On 8 November 2023, Tianjin Institute of Product Quality Supervision & Testing, its Carpet Research Center / National Carpet Quality Inspection Center, China Homelife Soft Furnishing Show organiser CIECC (Beijing) International Exhibition Co., and media partners Sina Home and POD Design Power hosted the national forum Integration & Empowerment · Innovative Development — focused on brand building, green low-carbon growth and the “Front-Runner” standards programme for the carpet industry.
The forum interpreted policy and standards, pooled industry resources and advanced brand building and healthy industrial growth — supporting carpet R&D, quality improvement and green low-carbon transition. Attendees included market-regulation leaders, industry experts, CEOs, technical/quality/marketing managers, soft-furnishing and spatial designers, and distributors.
Hosted by senior Sina Home journalist Yang Yilin, the session opened with remarks from Cui Jin, Vice President of the Tianjin Institute. Amid integration, empowerment and green low-carbon priorities, he stressed exploring opportunities together — spanning standards policy, frontier technology and industry change — and noted the Carpet Center’s move toward one-stop integrated services to support enterprises’ upgrade and high-quality development.
In the green low-carbon research segment, Sun Weifan, Senior Manager at Tianjin Emissions Exchange, spoke on China’s carbon market construction and trading practice. As most countries advance carbon neutrality, the dual-carbon era is underway. China’s carbon market is growing rapidly, with SASAC, MIIT, MEE, MOST, CBIRC, NDRC, the PBOC, the NEA and other agencies issuing policies to guide the transition.
Senior engineer Cui Liqian of the Institute’s Certification Center then spoke on carbon neutrality and carbon-footprint certification under the dual-carbon strategy. While China’s average surface temperature and total emissions remain challenges, CO₂ intensity per unit of GDP continues to fall — evidence of effective energy-saving and carbon-control policies. At enterprise level, green low-carbon models help navigate trade barriers, lift ESG performance and meet stricter buyer requirements — increasingly a necessary path.
Engineer Gu Ting of the Carpet Research Center / National Carpet Quality Inspection Center analysed sources and behaviour of VOC emissions from carpets. Rising concern for indoor air quality is tightening environmental expectations — lowering VOC content is a clear industry trend. Gu also shared in-depth findings on VOC release behaviour and sources in carpet tiles.
POD observer Zhang Baicheng of Langxing Architectural Design (Shanghai) shared 2024 China home trends. Hotel design, he argued, must go beyond products to the awareness of target users — shaping environment and scenario. Many companies remain weak at scenography; we should start from environment: surroundings create emotion, and emotion shapes behaviour.
Niu Na of CIECC introduced the China Homelife Soft Furnishing Show platform — integrating cross-industry resources for precise invitation via an 800,000-profile database and multimedia content, while gathering strong POD designer resources and buyer groups to lift brand exposure and support carpet enterprises’ high-quality growth.
On the afternoon of the 8th, Yuan Han, Assistant Director of the Enterprise Standards “Front-Runner” Office at CNIS Resource & Environment Branch, spoke on how the Front-Runner system drives high-quality development. Since 2019, priority sectors have been defined and assessment agencies have advanced related work. Yuan detailed quality grading and evaluation criteria, and shared multi-channel government and enterprise adoption.
Engineer Liu Chang interpreted Front-Runner quality grading and evaluation requirements for carpet-tile enterprise standards — covering survey, project initiation and consultation stages. The standard sets clear requirements for product quality and enterprise-standard levels, evaluation indicators, methods and grading — ensuring quality and giving firms a defined assessment basis.
Chengshi Smart Home CEO Chang Liang shared the brand path of a soft-furnishing enterprise — strong design teams, a complete industry chain, forward-looking smart R&D, multi-touch channels, omnichannel branding and a full service system. Training for teams and dealers is continuous, not overnight; Chengshi also explores new retail models that empower online and offline learning to meet diverse consumer needs.
Misume Home GM Zhu Xiaowei addressed how soft-furnishing stores can break through. Post-pandemic and amid real-estate headwinds, the sector faces uncertainty; consumption anxiety and downgrade trends intensify competition. His four-step strategy: expand categories, meet demand, broaden channels and strengthen branding.
ANKER Gebr. Schoeller commercial director Hu Huajie shared carbon-footprint management in the carpet industry. ANKER — Europe’s first firm to adopt recyclable yarn — has pursued sustainability and carbon reduction since 2007, with products used in venues such as the German Bundestag chamber and London City Hall.
Shanghai Dongxuan founder Chen Dandan spoke on carpet in design — sharing custom broadloom pattern cases and noting carpet’s everyday role abroad, with advances in eco, antibacterial and stain performance. China’s market holds large potential; designers can aid marketing through inventive aesthetics. She also offered product-organisation strategies to meet demand and lift competitiveness.
A roundtable on 2024 opportunities and challenges featured POD observers Zhang Wen, Zhong Kai, Sheng Lan and Pei Xiaochuan, with enterprise voices including Burgunie/Suzhou Lvbao’s Thomson Hua, Yangxin Ruixin’s Qiu Shuyue and ANKER’s Hu Huajie. On China vs overseas products, Hu stressed true eco value is lasting use; Pei noted China has closed much of the functional gap but trails in brand accumulation, design, packaging and channels; Zhang saw inheritance in high-quality long-life carpet; Sheng urged deeper channel fusion; Qiu framed carpet as a more refined decoration; Hua emphasised bringing carpet tiles into hotels and homes through joint innovation; Zhong pointed to eco carpet, multi-function and original personalised design as both opportunity and challenge.
That evening, an industry dinner was held at the Caojin Hotel in Wuxi. Leaders and guests expressed gratitude to supporting partners. Under cross-industry collaboration, regulators, show organisers, media and designers are injecting strong momentum into the carpet sector’s future.
The Integration & Empowerment · Innovative Development national carpet brand-building and green-development forum thus concluded — a milestone for brand building and green growth, pointing to a brighter sustainable future for the industry.