Foreign Companies Embrace More Opening-up Opportunities in Pudong
Theparallelsessionofthe7thHongqiaoInternationalEconomicForum(HQF)—PudongandtheWorld:High-StandardInstitutionalOpening-upForNewDevelopmentOpportunitieswasheldattheNationalExhibitionandConventionCenter(Shanghai)onNovember6,2024.ThesessionwashostedbyShanghaiMunicipalPeople'sGovernmentandMinistryofCommerceofthePeople'sRepublicofChina,andorganizedbyPudongNewAreaPeople'sGovernment.
Thepaneldiscussioninvitedbusinessrepresentativestoexchangeinsightsonthethemeofthesession,includingVivianBian,CEOofRochePharmaChina;MarcHorn,EVPofMerckKGaAandPresidentofMerckChina;MaximilianFoerst,PresidentandCEOofZEISSGreaterChina;JasmineXu,ChairmanoftheBoardandCEOofP&GGreaterChina;andBaiBinyi,ExecutiveVicePresidentofBusinessGroupElectronicsChinaatFORVIAHELLAandMemberoftheExecutiveBoardofElectronicsofHELLAGmbH&Co.KGaA.
Pudongisactivelypromotingsystemicopening-uptofacilitatehigher-levelinternationalcooperationandoutward-orienteddevelopment,aimingtocreateamoreopen,transparent,andfairbusinessenvironmenttoattractglobalinvestmentandpromotehigh-qualityeconomicgrowth.Thereisawin-winsituationforPudongandenterprises.
2024marksthe30thanniversaryofRochePharmaceuticalsinChina.VivianBiansaidtheconnectionbetweenRocheandPudongisakintowhattheleaderofthenewdistrictoftenmention:"RocheandPudongsharestoriesabout'aroad'and'abuilding.'RochehaswitnessedandparticipatedinthedevelopmentandconstructionofPudong,embodyinganinseparablebondwithPudong'asonecity'."RochehasbeenrootedinPudongfor30years.AsthefirstmultinationalcompanytosettleinZhangjiang,itwitnessedthebirthofLongdongAvenue("aroad")onfarmland.Withtheestablishmentandcontinuousupgradingofafullindustrychainlayoutcoveringearlyresearchanddevelopment,clinicalresearch,production,marketing,andopencollaboration,'buildings'havesprungupinthisfertileland.Rocheisnotonlyawitness,beneficiary,andcontributortoPudong'sdevelopment,butalsoamicrocosmofPudong'shigh-qualitydevelopment.
TheopennessandinclusivenessofPudong,alongwiththecontinuouslyoptimizedbusinessandregulatoryenvironment,havelaidasolidfoundationforthethrivingdevelopmentofthebiopharmaceuticalindustryandprovidedarobustguaranteeforRoche'sfullindustrychainlayoutinPudong.Whileconstantlyimprovingthefullindustrychainlayout,Rochehaswitnessedandexperiencedthedevelopmentprocessof"China'sfirstfreetradezone,ZhangjiangScienceCity,PudongLeadingArea,PudongComprehensiveReformPilot,andtheentirechaininnovationdevelopmentofthebiopharmaceuticalindustry."Pudongisbecomingaleaderinindustrialclustersandasourceoftechnologicalinnovation,withaninitialformationof"aworld-classbiopharmaceuticalindustryclusterorientedtowardsinnovation.""Allofthesegiveusgreatconfidenceinthisfertilelandandreinforceourlong-termcommitmentandcontinuedinvestmentinChina,"VivianBianemphasized.
Merckisagloballeadingtechnologycompany,foundedin1668andheadquarteredinDarmstadt,Germany.Itsbusinessspansthreemajorareas:healthcare,electronics,andlifescience.Withover60,000employeesin66countries,ChinaisasignificantstrategicmarketforMerckandmarksthebeginningofitstrueinternationalization.Inthe1930s,MerckestablisheditsfirstoverseasbranchinShanghai,initiatingitsglobalizationjourney.Today,ChinahasbecomeaglobalinnovationcenterforMerck.
MerckhasestablishedvariousR&DandoperationalentitiesinPudong,includingtheElectronicsTechnologyChinaCenter,BiologicalSafetyTestingChinaCenter,theInnovationCenter,theWarehousingandLogisticsCenter,andtheChinaRegionalHeadquarters,withapproximately1,700employeesinShanghai.MerckisrecognizedbytheShanghaimunicipalgovernmentasa"RegionalHeadquartersofMultinationalCorporations."
MarcHornsaidthatMerckplacesgreatimportanceontheinnovationdevelopmentstrategyrelatedtoChineseindustries,particularlyinthebiopharmaceuticalsector,andactivelyengagesinmulti-levelandcomprehensivecollaborationswithChineseuniversities,researchinstitutions,andR&Dmanufacturingenterprises.
ZEISSisagloballeaderinopticsandoptoelectronicsandexemplifiesinstitutionalopennessandlocalinnovationinthedevelopmentofPudong.In2012,ZEISSestablisheditsfirstenterprise-levelinnovationandR&DcenteroutsideGermanyinShanghai.ThiscenteracceleratesourproductinnovationthroughlocalR&D,cateringboththeChineseandglobalmarkets."WehavealsosetupZEISSDigitalPartnersinChina,focusingondevelopingdigitalsolutionsincollaborationwithvariousbusinesssegments,"MaximilianFoerstsaid.
Procter&Gambleisawell-knownglobalfast-movingconsumergoodscompany,withaprofoundinfluenceinChinaandtheglobalmarket.JasmineXubelievesChina'sconsumergoodsmarketisoneofthemostprosperousmarketsintheworld,andChineseconsumersareamongthemostinnovation-drivenconsumergroupsglobally.Inthisdynamicandcompetitiveconsumergoodsmarket,wheremanyarevyingforsuccess,P&Gaimsnotonlyto"runfast"butalsoto"movesteadily."Therefore,whatP&Gpursuesisnotjustthequantityofinnovation,butmoreimportantly,thequalityofinnovation.
P&Gbelievesthatthequalityofinnovationliesinprioritizingconsumerserviceasitscoremission,utilizingdigitalandintelligenttechnologiesas"catalysts."Thegoalistobringhigh-qualityinnovativeproductstoChineseconsumersthatbalancefunctionalvalueandemotionalvalue.Bydoingso,P&Gaimstoleadcategorygrowth,furtherstimulatedomesticdemand,andunlockconsumptionpotential,therebycreatingvalueforChineseconsumers,theindustry,andthemarket.
Asagloballyleadingexpertinautomotiveelectronicsandlighting,FORVIAHELLA'sdevelopmentjourneyinChinaisindispensablylinkedtoShanghai,particularlyPudong."OurElectronicPlantandR&DCenterinPudongShanghaiHELLAElectronicshasbeenestablishedinPudongfornearly30yearsandhasnowdevelopedintothelargestelectronicplantintheworldatFORVIAHELLA,withthemostcomprehensiveproductportfolioandthehighestlevelofautomation.ThisachievementisinseparablefromtheexcellentopenenvironmentinPudongandthestrongsupportofthePudonggovernment,"BaiBinyiemphasized.
PudongNewAreahasalwaysbeenapioneerinleadingthewayandcontinuouslyinnovating,aligningitselfwithworldandglobalinnovations."Inthefuture,wewillcontinuetorelyonPudong'snewstrengthsininnovation,beingbasedinandrootedinPudong.Wealsocalluponmorecompaniestojoinusinbringingcutting-edgetechnologies,managementconcepts,andinnovativeproductstoPudongwithoutdelay,togethertransformingPudongintoaglobalhubofinnovation,"VivianBiansaid.