AsianFin -- German optics leader Zeiss has doubled its local revenue in Suzhou just one year after opening a new factory in the eastern Chinese city, with the facility emerging as the world’s largest source of microscope shipments.

The revenue surge exceeded internal forecasts, underscoring the strength of China’s demand for advanced optical equipment, according to Frank Xie, chief operating officer of Zeiss China, who spoke with Yicai at the plant’s first anniversary celebration. China is already Zeiss’ largest and fastest-growing market worldwide, but Xie said performance at the Suzhou site has outpaced even the company’s own expectations.

The new facility, which complements an earlier Zeiss plant in Suzhou, combines high-end optical manufacturing with research and development. It supplies products both domestically and overseas, reinforcing China’s role as a critical hub in Zeiss’ global operations.

At the anniversary event, Zeiss unveiled three high-end microscopes developed at the Suzhou plant, marking a significant milestone. The company is now the first international firm to locally produce advanced microscopes of this kind in China, commonly deployed in medical diagnostics and semiconductor manufacturing.