Innovating with Ink, Drawing a Global Blueprint — Interview with Mr. Yu Shufeng, General Manager of Guangzhou Shanmu New Materials Technology Co., Ltd.

Technology-Driven: From Laboratory to Management

Innovation is the lifeblood of a business! As a manager with a technical background, his management philosophy is firmly rooted in faith in technology. "I am more practical in nature. Rather than staying in the office, I prefer to work with my team in the laboratory, letting the data speak for itself," he said.
This "technology-driven quality" approach has been a hallmark of Yu Shufeng’s career. When Shanmu was founded in 2009, the company was still a traditional label manufacturing enterprise. However, Yu quickly identified the vast potential of the ink industry. "Ink is the core material of the printing industry, with high technical barriers and broad application scenarios. The trend of environmental protection will reshape the industry," he noted. Drawing on his materials development experience in heat transfer labels, he led the team to build the first ink laboratory, marking the beginning of the company’s "second curve" from label manufacturing to the development of eco-friendly inks.

After 16 years of steady progress, Shanmu has grown from a small factory to a high-tech enterprise with an annual production capacity of over 5,000 tons, with products covering more than 50 countries. Reflecting on milestones, Yu Shufeng says: "2021 was a key turning point—we became one of the first domestic ink manufacturers to pass the EU REACH certification. The digital heat transfer paper, DTF PAPER, launched that year, brought our eco-friendly technology to the international stage."

Innovation Engine: The Technology Philosophy Behind CNAS Certified Lab

At Shanmu’s CNAS-certified national-level laboratory, a nano-particle analyzer is conducting molecular-level tests on a new water-based ink. "This is both our quality defense line and the source of innovation," Yu Shufeng explained. The lab’s unique "extreme environment simulation testing system" allows inks to undergo tests from -40°C to 120°C, while the world-leading nano-dispersion technology achieves 98.7% color accuracy. This kind of investment has enabled Shanmu to set an industry record by improving drying speed by 30% in a custom ink project developed with a German high-end printing equipment manufacturer in 2022.

Facing a strategic choice where R&D accounts for 15% of annual investment, Yu Shufeng is planning for the long term: "The ink industry has entered an era of ‘micro-innovation.’ Our DTF ink, improved by modifying molecular structures, enhances the softness of the transfer product by 40%. This technological differentiation is key to breaking through." Currently, Shanmu’s eco-friendly ink series has passed 21 international certifications, and its custom solutions cover eight major sectors, including textile printing and food packaging. "Here, we’re not just a testing center; we’re an innovation engine," he adds. "By using nano-level pigment dispersion technology to improve color accuracy and simulate extreme environment tests, we ensure every ink product can withstand the global market’s tests."

Global Competition: Breaking Monopolies with Differentiated Technology

In the face of the multi-billion-dollar global ink market, Yu Shufeng is confident in Chinese-made inks. "While the high-end market is dominated by Europe and the U.S., technological differentiation is our breakthrough. Traditional prints are stiff and prone to cracking, while our super-soft transfer solution makes patterns as soft as fabric. This innovation has helped our customers dominate the European, U.S., and Middle Eastern markets."
Currently, ink business accounts for 30% of Shanmu's revenue, and its core competitiveness lies in its self-controlled R&D system across the entire supply chain. "From raw materials to formulations, from custom solutions to environmental certifications, we’ve made ‘Made-in-China’ synonymous with high-end quality." The water-based ink for digital printing developed in collaboration with a German equipment manufacturer in 2022 is an example—after 18 months of intensive development, its color saturation and drying speed surpassed European competitors, securing major client orders.

"One in every three heat transfer garments worldwide uses Shanmu technology," says Yu Shufeng, pointing to the planned R&D centers in Europe and the U.S. on the world map in his office. Facing the reality that Chinese-made ink currently occupies only 12% of the high-end market, he introduced the "Globalization of Technology" strategy: establishing an application research center in Hamburg to absorb European talent, collaborating with MIT’s materials lab on nano technology, and investing 500 million RMB to build a smart factory that will increase high-end product capacity by 60%.

Looking to the future, this visionary leader’s resolve is unwavering: "When our water-based ink helps our Italian customer achieve carbon-neutral certification, I am more convinced that ‘Made-in-China’ must not only catch up with standards but also create new ones." Shanmu is currently involved in setting the world’s first carbon footprint accounting guidelines for digital printing inks, and its ESG practices have been included in the United Nations Industrial Development Organization’s Green Technology Promotion Directory.

As he puts it: "Every drop of ink must carry innovation and responsibility—that’s Shanmu’s answer to the times." On this journey driven by technological faith, China’s ink industry is writing new global rules. This leader, with the laboratory as his battlefield, seems to hear the sound of a technological revolution, leading Shanmu to write a new chapter in the global wave of innovation.