What an exhilarating display of tremendous speed, changing actions in the air, and stunning landings! On the evening of July 31, Chinese athlete Deng Yawen delivered an exceptional performance in the women’s BMX freestyle park event at the Paris Olympics, securing the first Olympic gold medal for China in this discipline. Behind her triumph, a custom-made helmet produced by Dongguan Strategic Sports Equipment Co., Ltd. (“Dongguan Strategic”), located in Chashan, Dongguan, played a significant role.
Although the helmet used in BMX competitions may see ordinary, it is anything but simple. Athletes rely on various obstacles on the course to perform high-difficulty maneuvers, and during training and competitions, falling, getting injured, and sweating profusely are very common. Therefore, to ensure athletes can perform at their best, the helmets must meet the highest standards in safety, ventilation, and lightweight design.
From computer simulations, mold making, material assembly, and repeated testing to mass production, Dongguan Strategic spent a year and a half perfecting this helmet. This dedication to excellence helped the Made-in-Dongguan product shine at the Olympic Games, showcasing high-level sports equipment and advanced new material technologies.
This meticulously crafted helmet shielded for the athlete to win championship.
Dongguan Strategic, located in Liuhuang Village, Chashan Town, has been rooted in Dongguan for over 30 years. As a Taiwan-funded enterprise, it specializes in the research, development and production of various sports safety helmets, including those for cycling, skating, horse riding, skiing, and motorcycles. With a team of 180 researchers and more than 2,000 local employees, its products are widely exported to Europe and the United States.
“When we watched the video of Deng’s competition, we immediately recognized that she was wearing our helmet. My colleagues quickly shared and discussed this on WeChat, and everyone felt incredibly proud,” said Dai Peiling, General Manager of Marketing and Sales at Dongguan Strategic, expressing excitement about the company’s product contributing to China’s Olympic victory. Dai added that the development of this helmet took a year and a half, marking a significant technical breakthrough for the company in professional safety helmet manufacturing, which left a lasting impression.
For professional athletes, the safety and lightness of their helmets are of paramount importance.
To produce this Olympic helmet, which is lighter, better ventilated, and more comfortable to wear, Dongguan Strategic employed advanced technologies and materials.
According to information, to significantly enhance safety performance, the helmet is manufactured using an one-piece molding process that precisely combines up to 170 components into a single seamless piece, greatly increasing its impact resistance. In addition, the helmet incorporates MIPS (Multi-directional Impact Protection System) technology and high-density EPP foam material, both of which are designed to more effectively absorb impacts. Notably, this helmet has successfully passed six international safety tests, including chin protection, and its safety performance is 20% higher than that of ordinary helmets on the market.
The “Hidden Champions” of a niche market are sold overseas.
In addition to Deng’s gold-winning helmet, Dongguan Strategic’s helmets have frequently appeared in major international sports events, including the Paris Olympics skateboarding events and the Tour de France, accumulating a profound competitive heritage and experience that has won the trust and favor of many top athletes.
With annual production and sales accounting for one-third of the global industry volume, Dongguan Strategic is primarily an export-oriented enterprise. While deeply rooted in the local community and continuously innovating in the overseas market, Dongguan Strategic has recently accelerated its strategy to develop its own brands and expand its domestic market presence.
With the rise of cycling culture and the booming electric bicycle (or e-bike) market in China, the demand for professional helmets has surged. Sensitively capturing this market trend, Dongguan Strategic timely launched its own brand, CORSA, specializing in helmets for bicycles, e-bikes, and motorcycles. This brand aims to offer Chinese consumers safer and more fashionable cycling gear options.
To fully tap into the domestic market, Dongguan Strategic has adopted a dual online and offline strategy. Online, the company has embraced e-commerce trends by closely partnering with major platforms such as Tmall and Douyin, as well as cycling enthusiast communities and sports equipment live-stream channels, achieving impressive sales results. Offline, the company has sponsored and actively participated in renowned domestic cycling events, such as the 2024 “Charming Jiangsu” Cycling League and the 2023 Greater Bay Area West (Zhaoqing) 100km Ride, which has not only increased brand visibility but also directly boosted product sales, laying a solid foundation for steady growth in the domestic market.
“Over the past few years, our domestic sales ratio has reached 7%-9%, with growth exceeding 15%. We will continue to increase our focus on the domestic market and our own brand,” Dai said.
100 million yuan has been invested in automatic production lines to drive upgrading and transformation into intelligent manufacturing.
As a well-established manufacturing enterprise with over 30 years of history in Dongguan, Dongguan Strategic started as an OEM. In 2006, the company began to increase the added value of its products by developing and mass-producing one-piece molded helmets, driving progress in the domestic market.
At present, Dongguan Strategic is continually seeking breakthroughs to achieve transformation and upgrading. Over the past few years, the company has invested 100 million yuan in automating its production lines. During a visit to the company’s workshop, the reporter observed robotic arms operating efficiently, replacing manual labor, which not only standardized the trimming process but also reduced error rates and labor costs significantly. A workshop that previously required over 100 workers now needs only about 10.
Dai said, “We now connect all our automation equipment through digitalization and artificial intelligence. The most noticeable change is that AI technology can identify product defects in real time during production, allowing us to immediately adjust and reduce the defect rate.”
Strategic Sports, to which Dongguan Strategic belongs, also has operations globally and in other regions of China, but Dongguan remains the core base for the group. “Dongguan is our hub for R&D and manufacturing. While we now have facilities in Vietnam and Portugal, our Dongguan site plays a central role in managing our global operations. We focus on enhancing production efficiency here, making Dongguan the model for our entire group.” Dai explained.
