A Zhejiang-based fitness equipment manufacturer, Yilian Health Tech, has revolutionized the home fitness market with its newly launched foldable Pilates reformer, securing a $2 million overseas order from Spain, Japan, and South Korea. The compact design allows the reformer to collapse into a thickness equivalent to a TV cabinet gap, addressing space constraints in urban households.

The reformer, priced at half the cost of traditional models, integrates adjustable spring resistance and a sliding platform to target core strength, flexibility, and posture correction. “Our R&D team invested 1.3million(9millionRMB)annuallytoinnovatematerialsandergonomics,”saidproductdirectorZhuWei.Thecompany,whichsuppliedrehabilitationequipmentforthe2022BeijingWinterOlympics,nowholds16patentsandexportsto30countries,withannualrevenueexceeding28 million (200 million RMB).

Local governments in Zhejiang have bolstered tech-driven growth, offering $10 million (67 million RMB) in subsidies to 609 firms in 2024. This policy push has accelerated collaborations between research institutes and production lines, with 19 projects achieving seamless industrialization.