In a strategic move to stimulate economic growth and foster global partnerships, Shenzhen’s Longhua District sent a delegation to explore the overseas market in Germany, Finland and the U.K. from Feb. 27 to March 7.

The delegation, led by district Party chief Wang Wei, conducted investigations at a total of 21 enterprises and innovation platforms, with a specific focus on high-end medical equipment, artificial intelligence and low-altitude economy. They organized two promotion conferences in Berlin, Germany and Cambridge, the U.K. The outcome included the signing of eight projects and letters of intent for cooperation with nine enterprises, including the establishment of Hexagon’s South China manufacturing base in Longhua District and the collaboration between Nordic Trade House in Finland and Longhua International Cooperation Center (LICC). Furthermore, significant strides were made in Longhua-Europe cooperation across economic investment, media devices, life sciences, artificial intelligence, finance, and more.

In Germany, the delegation investigated on local research and development (R&D) sectors, the commercialization of relevant R&D achievements and market layout through visiting enterprises such as Singulus Technologies AG, Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence Management Ltd and Humboldt-Innovation GmbH. The Berlin promotion conference gathered over 80 representatives from local enterprises such including Volkswagon, Siemen’s Berilin branch, Silica Corpora, 3D Prima Germany and Fortomorrow Climate Action and from the Federation of German Industries (BDI), the German-Chinese Business Association (DCW), the E-Commerce Association, among others.

On the conference, Longhua-based enterprise Leoch International signed a cooperation agreement with Off-Grid Europe, a German digital energy company, focusing on commercial energy storage systems; CREALITY, a Longhua-based 3D printer manufacturer, secured overseas orders by signing contracts with UFP and Prima Companies; the Longhua District Investment Promotion and Enterprise Service Center and the German service platform Story Maker signed a memorandum of friendly cooperation; and Longhua Industrial Capital Investment Co., Ltd., and Dasfly Investment, an enterprise specializing in smart cities and autonomous driving, inked a strategic cooperation framework agreement to engage in cooperation in the fields of flying cars and new energy.

In Finland, the delegation visited Business Finland, the Finnish national trade promotion agency. Both sides expressed recognition of friendly cooperation between China and Finland and expressed a desire for increased investment collaboration in the fields of new energy and biomedicine with the district. This meeting also facilitated cooperation intentions between the Longhua delegation and local companies in the fields of new energy and biomedicine.

In the U.K., the delegation visited PHBS (Peking University HSBC Business School)'s U.K. campus in Oxford, the China-Britain Business Council (CBBC), AstraZeneca, and Cambridge Science Park, including its bio-innovation center. They held meetings and met with representatives from the China-Britain Artificial Intelligence Association (CBAIA), Saïd Business School of the University of Oxford, and The University of Southampton's Instrumentation and Control Research Group to exchange ideas on economic cooperation, the incubation of innovative enterprises in the life science industry, artificial intelligence, and international academic cooperation.

Michael Hart, a partner of United Ventures, expressed strong interest in collaborating with Longhua District to carry out technology finance investment projects in renewable energy and carbon trading. The delegation also communicated with officials from The Sultanate of Oman on cooperation in digital economy, digital governance and new energy industries and on setting up an overseas liason office in the country.

A total of 40 tech companies and projects attended the Shenzhen (Longhua)-U.K.(Cambridge) Investment Conference to seek cooperation, with Auratic inked agreement with British Horse Racing Association, Tus-Digital Display inked agreement with U.K.-based digital transportation enterprises Simplifai on smart transport and digital twin, and Leoch International inked an agreement on manufacturing battery energy storage units.

“During our Europe tour, we strategically collaborated with high-quality enterprises aligned with Longhua District’s industrial chain focus. This effort led to several signed cooperation agreements and a substantial number of mutually beneficial cooperation intentions,” stated a representative from the district’s investment promotion and enterprise service center. “To ensure the successful implementation of these signed projects, we will proactively engage with international markets and resources, fostering increased confidence among overseas enterprises and institutions in investing in Longhua.”