Published PM GMT+8 GMT+8, September 28, 2025,
Amid the accelerating global energy transition and “dual carbon” strategies, the energy storage sector has become a critical pillar of new power systems. For enterprises expanding overseas, globalization is not just about exporting products—it is about engaging in multidimensional competition: navigating rapidly shifting policies, managing supply chain risks, and facing intensifying international rivals. In this environment, experience alone can no longer support strategic decision-making.
Real competitive advantage lies not only in products, but in how quickly and accurately a company can establish an intelligence system—and transform that intelligence into actionable decisions. Using the energy storage industry as an example, this article provides a practical methodology to help overseas enterprises gain a first-mover advantage in international markets.
I. The Core Value of an Intelligence System
A corporate intelligence system is more than an information-gathering tool—it is a foundation for strategic decision-making. Its value can be reflected in three key dimensions:
- Environmental Monitoring: Tracking policies, standards, and market dynamics to reduce strategic risks.
- Competitive Insights: Identifying competitors’ strategic moves, product plans, and partnership layouts.
- Decision Support: Providing evidence-based guidance for market entry, partner selection, R&D priorities, and supply chain optimization.
For energy storage enterprises going global, whether they can establish a robust intelligence system directly determines their competitiveness in international markets.
II. Methodology for Building an Intelligence System
1. Define Intelligence Needs
Different market strategies require different intelligence priorities:
- Mature markets (Europe & North America): Focus on subsidy mechanisms, power market rules, and safety certification standards.
- Emerging markets: Track electricity demand gaps, financing conditions, and government incentives.
- Supply chain optimization: Monitor raw material prices, tariff policies, and key supplier dynamics.
2. Diversify Information Sources
An intelligence system should span policies, technology, markets, and supply chains:
- Policies & Standards: Government websites, international organizations, and industry associations.
- Technology & R&D: Patent databases, academic publications, and demonstration project cases.
- Market Dynamics: Industry media, exhibitions, forums, and competitor websites.
- Supply Chain: Supplier updates, upstream technological breakthroughs, and downstream demand trends.
3. Intelligence Analysis and Practical Application
A high-performing intelligence system not only gathers information but also creates business value:
- Competitive Benchmarking: Track patents, market shares, and partnership strategies.
- Trend Forecasting: Use historical data and policy signals to predict market and technology trajectories.
- Business Enablement: Translate intelligence into decision support for strategy, market entry, R&D, and supply chain management.
Case Example: Before entering the European market, one energy storage company discovered—through intelligence analysis—that residential storage demand was growing much faster than utility-scale projects. It then adjusted its R&D focus and channel strategy, successfully capturing a niche market lead.
III. Common Challenges in Practice
Traditional intelligence work often faces difficulties such as:
- Information overload, making it hard to identify priorities.
- Limited access to overseas policy and market data.
- Delays in tracking technological and industrial developments.
- Weak integration of intelligence with business scenarios.
- High costs of building in-house systems, especially for SMEs.
IV. Practical Recommendations
To improve the effectiveness of intelligence systems, enterprises can:
- Establish cross-departmental intelligence teams to break down silos.
- Build a unified intelligence management platform for collection, analysis, and sharing.
- Adopt automation and AI tools to enhance monitoring and analysis efficiency.
- Regularly review intelligence outcomes to ensure alignment with strategic execution.
V. The Value of Professional Intelligence Services
For most overseas enterprises, building a full-scale intelligence system quickly is resource-intensive. Leveraging professional intelligence services becomes an effective supplement.
For example, InsightEmpower combines big data, AI, and industry knowledge graphs to provide energy storage enterprises with full value-chain intelligence support:
- Coverage of 40+ countries and regions, with multilingual translation to overcome cross-border information barriers.
- Real-time tracking of competitor patents, supply chain movements, and project collaborations.
- Supply chain monitoring, including raw material prices, policy shifts, and market fluctuations.
- Customizable subscriptions tailored to different regions and business needs.
By combining external professional services with internal mechanisms, overseas enterprises can build systematic intelligence capabilities at lower costs—boosting decision-making efficiency and strengthening global competitiveness.