(Photo: Mr. Li Guanxiong, Executive Deputy General Manager of DEAR Air Separation, accepting the book on behalf of Chairwoman Hai Xia)
On the evening of June 18, 2025, the milestone publication "Gas Pioneers: Chronicles of China's Industrial Gas Leaders"—the nation's first comprehensive documentation of gas professionals'奋斗史 (struggles and triumphs)—held its grand launch and book donation ceremony at the Hangzhou Grand Convention & Exhibition Center. The achievements of Ms. Hai Xia, Founder and Chairwoman of DEAR Air Separation, were featured in the book, with Mr. Li Guanxiong, Executive Deputy General Manager, representing her at the event.
(Photo: Next-generation DEAR Air Separation team members with industry veterans)
This gathering of industry luminaries, corporate leaders, and research elites not only unveiled the 40-year saga of China's industrial gas sector's rise from follower to global contender but also highlighted the innovative practices of new-generation pioneers like Ms. Hai Xia, showcasing China's ambition to break technological barriers and reshape the global industrial landscape.
As the first systematic record of gas professionals' journeys, the book profiles 27 trailblazers across academia, research, and industry—including Gu Anzhong, China's cryogenic technology pioneer; Li Huazhi, the "father of Chinese oxygen production"; and Ms. Hai Xia of DEAR Air Separation. It traces the sector's evolution from the "steel cylinder era" to full industrial chain autonomy, distilling the industry spirit of "precision in minutiae, vision for the cosmos." The narratives span older generation overcoming startup hardships to new-era innovatorsconquering electronic specialty gas technologies, collectively embodying the relentless drive propelling China's gas industry into global leadership.
(Photo: Profile of Ms. Hai Xia, Chairwoman of DEAR Air Separation)
As witnesses to the air separation sector's transition from "following" to "leading," Ms. Hai Xia and Mr. He Baotang have steered DEAR Air Separation through high-level strategic planning + heavy R&D investment, creating the eighth-generation intelligent Air Separation system. The company now boasts a full-chain technological framework covering intelligent control, energy efficiency, and remote operation—achieving globally leading standards.
"We've always believed that overtaking in Air Separation technology isn't rhetoric but requires forward-looking analysis and sustained investment," emphasized Ms. Hai Xia. By anticipating decadal trends and preemptively strategizing digital transformation, DEAR Air Separation has digitized full lifecycle equipment management, delivering autonomous gas solutions for critical sectors like steel, chemicals, and electronics. This alignment of corporate growth with national strategy epitomizes the industry ethos championed in "Gas Pioneers."
The book weaves a grand narrative of three-generation: pioneers launching the cylinder era, mid-career builders localizing air separation equipment, and young scientists tackling electronic gases bottlenecks. This launch ceremony not only honors 40 years of collective but also sounds the charge against "stranglehold" technologies. As DEAR Air Separation's intelligent practices resonate with the 27 pioneers' legacy, China's gas sector—with its millimeter precision and cosmic ambition—is etching an increasingly distinct imprint on the global industrial map.
