From 22 to 27 September 2024, the EU SME Centre took selected European SMEs and a trade promotion organisation active in green industries on a week-long business mission to China. Hailing from nine EU Member States – Finland, Cyprus, France, Romania, Ireland, Portugal, Belgium, Denmark, and the Netherlands – and specialised in recycling, sustainable construction, solar energy, biopolyols, water treatment and other sectors, the companies explored three business hub regions, met with potential partners, and exchanged with European businesses already established in the Chinese market.
The 2024 SME Business Mission started in Shanghai, where participants shared their business projects and discussed recent developments during a morning session on the business environment for green industry companies with speakers Susana Xu and Alessio Petino from the EU SME Centre, as well as Erin Xu, Vice Chair of the European Chamber‘s Environment Working Group.
The delegation then headed to Bund22 for a seminar and networking exchanges organised in partnership with the China-Italy Chamber of Commerce (CICC), with the participation of local officials from Invest Shanghai and the Lingang Special Area. European businesses shared their experiences of the market, with opening remarks by CICC Chairman Lorenzo Riccardi and presentations by Luigi Fiato representing RINA, Stefano Russano for FuturaSun, Kai-Marcel Dodel for Connen Smart Supply Chain Systems, and Nora Zhang for TERAO Asia.
In the evening, the delegates participated in the mission’s first networking event with a view on the iconic Pudong business landscape from the rooftop of The Fellas, near the Bund.
The second part of the SME Business Mission took the delegates to explore more of the dynamism of the Yantgze River Delta region with visits and meetings in Suzhou and Taicang.
On the morning of Tuesday 24 September, the mission delegates visited the Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP) and met with companies who have selected the SIP for their operations. This first government-to-government project launched by China and Singapore in 1994 is considered, three decades later, to have become one of the most dynamic and attractive destination for foreign businesses in China.
The delegation was then welcomed by Radici Plastics (Suzhou) Co., Ltd. in its state-of-the-art facility for a factory tour and exchange with Italian companies based in Suzhou. Davide Angelibusi, Board Director of CICC, delivered the opening remarks. Alberto Sessolo, Country Manager at RadiciGroup, Luziano Marzaro, Managing Director of CAREL Electronic Suzhou, and Fabio Valle, General Manager at OMET Wujiang, shared their experiences of the Chinese market. The exchange led to an open discussion on the competitive environment and best practices to build solid relationships with foreign and local partners.
The afternoon session, hosted by French company Hutchinson Industrial Rubber Products Suzhou Co. Ltd., allowed the SMEs to pitch and meet with local representatives and companies based in the Suzhou Industrial Park. After this first B2B session, a visit of the brand-new ESG Innovation Center led to a discussion on the support policies launched in recent years to foster sustainable development in the SIP.
On 25 September, the delegation visited Taicang, a satellite town of both Suzhou and Shanghai, known as one of the most popular areas for European companies, particularly German companies, in China. Home to nearly 400 German companies, with many headquarters, R&D and sales centres, Taicang is a port-based logistics hub and boasts a strong dynamism in equipment machinery, auto parts and new material manufacturing.
After a visit of the Loujiang New Town Exhibition Center and the German Centre, which welcomes companies from all over Europe and Asia to connect and network with its office space in a prime location of Taicang, the business delegation flew to Chengdu for the third and final part of the mission.
Over two days, the Chengdu programme gave the group a chance to visit the Western Hydrogen Energy Industrial Park, the Digital Economy Service Platform Centre of the Chengdu High-Tech Zone, as well as the Volvo Car Brand Experience Center.
During an evening reception organised in cooperation with our consortium partners the European Chamber and CICC, the delegates met with European and local companies based in Southwest China. Opening remarks to the event were delivered by Sally Huang, European Chamber Southwest General Manager, and Paolo Bazzoni, CICC Vice President for Chongqing and Southwest China. In a keynote speech, Massimo Bagnasco European Chamber Vice President and Chair of Southwest China Chapter, highlighted the current business strengths and challenges identified by European companies in Southwest China.
Finally, in collaboration with CCPIT Chengdu, companies participating in the mission were given the opportunity to present their business projects to a wide audience of potential local partners at the Sino-European Economic and Trade Exchange before delving into one-on-one B2B meetings.
Find out more about the companies and trade promotion organisation participating in the 2024 SME Business Mission: Carbios, ecorbio, Enterprise Ireland, Ethersys, Formconcrete, Infinite Foundry, Pulsar Power, PurCity, Spirotech.
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