Major breakthroughs help to transform the home appliance market

Facing fierce competition among peers, Chinese high-tech companies have realized that instead of following paths dominated by the West, it is better to take the initiative and shape new rules. The development of dishwashers by Ningbo, Zhejiang province-based kitchen appliance producer Fotile over the past decade is a clear example of this phenomenon.

According to Fotile, since the invention of the dishwasher in 1850, cleaning methods have continuously improved, but some unmet needs remained — such as limited cleaning power for stubborn oil stains and the requirement for large installation spaces.These issues are common worldwide, but particularly prominent in Chinese kitchens, where braising and deep-frying produce heavy oil stains. In addition, kitchen spaces are often compact, and consumers demand functions such as sterilization and pesticide residue removal.

In 2011, Fotile identified these problems and was determined to change the situation. The company began independent research and development of dishwashers. Its R&D personnel visited 40 cities, more than 1,000 families, and conducted extensive market research.

In 2015, Fotile invented the world's first sink dishwasher, addressing the three major pain points of dishwashers — difficult installation, poor adaptability, and limited cleaning power. This new type of dishwasher energized the Chinese market by introducing an entirely new product form. In 2018, Fotile's sink dishwasher won first prize in the Science and Technology Progress Award of the China National Light Industry Council.

In addition to solving installation and space issues, Fotile has also been cultivating its core technologies. Since 2016, its R&D team has researched High Pressure HydroJet Wash Tech. Inspired by submarine cleaning methods and combining bionics principles with a planetary spray arm design, the first-generation product adopting this technology was launched in 2020. It ended the 170-year history of dishwashers relying solely on water for cleaning and rewrote cleaning standards for the industry.

According to the 2024 Research Report on Dishwasher Patent Innovation in China, leveraging technological innovations such as High Pressure HydroJet Wash Tech, Fotile has secured first place in three key dishwasher patent categories in China: the largest number of authorized patents related to dishwasher cleaning, the most-cited high-value patents, and the largest number of authorized patents related to energy-saving and environmental protection.

A Frost & Sullivan report from August 2025 shows that Fotile's products are currently sold in more than 30 countries and regions, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and Singapore, serving more than 30 million households. This demonstrates the global adaptability of the Chinese solution, Fotile said.

Zhou Chengxiong, deputy head of the Strategy Consulting and Research Center at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said: "Enterprise innovation should first serve the needs of the people, and the consumer sector is an important scenario for the implementation of scientific and technological innovation. China-made dishwashers, by virtue of in-depth insight into local needs, are gradually surpassing foreign brands. Fotile's innovation journey also proves that innovation rooted in local conditions cannot only meet the needs of specific markets but also bring breakthroughs to global consumers."