On Friday 22 September, the EU SME Centre took part in the Sino-German (European) SME Communication & Cooperation Conference in Jinan, Shandong Province, with a delegation of around 40 SMEs travelling from Europe for the event.
For this 2023 edition of the SMEC, the EU SME Centre and the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, together with the China Centre for Promotion of SME Development (ProSME) and the Jinan High-Tech Zone, organised a roundtable discussion on the current development of EU SMEs in China.
In the opening remarks, EU SME Centre Team Lead Liam Jia presented the Centre’s mission and the European Union’s actions to support SMEs, including on the twin transition priorities to achieve a sustainable and digital economy.
Inter-Chamber SME Working Group Coordinator Susana Xu gave an overview of issues of concern for European SMEs in China as well as the findings of our Advocacy Platform’s recently published Policy Environment Report. She addressed the key challenges that European SMEs face in China. These include access to financing, understanding the regulatory complexities, as well as intellectual property rights (IPR) protection enforcement at the local level.
Georg Türk, Vice President and Executive Director of the Association of German Hidden Champions, spoke about the corporate strategy of the association and the international business development of SMEs.
Danica Mai, Vice Chair of the SME Forum, moderated the roundtable discussion. Panellists discussed the development of SMEs in the EU and in China, identifying barriers to internationalisation and discussing ways for the Chinese government to better support EU SMEs.
European SMEs participating in the panel shared their best practices in their respective industries. Participants included Codesys China in the field of automation software, CONNEN Truck in zero-emission long-distance transportation, VASALTA on the circular economy, and Metycle, a B2B trading platform of secondary metals.
Stay informed of the activities of our Activity Platform and read the latest Policy Environment Report for SMEs in China. SMEs already active in the Chinese market can join the Working Group meetings organised by our Advocacy team to be updated on the policies relevant to their sector.
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