UK (SOAS University of London) Why do Chinese science and technology enterprises go to London?
London Development Promotion Agency (LDPA) is the official development promotion agency of London, responsible for the promotion and promotion of investment, tourism and education in the Greater London region in the world. It was formed by the merger and reorganization of the original three institutions – London Investment Authority, London Tourism Authority and London Education Authority.
Since its establishment, the Chinese team of London Development Promotion Agency has successfully attracted and helped more than 350 Chinese enterprises to develop in London, creating more than 2800 jobs for London; Even during the epidemic period in 2020, 16 direct investment projects (including Hong Kong, China) have successfully landed in London.
In 2011, London Development Agency was established. In July of the same year, Zhao Bingbing was appointed as the chief representative of London Development Agency for Greater China. Ms. Zhao Bingbing said that although she did not go to Britain to study, she seemed to have an indissoluble bond with London.
She started as a receptionist in the Cultural and Education Department of the British Consulate General in Shanghai, and rose to the manager of the art project team through constant efforts. She participated in organizing more than 40 Chinese and British art and culture projects. In 2006, he joined the Mayor’s Office of London as the chief representative of Shanghai and planned and organized a number of exchanges between China and London, including the promotion activities planned by the London Municipal Government for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing and the London Pavilion project for the 2010 Shanghai World Expo.
In the following ten years, Ms. Zhao Bingbing and the London Development Promotion Agency witnessed each other’s growth.
London Development Agency
Over the past decade, Zhao Bingbing and the London Development Promotion Agency have been responsible for
It is to help Chinese enterprises open the door of London.
Interface news: From 2011 to now, what changes have you observed in Chinese enterprises going to the UK?
Zhao Bingbing: Great changes. First, the changes in the industries that everyone is concerned about are now the global economy. Especially in the past five or six years, the development of some network infrastructure and other technologies has made many industries more willing to “look outside”, including Chinese enterprises. Before, China always emphasized “introducing technology” and introduced foreign advanced technology to China, but in fact, we have reached the stage where we can export technology and help overseas upgrade industries. Such technologies include those related to consumer technology, such as e-commerce, data integration, smart city, intelligent travel, etc.
There are also changes in the general direction of investment. I think we are now focusing not only on making money, but also on the direction of sustainable development. Some real estate companies I have contacted, whether they are mergers and acquisitions or direct developers, are now developing smart real estate, such as how to rebuild the original buildings and protect their historical heritage while pursuing more green and environmental protection in all aspects.
After the development of the last two years, I think London is becoming a gateway for many Chinese brands. Because what happens in London will attract global attention, I am also concerned that many brands or customers may not go to London to do sales, but brand marketing or marketing, hoping to let the world see themselves through London. I recently visited about four or five companies, two or three of which have projects in London and have overseas online celebrities promoting their products.
There is also the development of e-commerce, which is not just a “buy” action, but a link that runs through the entire development process of the company. For example, looking for channels in the early stage and warehousing after arriving in London are all related to financial technology related to payment, risk control and logistics management. Finally, there is the drainage of the target audience, that is, to detect the bias of specific groups towards content, and to analyze it through scientific and technological tools.
Interface news: In what ways can London Development Agency help Chinese enterprises? What is the specific way?
Zhao Bingbing: London Development Promotion Agency will provide targeted advice and suggestions to enterprises before they go to sea, and will also provide business advice and professional advice to Chinese enterprises by connecting with formal and credible accounting firms and law firms; At the same time, it will also help enterprises access the business ecosystem in London, facilitating the cooperation between Chinese enterprises and upstream and downstream organizations. Our Chinese team has helped more than 350 Chinese companies to land in London.
For example, BYD, which has won orders for more than 1000 pure electric buses in the UK, was also initially promoted by us to connect them with Transport for London (TfL) – just last month, BYD, together with British bus manufacturer partner Alexander Dennis (ADL), announced that it had won orders for 195 pure electric buses. The customers were from the public transport operator RATP under Transport for London (TfL). This is by far the largest single order for pure electric buses in the UK.
In the challenging year of 2020, we will also help China’s leading Internet car platform AutoHome successfully launch the YesAuto platform in the UK market.
In recent years, in addition to helping Chinese enterprises to land in London, our teams in China and London have also started to help some small and medium-sized technology enterprises established in London to internationalize (including Chinese enterprises established in London), and to expand the European, American and Asian markets with London as the center. At present, nearly 1000 enterprises have benefited. These are also two accelerated plans of the London Development Agency: the Business Growth Plan and the Mayor of London’s International Business Plan. One of the better ways to connect is overseas visits by enterprises. Before the epidemic, the enterprises in the fields of financial technology (FinTech) and creative technology (CreaTech) organized by the London Development Promotion Agency came to China for a visit with very good results. Most enterprises not only do business with Chinese enterprises, but also learn about local conditions through field trips to China and prepare for future strategic adjustment.
During the epidemic in 2020, London Development Promotion Agency made an online visit to the Chinese market with the theme of smart city. The companies attending were all technology companies in the fields related to smart city, such as architecture, energy conservation and environmental protection, smart travel, etc. Through online visits, many companies have the opportunity to connect with domestic developers, parks and landing institutions.
Whether it is helping Chinese enterprises go to London or helping London’s technology enterprises enter the Chinese market, all our services are free of charge. More work of London Development Promotion Agency is focused on empowering enterprises, because our organization itself is like a service-oriented platform for docking resources, which can connect technology, development resources, etc. to enterprises. For example, if the company wants to register and open an account in London, the team will help it connect with professional leaders, such as law firms. Or if any company is interested in coming to London to see investment opportunities, London Development Promotion Agency will also help.