Dassault Systemes CEO sees fastest growth in China

China is the fastest-growing market given its ambition for innovation, technology upgrading and sustainable development, the head of Dassault Systemes, a leading 3D software and product lifecycle management (PLM) solution provider, told the Global Times in an exclusive interview on Wednesday.

As the country tries to move up the value chain and upgrade its manufacturing sector, it provides business opportunities for the firm, said Bernard Charles, president and CEO of Dassault Systemes.

The software provider has business coverage in 12 sectors and industries, with manufacturing, transportation and auto making presenting the most interesting growth opportunities, Charles said.

China's drive for clean environment and urbanization process also make energy and construction sectors attractive for the firm, he said.

By the end of 2013, 44 percent of Dassault Systemes revenues came from the European market, 28 percent from America and similar share from Asia.

China is currently the third-largest Asian market after South Korea and Japan (in terms of revenues).

"You have to look at the dynamics in the coming years, China will be the fastest growing because the needs are there," he said, projecting it will become the largest Asian market for the firm by 2020.

Apart from Dassault Systemes, other major PLM software providers in China include PTC and Siemens, according to research firm CIMdata.

As more Chinese manufacturers expand and grow, they will require the PLM solution rather than a single computer aided software, Chen Jian, a senior analyst at IDC China, told the Global Times in a note on April 3.

However, piracy is a challenge for many foreign software firms.

"The biggest challenge for our business in China is piracy," Amar Hanspal, senior vice president of US software firm Autodesk, told news portal xinhuanet.com on February 12.

Our challenges in China include the piracy of software, "but we see more positive factors than negative ones," Charles said.