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At the first CES Asia in Shanghai, “zero distance” meant bringing customers, design engineers, factories and supply-chain support closer together. Junko Yoshida’s May 27, 2015, EE Times report used the show to illustrate that idea, particularly for hardware startups trying to move from a concept toward production. It was an account of one event—not a controlled study of supply-chain performance or a guide to services available today.
What “zero distance” meant at CES Asia
The phrase described practical proximity: designers working closely with factories, products being shaped around customer needs, and startups getting access to manufacturing and supplier support as they worked toward mass production. The idea was not simply that a factory should be nearby. It was that shorter lines between the people designing, making and using a product could help those groups coordinate.
Yoshida quoted Bin Lin, then identified as Xiaomi’s president and co-founder, saying: “But it’s critical for design engineers to work side-by-side with those working at factories.” Lin also described “zero distance” from customers and the “proximity between design engineers and factories” as advantages for Chinese consumer-electronics companies. These are Lin’s views as quoted in the 2015 report, not a measured finding that one supply-chain arrangement is always better.
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What Yoshida saw on the 2015 show floor
Yoshida described a show with global automakers—including Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Volkswagen and Ford—as prominent exhibitors, while major consumer-electronics brands such as Xiaomi and Lenovo were conspicuously absent. She also characterized the consumer products on display as fragmented and noted a strong Internet of Things emphasis.
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Some startups presented themselves as operating in both Silicon Valley and Shenzhen or Shanghai. In the report, that cross-border presence appeared alongside the practical closeness of Shenzhen’s maker ecosystem and factories. These observations describe the companies and exhibits Yoshida encountered at that event; they should not be generalized into a timeless account of China’s electronics industry.
How Ingdan illustrated startup supply-chain support
Ingdan was one example of a hardware-focused intermediary at the show. Yoshida described it as offering integration and support services to startups working from concept toward mass production. The example helps explain the report’s theme: for a hardware startup, proximity can involve access to suppliers and manufacturing help as well as the physical distance between a design team and a factory.
The report did not compare Ingdan with another provider or establish that its model produced better outcomes. It also does not establish whether the company’s services are available today.
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Yoshida reported that Dlodlo displayed VR glasses at JD.com’s booth. The 2015 article attributed to the company a weight of 4 ounces (120 g) and listed a 2K resolution and a 120 Hz refresh rate. Those are historical, company-attributed specifications in the report, not independently verified measurements or evidence about a current product. The article also mentioned connected IoT devices, but did not single out a central product for readers to buy.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the report can—and cannot—tell us
The article is useful as a snapshot of how proximity between design, production, customers and support was being discussed at the first CES Asia. It documents the show’s exhibitors, the reporter’s observations and examples such as Ingdan and Dlodlo.
It does not provide a named industry statistic, a supply-chain study, or a controlled comparison of operating models. The Dlodlo figures are product specifications, not industry data. Any assessment of supply-chain approaches beyond the event’s reported examples would require evidence beyond this account.
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Source: Junko Yoshida, “CES Asia: ‘Zero Distance’ to Supply Chains,” EE Times, May 27, 2015.
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