Green Development in China: Opportunities and Challenges for European SMEs

Born in Germany, Klaus Zenkel graduated in Industrial Engineering. He worked from 1993 to 2006 in executive management positions within the Siemens Group, one of which was Technical Director at Siemens SSMR in Shenzhen. Mr. Zenkel joined the European Chamber South China Board in 2016. As Vice President of the European Chamber and Chairman of the South China Board, he supports the member companies and meets with government officials.

As one of the 300 member companies in European Chamber South China Chapter, Imedco provides MRI shielding solutions for hospitals and research institutions. The company was founded in 1987 in Zurich, Switzerland. In 2006, Mr. Zenkel opened its Shenzhen subsidiary and started its business in China.

Filippo Pallaroni is the EU SME Centre Training Centre Coordinator. He organises and oversees the implementation of hybrid workshops and webinars for the Centre.

Filippo is an Italian young graduate interested in EU-China trade relations and their geopolitical implications. Starting with a focus on the Italian economic presence in China, he has expanded its range of interest to European SMEs and their role in the Chinese market.

Filippo holds a master’s degree in International Governance and Diplomacy from SciencesPo Paris and Peking University together with a BA in International Relations from the University of Bologna.

Nathalie has more than 10 years of energy field experience. She specialises in sustainability and energy project coordination. She is currently managing the operations of Terao in Asia. She manages Carbon footprint assessment projects for the operations of European companies in China as well as Building Sustainability projects involving Green Building Certification, Energy Efficiency & Low Carbon topics.

She holds a Master’s degree in International Energy Management from Tsinghua University, China & Mines ParisTech, France.

With over 20 years of experience in various technical & management roles, leads the sustainability business for TÜV SÜD North Asia, a global testing & certification organization. Works with technology companies, startups, academic institutions and governmental authorities in bringing safety, security sustainable solutions across consumer, payments, transportation, industrial and medical industries. Having lived & worked around countries also brings in a rich international experience. Holds an M.Phil in Operations Management from Bath University (UK) and Bachelors in Integrated Engineering from Cardiff in (UK) and a passionate marathoner.

Christian Gassner serves as a Board member of the European Chamber South China Chapter and also as the Chair of the European Chamber’s Manufacturing Forum. He currently holds the position of General Manager at Limoss (Dongguan) Co., Ltd., where he oversees the production of electronic consumer goods in compliance with the Japanese Kaizen principles, ensuring both high quality and high volume.

With over two decades of experience in the manufacturing industry, Christian possesses profound knowledge of mechanical engineering production technologies and strong leadership skills. Moreover, he has a keen interest in training and developing young employees, providing them with the knowledge and tools they need for a brighter future.  

Tobias joined PM Technology Consulting Services, a Finnish-German company in Shenzhen, as Managing Director in 2014.

He had the chance to be in China for the first time in 2002 and got to know different parts and sides of China in the last 2 decades. He came to China because he was interested in the country, the culture and the people, and was able to stay because of the many opportunities and the many friendly and helpful people he met.

“In the last 15 years of living and working in China, I have realized that no matter how big the technical challenges are, the biggest challenge is always to bring people together and cooperate.”

Wugang Liu is a power market specialist at Towngas Green Power, the renewable energy division of Towngas Smart Energy (1083.HK). The company focuses on distributed solar, integrated solar-storage systems, and green electricity transactions, playing a key role in Towngas’s clean energy transformation.

In his current role, Wugang Liu  leads power market research with a focus on electricity trading mechanisms, spot market trends, and green power strategies. His work supports Towngas’s participation in competitive electricity markets across China, bridging policy analysis with real-world trading solutions.