Changning hosts Italian business matchmaking event to boost bilateral ties

A dedicated business matching event focusing on Italian enterprises was held in Shanghai Silicon Lane on March 16 as a side event of the city's global investment promotion conference.

The Investment Promotion Office of Changning District delivered a presentation on the district's business environment. As a key window for Shanghai's opening-up, Changning has been actively integrating into multi-faceted Sino-Italian cooperation. Renowned Italian companies including RINA, Amplifon (China) Investment, and Chiesi Pharmaceuticals have taken root and grown here.

The district expects more enterprises to come and share development opportunities arising from strategic upgrades, industrial transformation, and business environment optimization, officials said.

The Shanghai Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Development Service Center introduced the city's cultivation of specialized and sophisticated "little giant" enterprises and internationalization services.

Serving as a bridge between Italy and China, the Sino-Italian Innovation Center (SIIC) provided an overview of Italy's industrial landscape and cooperation prospects. Italy boasts outstanding advantages in three key areas—high-end handmade artworks, pharmaceutical chemicals and precision instruments, and specialty agriculture and food culture—which are highly complementary to the Chinese market.

The center looks forward to more collaborations, such as digitalizing Florentine handicrafts, partnering with Changning in urban renewal projects, facilitating exchanges for young Changning artists and designers to study in Florentine studios, and introducing Italian craftsmanship workshops.

Representatives from several Italian enterprises in green energy, digital transformation, and cybersecurity sectors, along with Chinese multinational corporations and specialized "little giant" firms, discussed concrete cooperation scenarios and scheduled follow-up exchanges.

Changning District has launched strategic investment promotion cooperation with the SIIC. In the future, the district will continue to improve its business environment, establish more high-level international cooperation platforms, and promote deeper and broader practical cooperation between Chinese and European enterprises in areas such as technological innovation and industrial upgrading.

Prior to the meeting, the Italian delegation visited Shanghai Silicon Lane.