Appotronics releases 2022 ESG report, R&D innovation galvanizing high-quality development

SHENZHEN, China, June 26, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- China-based Appotronics Corporation Limited ("Appotronics", 688007.SH) released its 2022 Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report, highlighting its performance and achievements in terms of environment, society and governance. The report, covering multiple data and practical achievements in research and development "R&D" innovation, environmental protection and energy conservation, employee rights, social responsibility, and governance transparency, provides more information on the company's understanding and practice of ESG values.

Appotronics has independently disclosed important measures in social responsibility and implementing sustainable development strategies for four consecutive years, recognized by various sectors of society. 2022 saw the company earn the Guizhou Province "Chunhui Action Contribution Award", the A-level rating by Wind ESG, and the Cailian Press Social Responsibility Pioneer Enterprise Award.

R&D innovation boosts industry progress and practices sustainable development

Li Yi, founder and chairman of Appotronics, noted in his open speech, "We deeply realize that only when we develop ourselves can we address multiple external uncertainties, that is, we must adhere to technological innovation and pursue sustainable and high-quality development." Appotronics is committed to ramping up technological innovation and industrial upgrading and introducing new technological trends and application scenarios to the industry. The company attaches great importance to the transformation of research and development achievements and the improvement of industrialization level to secure its leading position in technology and actively influence the entire industry.

2022 saw Appotronics develop automotive optical application, AR optical module, ALPD ^®5.0, "zero" back focus technology, intelligent robot fusion, laser scanning point cloud and others, serving as high-performance and high-quality solutions for the market. The company has doubled down on R&D efforts, with an increased proportion of R&D personnel. In 2022, the R&D investment reached RMB 262 million, up 10.73% year-on-year (YOY) and number of R&D personnel reached 521, accounting for 31.83% of the total number of the employees.

Appotronics not only focuses on talent team construction, but also improves intellectual property protection. As of December 31, 2022, Appotronics holds 1773 authorized patents around the globe, of which 966 are authorized patents for invention, resulting in a total of 2,629 patent applications plus authorized patents around the world, a solid ground for the company's innovation and technological accumulation.

Appotronics takes original laser technology as its core, fully utilizing its healthy eye care and energy-saving features among others to continuously improve the product's performance and reliability. Among them is the ALPD ^®5.0 laser display technology with energy efficiency in excess of 20lm/W, about 100% higher than other light sources. Meanwhile, technological innovation contributes to energy conservation and emission reduction, ALPD ^®laser light source projection solutions having been widely applied in the domestic market. 27700 sets of  ALPD ^®laser projection solutions have been installed in China, running about 236 million hours in total, saving about 425 million kilowatt hours of electricity, and effectively reducing carbon dioxide emissions by about 186 million cubic meters.

In addition to research and innovation, Appotronics also combines technology with culture to promote cultural inheritance and innovation. The company's engineering projector facilitated Xinjiang's first comprehensive immersive performance, "Wan Fang Yue Zou You Yu Tian", and cultural and tourism projects such as the Wuyuan Cultural and Tourism Town Realistic Show in Jiangxi. By combining new light and shadow technology with historical and cultural stories, it brought unprecedented sensory experiences and emotional resonance to the audience.

People-oriented talent concept, employees and the company growing together

Appotronics, adhering to the "people-oriented" principle, has formulated comprehensive human resource management standards. The company continuously improves the employee management system, safeguards employee rights and organizes activities such as "CEO face-to-face communication meetings" and "fresh graduate exchange meetings" in an effort to create a transparent, fair, and interactive corporate culture, and strengthen communication and exchange between employees and the company.

At the same time, Appotronics attaches great importance to employee welfare benefits, providing competitive salaries and benefits, and encouraging employees to engage in diverse team building and club activities to strike a balance between work and life. A dual channel career development sequence was established to provide effective career development guidance and support for employees; and multiple talent cultivation systems set up to provide training plans and opportunities for employees at different levels. In 2022, the company's total employee training time reached 17673 hours, effectively improving the employee's professional literacy and capabilities.

Reliable environmental management, disclosing TCFD climate information

Appotronics takes sustainable development as its own responsibility, incorporating environmental benefits and environmental management into the entire process of enterprise operation and management. It has always adhered to the concept of low-carbon production and energy conservation and carbon reduction, and continues to promote green operation and production in environmental management to achieve coordinated development of the economy, society, and environment. The company continuously optimizes production processes and adopts advanced energy-saving technologies to minimize the impact on the environment. It has been awarded the "Green Leading Enterprise" by the CEC and China Certification Center for Energy Conservation Product ("CECP") certification. 

Notably, Appotronics provided a detailed disclosure of the impact of climate change on the company's operations in the ESG report of 2022, having identified climate change risks and opportunities and taken effective response measures referring to the initiatives of the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosure ("TCFD").

Influential social welfare, actively assuming social responsibility

A corporate citizen, Appotronics focuses on fulfilling social responsibilities, promoting the development of public welfare undertakings, and actively participates in assisting rural revitalization, technology popularization, and social welfare activities. Upon the information of marketing difficulties of agricultural products in Gantang Town and Huaxi Township of Qianxi, Guizhou Province, Appotronics initiated the "2022 Mid-Autumn Festival Public Welfare and Agricultural Aid Action" project to help poor areas solve the problem of agricultural product marketing by purchasing instead of direct assistance. The company earned "Chunhui Action Contribution Award" in 2022 for its actions to revitalize talents and assist agriculture in Guizhou, where its high-definition giant screens helped Qianxi create a youth maker space to promote talent revitalization.

Appotronics, a "Nanshan District Science Popularization Base", received a total of 6 children's science popularization public welfare visit projects, with approximately 100 children visitors in 2022. In collaboration with the CASCI, Appotronics launched a series of activities called "Radiance Plan", where it provided intelligent screens to impoverished rural areas in Guangxi alongside popularizing aerospace knowledge. In a bid to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, the company donated RMB 1.2597 million worth laser projectors to the Shenzhen Health Commission through the Red Cross Society of China Shenzhen Branch, for the purpose of family education for the children of anti-pandemic medical workers.

Li Yi stated that ESG practices have been gradually integrated into all aspects of Appotronics's work, and moving forward the company will be committed to using laser core technology to create a better life experience for people and create better long-term value for stakeholders.

SOURCE Appotronics Corporation Ltd.