QINGDAO, Shandong, China — Honeywell and Haier Group have announced the establishment of the Honeywell-Haier Joint Innovation Center, located in the R&D center of Haier in Qingdao. The companies said that, in a move to accelerate the green march of the air conditioning industry, the center will strengthen their technological collaboration in the areas of household appliances and intelligent control to achieve high energy efficiency and low emissions.

In January of this year, Honeywell and Haier signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) creating a global strategic partnership during the U.S.-China Trade and Economic Cooperation Forum. Under the terms of the MOU, Honeywell and Haier are to cooperate in the areas of household appliances, intelligent home systems, and other technology areas. The joint innovation center is one of the R&D collaboration projects under the framework of the MOU.

Fan Zengnian, director of global technology of the Haier Air Conditioner business, said, “The joint innovation center will play a key role in the technology upgrade of the refrigeration industry. Using this collaborative platform, Honeywell and Haier will drive for more innovations and applications to achieve higher energy efficiency. It is also a great model for U.S. and Chinese enterprises to achieve win-win results that benefit consumers around the world.”