In recent years, as traditional industrial growth slows and global headwinds intensify, the laser equipment industry has entered a period of “inward competition,” with market restructuring accelerating. Yet this shift marks a necessary stage toward high-quality development. For laser manufacturers, the key challenge is how to break free from low-value rivalry and build new engines through technological innovation, differentiated products, and global expansion—core factors for long-term competitiveness.
Against this backdrop, OFweek Laser invited Dr. Song You, President of Bystronic Group China & APAC and Global CEO of DNE LASER, for an in-depth conversation on how DNE LASER is navigating structural industry change and forging new growth drivers.
PART 01
Strategic Elevation: A New Turquoise Era and a New Chapter in Global Competition
In September 2025, DNE LASER launched a major global brand upgrade. As a fully owned, independent sub-brand of Bystronic Group and a provider of intelligent system-level manufacturing solutions, it unveiled—at FABTECH 2025—its exclusive turquoise identity for the first time since adopting a dual-brand strategy. Beneath the visual refresh lies a deeper strategic transformation.
Within a brand-house architecture, strategy serves as the framework, while identity supports market positioning. By redefining its visual system, DNE LASER is signaling a comprehensive strategic upgrade. This change marks not only a new look but a shift in brand direction—from image to core, from positioning to pathways.
(1) Identity Transformation: DNE LASER—A Fully Owned, Independent Sub-Brand of Bystronic Group
Founded in 2008, DNE LASER has undergone three major developmental leaps, evolving from a local manufacturer into a global industry player. Between 2008 and 2014, its YAG solid-state laser cutting machines held roughly 60% of the domestic market, laying a strong technical foundation.
Bystronic’s strategic investment in 2016 and full acquisition in 2020 marked a turning point. Under Bystronic’s global management system, DNE LASER strengthened R&D, improved manufacturing, optimized supply chains, and elevated operational efficiency. As Dr. Song You noted, DNE LASER has reached a new level of capability. Bystronic’s recent financial reports also show strong Q3 order growth, driven in part by DNE LASER’s contribution.
In 2025, DNE LASER entered its third major phase. Recognizing its potential, Bystronic granted the company greater autonomy in strategy, operations, and resource allocation—accelerating its independent global expansion and strengthening competitiveness in the global sheet-metal market.
Dr. Song emphasized that while DNE LASER historically focused on China, the new dual-brand structure gives it independent authority to tailor strategies and deploy resources more flexibly. Previously, major decisions required alignment with Bystronic to avoid overlap, limiting autonomy. With enhanced capabilities, DNE now operates with greater strategic independence.
He also clarified a common misconception: Bystronic is not simply “high-end” while DNE is “low-end.” DNE LASER has developed its own global customer base over seventeen years, supported by rapid responsiveness, competitive cost structure, strong price-performance, efficient service, and localized operations. Its internationalization strategy differs from Bystronic’s subsidiary-based model, instead building a strong partner ecosystem. Dr. Song believes this flexibility—rooted in Eastern philosophy and agile management—will be a key global competitive advantage.
At the same time, DNE LASER will continue leveraging Bystronic’s global infrastructure—channels, local offices, and legal support—to accelerate product deployment in Asia, South America, Africa, and other emerging markets.
(2) Visual Identity Upgrade: The Turquoise DNE LASER
In this brand renewal, DNE LASER replaced its classic red with a deep turquoise—a shift far more meaningful than a color change. Turquoise symbolizes maturity, stability, and readiness for expansion. According to Dr. Song, it reflects the company’s accumulated strength and its ambition for a broader global landscape.
The color is inspired by the Northern Song masterpiece A Panorama of Rivers and Mountains by Wang Ximeng, known for its iconic turquoise palette. By adopting this tone, DNE LASER signals its aspiration to “claim a greater landscape” in global competition and express timeless value and artistic refinement.
Turquoise also gives new meaning to the name DNE—Driving New Eras—representing strategic, market, and product architecture upgrades and marking the beginning of a new stage of accelerated growth. It further embodies values of vitality and sustainability, aligning with global trends in green manufacturing and reflecting DNE LASER’s commitment to energy-efficient, environmentally responsible solutions.
PART 02
Intelligent Manufacturing Hub: Foshan as a New Frontier Powering a Global Smart Manufacturing Paradigm
With DNE LASER’s independent strategy taking shape, its market footprint and operational scope are expanding rapidly. As global demand rises, the original Shenzhen plant can no longer support long-term goals. Therefore, relocating the entire manufacturing center from Shenzhen to Foshan became a key pillar of its upgraded brand strategy.
The Shenzhen facility’s five-story structure limited heavy machine-tool production: multi-floor layouts hinder workflow continuity, equipment placement, and logistics efficiency, making it difficult to expand capacity or upgrade processes. These constraints no longer met the needs of DNE LASER’s new development phase.
In Foshan, DNE LASER built a modern steel-structure smart manufacturing base covering about 70,000 square meters. Since its phased launch in July 2025, the facility has integrated R&D workshops, testing zones, automated production lines, and an immersive showroom, enabling full-process intelligent manufacturing.
Dr. Song emphasized that the relocation represents not just a geographical shift but a comprehensive upgrade of production philosophy. Employees now operate within an automated, digitally coordinated smart-factory environment, significantly improving productivity, product quality, and cost efficiency—establishing dual advantages in performance and competitiveness.
PART 03
Anchoring Intelligence, Sustainability, and Integration to Shape New Value Frontiers
China’s laser industry is experiencing both a visible market ceiling and intensifying homogenization. As growth transitions from incremental to stock-based, competition has shifted from innovation to low-cost replication—dampening industry vitality and weakening profit space.
China’s 15th Five-Year Plan identifies intelligence, sustainability, and integration as key drivers of manufacturing transformation. This reflects the industry’s shift from “expansion” to “value creation.”
DNE LASER began aligning its long-term strategy with these three pillars years ago, mirroring Bystronic Group’s global layout. According to Dr. Song, these remain central to DNE LASER’s roadmap.
In intelligence, machinery is the “body” and software is the “brain” of smart factories. Through deep hardware-software integration and BySoft Suite, DNE LASER enhances production management, supply-chain coordination, and digital operations. While full unmanned manufacturing is not yet realized, the system already supports flexible, small-batch production and smarter factories.
In sustainability, DNE LASER incorporates energy-saving principles across product design and operations. Electric-drive systems, air cutting solutions, and other innovations reduce energy consumption while improving performance. ESG principles are embedded into corporate strategy, helping users lower costs and carbon emissions while improving long-term competitiveness.
In integration, DNE LASER works to unify material and data flows across the factory. Automated units now coordinate the entire workflow—from raw material loading and cutting to sorting, bending, and welding. AI, big data, and digital twins further accelerate digital intelligence. Next-generation equipment integrates AI-driven machine learning, enabling automatic optimization of process parameters.
Beyond technology, overseas markets offer major opportunities. While domestic competition intensifies, Southeast Asia’s digital infrastructure gap, Europe and the U.S.’s demand for high-end technology, and the Middle East’s industrial upgrading present new growth avenues. These global opportunities are key drivers behind DNE LASER’s brand upgrade and strategic shift.
PART 04
Final Thoughts
The business world is ultimately driven by value—brand upgrades are never superficial exercises. From the perspective of OFweek Laser, breaking growth ceilings, embracing a new manufacturing era, and pursuing strategic transformation together form the three core engines behind this brand upgrade.
DNE LASER’s transformation reflects a broader shift across China’s manufacturing sector: proactively reshaping competitive advantages through value reconstruction. It signals that the laser industry’s breakthrough will go far beyond technology or scale—it will enter a new arena defined by brand depth, ecosystem building, and user value.
Looking ahead, companies like DNE LASER will continue empowering global manufacturing with deep industry insight and sustained innovation, accelerating the transition toward intelligent, green, and integrated production. In doing so, they will help establish “Chinese Intelligent Manufacturing” as a global symbol of high quality and high value.
