Business to Business Mission to China | Focus on E-commerce and Innovation

Introduction

For seven years, Voka – Chamber of Commerce Mechelen has been present in Asia and has arranged several trade missions to China. From October 14 to 21, 2017, a new “Business to Business” mission is organized to Chongqing and Shenzhen, led by the Provincial Governor Cathy Berx.

Why China?

The Chinese government’s thirteenth five-year plan (2016-2020) aims to create millions of new jobs in cities, to improve highways and high-speed railway lines, the extend further the new Silk Road or the One Belt One Road strategy, to reduce the surplus production capacity, but especially to stimulate an innovation-driven development. The innovative industry will indeed make up 15% of the GDP by 2020. The five leading industries are: IT, high-quality production, biotech, carbon and digital innovation. China has created a two-speed economy which is an increasingly thriving and also brings many opportunities for our Flemish companies! And there is more: 415 million Millennials, who make up for 31% of the Chinese population, are interested in technology, conscious of health and environment and better-educated than the older generation. More than 40% of the purchases in China are made online and more than 1.2 billion Chinese use cellphones. Therefore, there is a gigantic market prospect through cross-border e-commerce or directly setting up in China.

Source: www.eusmecentre.org.cn

Why Chongqing?

Since 2005, Chongqing is one of the five national central cities and a municipality of more than 31 million inhabitants. The third-biggest city of China is located at the junction of numerous transport routes and at the centre of an important economic transportation artery, the Yangtze or Blue River that links the inland China to the coast. We will visit the terminal of the Chongqing-Antwerp railway connection which has been in use since 2011.

The great growth in agriculture, horticulture and car industries represents many opportunities for our companies in the field of logistics and urbanism.

Chongqing is also one of the fastest-growing cities in the economic field where a strong emphasis is put on e-commerce, as Euro Brand Centre, which we are going to visit, proves it.

Why Shenzhen?

Shenzhen, which used to be a fishing village of 200 to 300 000 inhabitants and is known as the first region in China to have a “special economic zone”, has now become the world capital in electronics in the Pearl River Delta: most of the digital devices are assembled in companies in and around Shenzhen. Whether you consider it as the Mecca of hardware or the Silicon Valley of Asia, Shenzhen is the place to be for entrepreneurs interested in innovation, think tanks, local technology facilitators, for producers of prototypes and hardware as well as for new business models, investments, crowdfunding platforms and venture capital. Approx. 4% of Shenzhen’s GDP each year is spent on research and development and only South Korea and Israel spend as much money in this field.

See the full programme here>

Prices

Registration and Contact:

Flanders Investment & Trade subsidises you as an SME, in case of export prospecting, some of the travel and accommodation expenses. All types of subsidies, conditions and application documents can be found at: http://www.flandersinvestmentandtrade.com/export/subsidie/subsidie-voor-een-prospectiereis-buiten-de-eu-ijsland-liechtenstein-en-noorwegen

Please, register via the following link, preferably before June 10, 2017:

http://groups.alkreizen.be/vokamechelenchina

Here you will find the programme and registration and cancellation terms, as well as practical formalities.

Your registration is definitive from the moment you register on this website.

According to the law, you therefore will have no right of renunciation and will be subject to the payment of cancellation fees.

If you have any questions, please contact: Petra Van Bouwelen, mobile: +32 476 909 909 or petra.van.bouwelen@voka.be