Organised by the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China and the Nanjing Stuttgart Joint Exhibition Company, Nanjing’s 1st Innovation Fair was held Wednesday to help stimulate public awareness of innovation and promote the development of a regional innovation ecosystem. Take a look!
Dr Duan Xiong, deputy director general of the Department of Science and Technology, Jiangsu Province, and Dr Laurent Bochereau, Minister Counsellor, Head of Science, Technology and Environment, European Union Delegation to China, delivered the opening remarks. They both praised the respective innovation ecosystems in Europe and Jiangsu, and promoted the idea of future international cooperation between the two sides.
Themed Think outside the Box: Innovation for Vitality, a panel discussion was held with the participation of representatives from the European Union Delegation to China, European consulates and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Other participants included representatives from Chinese and foreign multinational companies, start-ups, incubators and accelerators, as well as representatives from local industrial parks. Discussion focussed on the importance of developing a sound innovation ecosystem, and the vitality that it can bring to the economy. A ‘pitch and match’ session was also held for foreign multinational companies and start-ups to exchange and discuss the latest technology and innovative models.
The fair was centred around one key word – Innovation. Speakers from Chinese and international companies shared best practices, and four sub-panels discussed topics such as the global innovation ecosystem, the Internet of Things, and the importance of businesses working with research institutes.
Roland Gerke, chairman and president of BSH Home Appliance Holding in China, and one of the keynote speakers, talked about his understanding of innovation and what will BSH do to help build the industry 4.0 of Jiangsu.
As one of the keynote speakers representing Chinese enterprises, Cui Shufeng, vice-president of Beijing Mobike Technology shared his idea of how to innovate.
As one of the leading countries in innovation, Netherland is rank 3 in the 2017 Global Innovation Index. Bart van Hezewijk from the Consulate-general of Netherlands in Shanghai shared some aspects that future cooperation could be reached between the two sides in term of innovation.
China in recent years is pushing hard on innovation. Apart from learning from other leading countries, some of the local enterprises also step forward and spread its innovation results globally. Sanpower in Nanjing is one of them.
Bernhard Weber, chairman of the Nanjing board of the European Chamber, one of the major organizers, spoke highly of the developments in China’s innovation capacity, and said that he looked forward to increased EU-China cooperation in this area.
(Source: Jiangsu International Channel)
