronics group into the automotive supply chain, following similar moves by other consumer-electronics players seeking growth in the EV sector. Jiading, already a centre for vehicle manufacturing and parts supply in Shanghai, is positioning itself as a base for automotive electronics and software development as the industry shifts toward intelligent and electric vehicles.
