Video and photots by Lin Jianping

Javier Remirez (C) and representatives from Spain's Navarra region visit the Shenzhen Longhua International Cooperation Center to explore opportunities for cooperation with Longhua District June 24.

Ten years ago, Javier Remirez first came to Shenzhen. Back then, working for a private company in Spain, he was deeply impressed by the city’s automotive industry. Now, as the first vice president of the Government of Navarra, he returns to find a metropolis that has been utterly transformed.

From June 24 to 26, Remirez led a distinguished delegation of government officials and representatives from leading enterprises in Navarra on a tour of Shenzhen’s innovation ecosystem, with a special focus on medical innovation, smart hardware manufacturing, and industrial parks and institutions.

Members of a delegation from Spain's Navarra region tour the Harmony Ecosystem (Longhua) Innovation Center during a visit to Shenzhen June 24.

This visit builds on a foundation already laid. At the end of 2025, Longhua and Navarra formalized their shared intent by signing a friendship memorandum. This visit marks the natural next step, a determined push to transform goodwill into tangible cooperation across trade, technology, and industry.

“Shenzhen is renowned as Asia’s Silicon Valley, widely recognized for its achievements in new energy, digitalization, AI, and robotics, which align perfectly with Navarra's regional strategy. We want to learn from the best,” Remirez told Shenzhen Daily.

Navarra, one of Europe’s most advanced industrial hubs, excels in the automotive, agricultural, healthcare, and renewable energy sectors. Longhua, a core driver of Shenzhen’s digital economy, leads in high-end manufacturing, AI, and the green transition, with strengths in new energy and biomedicine. Their synergies are clear, and the potential for cooperation is immense.

Members of the Navarra delegation listen to a presentation at the Harmony Ecosystem (Longhua) Innovation Center during their visit to Shenzhen June 24.

Luis Campos, executive director of the Polo IRIS Nasertic, said that his delegation's meetings with Shenzhen robotics companies revealed strong alignment in technological development. "Access to cutting-edge technologies, knowledge, and R&D achievements is crucial — it will accelerate their application and benefit the people of Navarra," he said.

Following a productive one-on-one business session with two companies in the afternoon, Oscar Huate, CEO of Spanish automation company Lizarte, said he is highly confident about the prospects of finding partners in Shenzhen in emerging areas such as robotics and AI.

A staff member introduces smart healthcare applications at the Harmony Ecosystem (Longhua) Innovation Center to members of the Navarra delegation during their Shenzhen visit June 24.

Over three intensive days in Shenzhen, the agenda includes business matchmaking, followed by in-depth visits to the Harmony Ecosystem (Longhua) Innovation Center, energy storage manufacturer Hithium’s Shenzhen office, and Yesun Science and Technology Park, Huaqiangbei and other innovation hubs.

The groundwork for this partnership was laid over a year ago. In July 2025, Mikel Irujo, regional minister for Industry and Ecological and Digital Business Transition, Government of the Regional Community of Navarra, visited LICC to explore collaboration with local officials and businesses. Over the following months, both sides maintained close dialogue at both the government and business levels, advancing practical cooperation in the low-altitude economy and energy research — with some projects already in trial production. In November 2025, they signed a friendship and cooperation memorandum.

Miren Ausin (4th R) and other members of the Navarra delegation visit a demonstration area at the Harmony Ecosystem (Longhua) Innovation Center during their Shenzhen tour June 24.

Miren Ausin, director of the International Promotion Service of the Government of Navarra, told Shenzhen Daily that Navarra is planning to propose a three-year action plan covering joint missions, business delegations, and student exchanges to better align shared priorities.

Remirez expressed his hope that Longhua would serve as Navarra’s gateway to the Shenzhen market, while Navarra stands ready to act as Longhua’s bridgehead for expansion into Europe and Spain.