The sun is coming out, the winter is coming out, the dragon is going to the four seas, and Vientiane is renewed! First of all, thank you for your care and support for Moray ®!Shanghai MerRIND® is an innovative lubricant and special chemicals industrial enterprise. MerRIND® lean lubrication brand has experienced 16 years of development with our partners. The past 2023 was full of difficulties and challenges, and China's economy went forward in a difficult climb. Under the adverse environment of geopolitics, real estate downturn, overcapacity, declining exports of light industrial products and difficult manufacturing upgrading and transformation, China's economy still achieved a GDP growth rate of 5.2%.In 2024, we firmly believe that China's economy will continue to move forward steadily in improving quality and increment!

Under the current economic development cycle, all industries are facing great challenges. First, the stock competition market is more intense. Second, the economic structure transformation and digital technology iteration. The post-90s and post-2000s are gradually becoming the main force of consumption and consumer demand is constantly changing. All industries will face the problem of industrial restructuring, and all enterprises need to adapt to the change of the environment through transformation. In the face of numerous business changes and challenges, it has been proven in the long-term business development practice that although short-term behavior can obtain temporary benefits, only long-term enterprises can achieve long-term development and win respect in the industry through the economic cycle.

With the deepening of social economy, China has become the main lubricant market in the world. With the increasingly stringent environmental protection policies, the requirements of fuel economy and the impact of new energy, the development of the lubricant industry is also facing great opportunities and challenges. As an important branch of the petrochemical industry, the lubricant industry has the characteristics of wide application range and high technical content. Mechanical equipment needs to use lubricants. Lubricants are not only industrial consumer goods, but also closely related to the mechanical engineering industry. Friction consumes more than 1/3 of the world's primary energy, wear leads to about 60% of the loss of mechanical materials, and more than 50% of the malignant accidents of mechanical equipment are caused by lubrication failure and excessive wear. Friction and wear involve many emerging interdisciplinary subjects such as mechanics, materials science, physics and chemistry. And lubrication is the most effective technology to reduce friction, reduce or avoid wear. Lubricating grease is known as the "blood of industrial equipment". Advanced lubricating materials and lubrication technology are important supports and carriers for China to develop new quality productive forces and realize ecological and sustainable development. The use and technical application of lubricating grease products indirectly reflects the operation, production efficiency and environmental protection awareness level of a country and enterprise. The use of lean lubricants can help enterprises achieve energy saving and efficiency improvement, and promote the transformation of enterprises to green lean development with lubricants as the entry point. Enterprises need to review the past extensive production and operation mode, focus on lean and innovation to support sustainable development mode.

After long-term unremitting efforts and persistence, MERIDA® lean lubrication products have become the first choice for many high-quality lubricating oil (grease) customers. In the face of many industry challenges, we will adhere to the original intention of lean manufacturing, focus on the main business and brand, always adhere to the long-term principle, all business activities are carried out around the long-term value, follow the needs of consumers and market changes, and continue to create value for customers.

 Today, MerRIND® has opened a new journey of overseas market development based on the strong competitiveness of Chinese manufacturing. We are rooted in Shanghai, based in Hong Kong, serving global lean manufacturing enterprises. We fully rely on Hong Kong International Innovation and Technology Center, Asian Supply Chain Center and free and open economic system, and play the role of REAL NEW MATERIAL SCIENCE & TECHNOlOGY COMPANY LIMITED overseas operation "bridgehead". With Hong Kong as the base and Shanghai as the production management collaboration center, we will fully develop the high-end lubricating oil professional market along the "Belt and Road" international and regional, so as to let more customers use high-quality MerRIND® lubricating grease products.

(Author: Cao Longjun, DBA, Politecnico di Milano)