Source: Global Times

Swiss PME website, September 16th article, original title: China, the Innovation Champion and Vast Market China continues to provide tremendous diverse potential and remains at the forefront of all future technologies. For Swiss medical device giant Ypsomed (Ypsomed), China has become an indispensable market, which is why the company's executives decided to build a super modern factory in China. Reto Feller, Director of Ypsomed China, said: "Three years ago, we didn't know who our Chinese competitors were. Now there are more than 30. Looking back now, I think we should have moved faster."

A Swiss Vaud economic delegation composed of about 20 entrepreneurs visited China and found that the incredible innovation capabilities and speed here have broken the old stereotype of being cheap. The delegation's trip to China lasted a week, from Shanghai to Shenzhen, with stops in Changzhou and Nanjing, aiming to explore the possibilities of the Chinese market and persuade Chinese companies to come to Vaud.

The visiting Swiss business executives formed a diverse group, focusing on clean energy, artificial intelligence, robotics, biotechnology, IT services, and agricultural equipment. Some of them came to establish specific contacts with potential partners, while others came for immersive strategic thinking. In short, everyone was surprised by a series of discoveries.

One of the leading Chinese clean energy technology companies based in Shanghai, Envision Group, gave the delegation its "first shock." China leads the world in new photovoltaic cell and wind turbine capacity, and the booming industry has created new opportunities for Swiss suppliers. A small Swiss company from the Canton of Neuchâtel, engaged in surface treatment, has already started cooperation with Envision Group.

When the guests arrived in China's megacities, they would also notice the commitment to ecological transition - when I was jogging in the center of Shanghai, I suddenly realized that the air seemed clean. Although traffic was busy, there was a strange sense of silence in the city. Few fuel-powered cars could be seen, replaced by electric vehicles, electric scooters, and crowds of shared bicycles.

China has also built the world's unique high-speed rail network, whose punctuality is enough to make the Swiss Federal Railways envious. We took a high-speed train to Changzhou, which is only about one hour away from Shanghai. This city, with a population of about 5.3 million, is a future construction center, demonstrating huge investments in economic development. The Changzhou branch of the Swiss Bostik Group, which operates in the flexible packaging industry, sells machines to food and pharmaceutical companies, and also has local R&D to meet local market needs, as its director put it, "Made in China, for China." The group entered China in the 1990s, possessing rich market experience, but with the emergence of new competitors, the Chinese market has changed, as these competitors offer cheaper prices and constantly improving quality, thus forcing Bostik to quickly adapt to this situation.

The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area is called "China's Silicon Valley," offering a unique ecosystem for robotics, embedded artificial intelligence, medical systems, Internet of Things, and Agriculture 4.0. "From the initial sketch to mass production" is the slogan of many companies here. Want a prototype within 24 hours? No problem, you will get it. The region has numerous small and medium-sized enterprises ready to take on projects. This was another surprise for members of the Swiss Vaud economic delegation.

In the summary of their trip, one member of the delegation expressed a widely shared view: "If we don't want to fall behind, we need real industrial policies. The Chinese believe that technology is the driving force for social progress and have developed corresponding strategies." There is no doubt that more and more Chinese SMEs and startups will go international. Nicolas Musi, co-founder of Han Yi Business Consulting, calls this phenomenon "the Second China Shock." (Author: Alain Jentet, translated by Dong Ming)

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7551557797423350324/

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