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Swiss
Centers Spring Newsletter May 2022
Dear Swiss Centers Members, Partners and Friends,
I hope this newsletter finds you in good health and high
spirits, despite the challenges you may have been facing due to the
lock-down in Shanghai. Since late March, many of you including our own
team in Shanghai have been working from home, while struggling to get
supplies of food and life essentials, not to mention taking care of the
health of family members especially those with little ones and seniors
at home.
The
impact on business has also been tremendous, from manufacturing to
service companies: logistics were slow if not completely stuck,
operations and projects were on hold, even the cross-border payments
were delayed. Read here articles with interviews of our
GM Mr. Kuno Gschwend, and testimonials
of Swiss companies.
Throughout
these difficult times, a positive learning is to realize how valuable
it can be to have an efficient self-organized community. We are
all inspired and touched by those volunteers who stood up to help, from
organizing group orders to getting life-saving medicine and urgent
care, from arranging deliveries to organizing a virtual birthday party
to cheer up a lonely neighbor. At Swiss Centers, we share this
spirit and endeavor to support our members and partners in finding
solutions, being it to get the goods through the customs, or
speeding-up a long-delayed international payment. Don’t hesitate to
contact us if you are encountering similar issues or having any other
questions.
One
this note, we warmly welcome the new member companies joining the Swiss
Centers family in Spring 2022, namely Huss Park
Attractions, TRB, Girod Instruments, and BN Nutrition, as
well to Steinemann
AG in renewing its membership. The growing cluster at Swiss
centers is a confirmation of the interest in the Chinese market, and
also a commitment and trust to our organization and our work. We thank
all members and partners for the constant support and trust, and we
continue to adapt our services to meet the demand and expectations.
Finally,
with the number of cases reducing gradually, we hope to see very soon
the end of the lock-down in Shanghai, and look forward to re-embracing
the livelihood and dynamism of the great city! Among others, we will
partner with Swiss Consul General to organize the “So-Swiss” Pop-up
event, and organize the Swiss Booth at
CIIE in November. Stay tuned! In the meantime, we wish you all
remain “negative” in tests while keeping positive in spirit!
Zhen XIAO
CEO
Swiss Centers
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Contents
§
New Members
§
Renewed Members
§ Human
Resources
§ Events
and Activities in Switzerland
§ Events
and Activities in China
§ Media
Presence
§ Follow Us
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New
Members
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Huss
Park Attractions offers an extensive ride
portfolio for parks worldwide, with products being grouped into four
main categories – Classic Rides, Family Rides, Giant Rides and Film
Based Rides. The company’s customer base is spread throughout the world
and encompasses a wide variety of venues and clients. HUSS® prides
itself on providing a first-class after sales support service to
clients anywhere in the world. Many HUSS® attractions are still in
operation up to 50 years after first beginning their working life and
service and spare parts are provided around the clock for all those
rides still in operation!
Present in China for over 20 years, a wide selection of
HUSS® attractions can be found all over the country. Despite the
COVID-19 pandemic and travel restrictions, HUSS® continues to expand in
this market and to work on new exciting projects. Therefore, in order
to provide the best possible service to the growing number of HUSS®
attractions in China and to continue their growth in this market, it
was decided to establish their own local technical service, with the
support of the Swiss Centers.
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TRB’s main
therapeutic areas are in rheumatology, ophthalmology and neurology.
With 18 subsidiaries TRB products are sold and marketed in over 70 countries.
In China, their product Artrodar is already on the market, allowing TRB
to become known throughout the country.
TRB will take an important step forward
by establishing TRB Healthcare Shanghai. It will operate in the Swiss
Centers’ premises in Shanghai, with the intention of reaching out and
deepening their footprint whilst bringing Swiss quality healthcare to
this dynamic and important market.
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Specialized in micro-mechanics, GIROD INSTRUMENTS SA has developed its own lever indicator: the
Girod-Tast, unaffected by magnetic fields and renowned by its high
sensitivity, its precision and its fidelity on long term.
Present on the Chinese market for many
years through an agent, GIROD
INSTRUMENTS SA now
wishes to take an important step by establishing a direct presence in
China, with the support of the Swiss Centers teams. This will allow
them to intensify their business development on the Chinese market, to
diversify their customer portfolio and to have a better control on the
selling prices.
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BN Nutrition
came about from a desire to provide unique, good quality and effective
nutritional supplements, and real traceability. The fantastic response
from their customers pushed them to broaden their horizons by seeking
out highly nutritious foods, beverages, teas and spices of exceptional
quality and incomparable flavours.
It is with the Swiss Centers team that BN
Nutrition has chosen to develop step by step its business on the
attractive but complex Chinese market. After having made sure that the
company is well registered and protected in China, it is through the
Cross Border E-Commerce (CBEC) channel that the food supplements
developed by BN
Nutrition will soon be
offered to Chinese people who care about their health.
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Renewed Members
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Steinemann AG, founded in 1906, is the leading Swiss
wholesale company for tools in the construction and
construction-related trades and for garden maintenance. The
development into an industrial drop and open-die forge for the
manufacture of tools was an important step. Other branches of
manufacture were added over the years through the founding of
construction workshops. Fritz Steinemann developed the
company into a specialist in the manufacture of construction tools.
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Human Resources
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Romain joined the Swiss Centers
on April 1st 2021 after more than 6 years spent in Beijing where he
successively worked for SwissCham China as Marketing & Events
Manager then General Manager, and as Deputy Head of the Culture and
Media Section of the Embassy of Switzerland in China. At the same time,
he chaired the board of the Swiss School Beijing for several years and
remains a board member.
As a true "doer" and not
hesitating to take initiatives, Romain has engaged many companies and
institutions to collaborate with Swiss Centers in order to better
understand and handling business with China. Together with our CEO Zhen
Xiao and our General Manager Kuno Gschwend, he has actively worked on
the development of many new projects, partnerships and services, so
that the Swiss Centers continue provide concrete and practical support
to all Swiss companies wishing to develop or optimize their business in
the Chinese market.
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China
Market Access Manager
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Mr. Romain
Barrabas
E: romain.barrabas@swisscenters.org
T: + 41 78 219 41 47
We would also like to announce our
new colleagues in the Shanghai office, Mr. David Ren, as our Business Development
Specialist; Ms. Angie Chen, as our Marketing and Communications
Specialist.
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David Ren (Xueshi Ren) graduated from Shanghai Jiao Tong
University majoring in Business Administration, and now is working in
Swiss Centers Shanghai as the Business Development Specialist.
After graduating, David has been working in food
industry related with sales and marketing department for more than 12
years. Therefore, he has rich experience in sales and business
development.
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Business Development
Specialist
Mr. David Ren
E: david.ren@swisscenters.org
M: + 86 138 1668 3471
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Angie Chen (Niwen Chen) is the Marketing and
Communication Specialist in Swiss Center Shanghai. She obtained her
PGD degree in Hotel Management from Swiss Hotel Management School and
her B.A. from Sichuan Normal University.
Prior to joining SCS, she had 5 years work experience in
tourism and hospitality industry domestically and abroad. She has a
good understanding of Swiss Culture and Swiss Made.
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Marketing and
Communications Specialist
Ms. Angie Chen
E: angie.chen@swisscenters.org
M: + 86 185 8399 8168
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Events and Activities in Switzerland
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This spring, our annual workshop took place in the beautiful city of
Neuchâtel, at the Beau-Rivage
Neuchâtel. It was organized with
the St. Gallen Research Institute for International Management
(FIM-HSG), in partnership with the CNCI
(Chambre neuchâteloise du commerce et de l'industrie), the CCIG
(Chambre de commerce, d'industrie et des services de Genève), the Swiss-Chinese
Chamber of Commerce (SCCC),
the Section romande de la Société Suisse-Chine (SRSSC) and Microcity
- Neuchâtel Innovation.
The
objective was the following: to provide concrete tools to those who
wish to develop their business in China, in a context turned upside
down by the COVID-19 pandemic and its multiple consequences.
During a day and a
half, 5 specialists shared their first-hand experience and expertise, each
in their particular field: Nicolas Musy, Ling Meng, Patrick Ziltener, Clarisse von Wunschheim and Zhen Xiao. The whole was orchestrated by our China Market Access
Manager Romain Barrabas and the
lessons of each day were drawn by our President Jean-Jacques de Dardel.
Despite the current
circumstances, 33 participants were present, mainly c-level executives,
representing 29 companies located throughout Switzerland and active in
fields as varied as waste management, cosmetics and luxury watchmaking,
as well as intra logistics, management consulting, dental implants,
machine tool peripherals and even the Swiss pocket knife, to name but a
few!
Read
more
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Then, on January 25th,
the Swiss Centers were invited by the Chamber of Public Economy of
the Bernese Jura (CEP) to give a conference on the business
ecosystem in China today, with a focus on the (new) opportunities and
challenges for Swiss companies.
For a little over an hour, 3 speakers shared their
knowledge and expertise. First of all Romain Barrabas, our China
Market Access Manager, who explained the Swiss Centers. Then, our CEO Zhen
Xiao gave an overview of China today, and more precisely of its
management of the COVID-19, the latest policies related to the economy
and its business environment. Finally, Luca Bigler, Asia Sales
Manager of Mikron Tool SA Agno, joined us through a screen and
presented the concrete case of the development of his company. He
explained the importance of understanding this attractive but complex
market and the support provided by Swiss Centers, especially for the
creation of Mikron Tool Shanghai in 2019.
More than 40
participants attended the conference, illustrating the diversity of the
region's economic fabric.
Read
more
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Events and
Activities in China
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A screenshot of this online session with IEMBA program of University
of St.Gallen
This April, Swiss Centers
had another chance to hold two online sessions with IEMBA program of University
of St.Gallen and provide
hands-on China insights to your “Doing Business in China” module.
Nicolas
Musy started with giving the 45+ students different inputs on
topics like Innovation, Dual Circulation Strategy, Localization and more food for thought on China’s unique way of
dealing with COVID-19.
Another valuable input
was provided by Daniel
Brindle, President of Novartis Group (China), which was followed by a vivid Q&A
about culture, strategy, values and Swiss companies
in China.
Scene of online-offline meeting to promote Swiss Wines in
China
On March 10th, an online-offline meeting
co-organized with Swiss Wine Promotion was held to promote Swiss wines
in China! Bringing together the most important distributors and actors
active in the sale of Swiss wines in China. The objective was to
discuss and identify the most appropriate and impactful actions to
better promote Swiss wines in China and thus generate more sales.
Swiss Centers sign up for CIIE 2022
We are pleased to be one of the official partners of the CIIE
again this year! On January 28th, the ceremony to formalize
this collaboration took place with our General Manager Kuno
Gschwend.
The Swiss Center signed a contract to participate in
the Food and Agricultural Products Exhibition Area and
Consumer Goods Exhibition Area at CIIE
2022.
Upcoming
Events and Activities
Photo of Swiss Alumni
China 2021
In
response to the recent outbreak of COVID-19 in Shanghai, the Swiss
Alumni Event 2022 will be postponed till the second half of 2022. The
new date will be announced in due course. As a partner and sponsor of the Swiss Alumni
China,
we look forward to welcoming you to Swiss Alumni China 2022!
Venue of Swiss Pop up Event
2022
As an organizing partner of the “So Swiss” Pop Up Concept,
which is a new concept by the Consulate General of Switzerland
in Shanghai, the Swiss Centers will set up a booth showcasing
Switzerland’s export industry and consumer goods. All of them iconic Swiss
made brands and top quality products.
The event is also postponed due to lockdown in Shanghai,
but you can follow us for more information and if you are a Swiss
brand, why don’t you join us at the booth?
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Swiss Wine Promotion Corner of Swiss Centers Cluster Booth
2021
After Swiss Centers and Swiss Wine Promotion (SWP) signed
a partnership agreement with the goal of promoting Swiss wines in the
Chinese market. This April, SWP has required Swiss Center Shanghai
(SCS), to provide assistance on WeChat and Weibo Official Account
services. SWP engages SCS to increase its visibility in China by
providing SWP with more communication channels and improving its
content.
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Media
Presence
After a period of weakness, China was able to increase its
growth to more than 8% again. And despite the pandemic, foreign direct
investment reached an all-time high in the year 2021. This article
shows the business prospects of the Chinese Year of the Tiger.
Read more, please download PDF in German.
Read
an interview from our General Manager Kuno Gschwend on
Watson.ch, and get a glimpse of what life looks like during the
Shanghai lockdown.
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© SWISS CENTERS CHINA
2022
The Swiss Centers are
invested and developed by Foundation Swiss Centers, a non-profit
foundation registered in Neuchâtel, Switzerland.
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IN CHINA
A301, BLDG 3, 526 FUTE
NO.3 RD
200131 PUDONG
SHANGHAI PILOT FREE
TRADE ZONE
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IN SWITZERLAND
AVENUE DE
CHAMPS-MONTANTS 12B
2074 MARIN
NEUCHATEL
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www.swisscenters.org | admin@swisscenters.org
Call us: +86 21 2076
5593
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