Business summit explores Sino-French innovation cooperation in GBA

On December 5, the Sino-French GBA Business Summit was held in Guangzhou, attracting representatives from business associations and the industrial and commercial sectors from both China and France.

Innovation is the key to Sino-French cooperation

Chen Xiaofeng, President of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) Guangdong Committee, stated that the total import and export volume between Guangdong and France from January to October of this year reached $12.56 billion, maintaining a good growth trend. Additionally, one-third of French companies invested in China have established their presence in Guangdong.

Chen added that the CCPIT Guangdong Committee will focus on the advantageous industries of both Guangdong and France. In particular, the committee aims to deepen and broaden cooperation between the two sides in emerging strategic industries, artificial intelligence, low-altitude economy, biomedicine, and other related fields.

Sylvain Fourriere, Consul General of France in Guangzhou, noted that China has become a world leader in entrepreneurship and cutting-edge technologies. French and Chinese companies have joined together in various fields, including healthcare, technology, sustainable energy, and consumer goods.

Rémi Paul, President of CCI France Chine, said "Innovation is at the heart of this summit and the core of the Sino-French relationship." He believes that the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), with its unique combination of advanced infrastructure, dynamic markets, and strategic location, offers unparalleled opportunities to deepen Sino-French ties.

Guangdong, French enterprises foresee promising future for cooperation

Xie Meng, President of Guangzhou Tianhe Road Chamber of Commerce and CEO of Grandview Group, expressed that the GBA is excellent soil for world-class exchanges, especially for international enterprises.

"French companies, in particular, emphasize long-term value development. After this round of economic adjustments in China, many local brands that believe in value creation now dominate our economy. Therefore, I believe there is a stronger cultural and value identity between the two parties, making our cooperation foundation more solid and reliable," said Xie.

Jean Philippe Lamarcade, Vice President of Electricité de France (EDF) Group and President of EDF China, shared that EDF's 40-year presence in Guangdong has fostered a very strong partnership with and a profound understanding of the local nuclear industry.

He stated that the reason they have continuously conducted business in the GBA is that they are highly invited and welcomed here. He also mentioned that they are very keen on collaborating with the advanced nuclear industry here. "The nuclear industry in Guangdong is professional and skilled. The electricity market is also very strong and reliable, with electricity prices that can make investments profitable."

"The GBA is a crucial area for economic growth and innovation," said Director of China, SKEMA Business School. Dumont introduced that SKEMA now offers the GBA market and the students from the Guangdong University of Foreign Studies (GDUFS) a double master's degree program in business consulting and decision intelligence.

He revealed that they are discussing a dual degree program with GDUFS and hoped for specific research collaboration with the GBA, which will leverage the great synergy between academic institutions and companies to engage in high-end research collaboration tailored to the needs of companies.

Zhao Waiyan, General Manager of International Development at Innopharm, emphasized that the GBA offers a high level of globalization and its openness provides a strategic advantage for French companies seeking to expand in the Chinese market. "We truly believe Innopharm can be deeply rooted in China. We will keep focusing on the localization of Chinese consumers' needs and provide more and more high-level premium natural herbal products for them."