News Xina 17
China, in pursuit of talent and innovation to transform its industry
The Chinese government wants to change its low cost production model, which has made it the world’s factory, into a more value added model.
A few days ago, Catalan newspaper El Punt Avui’s magazine l’Econòmic published Prime Minister Li Keqiang’s recent statements made at the presentation of the Made in China 2025 plan: “We will seek development driven by innovation, apply smart technology, strengthen the foundations, strive for environmental progress, and redouble our efforts to take China from being a quantity to a quality manufacturer.”
In this new context, the Chinese authorities’ strategy is no longer to manage its business abundance as it has done before. Now it is looking to encourage and facilitate access to this huge market to attract companies that fit in with this new approach.
A few months ago, we met with representatives of the Wuqing district in Tianjin city as part of the European Union’s CETREGIO programme to promote cooperation between China and Europe. They are looking for investment and exchange in a high-tech industrial area, which is also the national hub of technological and economic development, to move towards higher value added sectors such as the pharmaceutical industry (diagnostic reagents, generic drugs, etc.), biopharmaceuticals, electronics, and energyefficient and environmentally-safe materials.
In fact, some Chinese cities have been deploying this system for some time now, particularly those that have been left by the wayside of industrialisation and are now seeking an opportunity to attain the new milestones of innovation, design and environmental sustainability.
The fact is, they are looking to Europe to fill their gaps: good engineers, innovative patents, leading industry and research centres. They need to take Europe’s intangibles to China.
China has much to learn from Europe on sustainable urban development, as the main sphere of cooperation, with a view to boosting domestic consumption and achieving more balanced growth. Plans are underway to speed up urbanisation in the coming ten years, increasing the urbanisation rate by just over 50% and around 70% by 2050, by investing in urban development projects, public transport, waste collection and treatment, sewers, energy efficiency in residential buildings, renewable energies, and a commitment to being as environmentally friendly as possible. This target has put them in the spotlight of companies that provide environmental solutions. China is showing interest in manufacturing in the metal, automotive supply and textile industries, as well as in design centres and technology centres.
Herein lies the opportunity for Catalan companies and our engineers. The China Group brings engineers from both countries together, contributing to a better understanding of business and culture, and offering new cooperation possibilities for those involved. With the firm belief that our professionals’ success relies on their own initiatives, the Catalan Association of Engineers supports the China Engineers Group, to help our professionals achieve their goals. We continue to be present in the main decision-making bodies and continue working towards good practice in the profession, generating and pushing forward knowledge, and we continue to be heard. This is why we seek to be present wherever the economy and industry are on the move.
Jordi Renom
Chair of the Catalan Association of Industrial Engineers
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