Understanding China Training Programme

After a forced hiatus in 2020, the Understanding China Training Programme returns this year as a virtual conference, bringing together policy makers, business support organisations, SMEs and academics from all around Europe with the objective of increasing the knowledge and understanding of the China market today.

For this year’s edition, the programme will be divided into two-half day conferences, comprising ten formal sessions covering issues such as the impact of COVID-19 on mobility, the new consumption and behavioral trends in China post-pandemic, and the EU SMES business confidence in China.

About the Understanding China Training Programme:
The Understanding China training Programme is a project which was first launched by the European Commission back in 2009 to increase the understanding of China for European businesses, especially small and medium ones. As a tribute to this project, the EU SME Centre has since 2011 organised a 2-day annual conference under the same name to inform European stakeholders about the most recent developments and trends in China.

All the sessions are delivered in English. Participation is free of charge, although participants are required to register online. 

If you have any questions regarding the event registration, please send an email to us at: registrationeusmecentre [dot] org [dot] cn (info[at]eusmecentre[dot]org[dot]cn). 

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Agenda:

DAY 1: WHAT HAS HAPPENED AND WHERE WE STAND TODAY 

09h00 – 09h20 Opening remarks  
- Ben Butters, CEO, EUROCHAMBRES 
- Renzo Isler, Director, EU SME Centre 

09h20 – 10h10 China Policy Environment and EU SMEs Business Confidence in China  
- Ester Cañada Amela, Advocacy Manager, EU SME Centre

10h10 – 11h00 The impact of Covid-19 on the mobility of personnel between China and Europe 
- Rosanna Terminio, Managing Partner, AsecorpChina Business Consulting Co. Ltd

11h00 – 11h50 Partners’ corner: Supporting EU companies during the Covid
   Organising virtual trade missions to China – Key learnings
   - Petra Van Bouwelen, International Business Development Manager, Voka Mechelen-Kempen
   Online B2B matchmaking in Covid times –  Checklist and support
   - Ilaria Perla, Export Adviser at Enterprise Estonia

11h50 – 12h30 Sharing the road - Tips to direct and protect your network of SMEs before entering China 
-  Alessio Petino, Knowledge Coordinator, EU SME Centre
-  Jim Stoopman,  China IP SME Helpdesk

DAY 2: WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN? A GLIMPSE INTO TOMORROW – THREATS AND OPPORTUNITIES 

09h00 – 09h40  China Economic Outlook 2022 and latest macroeconomic trends  
- Renzo Isler, Director, EU SME Centre 

09h40 – 10h20 The Future of EU-China Economic Relations  
- Speaker: TCB, Directorate-General for International Partnerships (INTPA) 

10h20 – 11h00 China’s Walled Garden: Opening, closing and the resulting business opportunities
- Gabor Holch, Founder, Campanile Management Consulting

11h00 – 11h40 Managing your supply chain in China – Lessons learned from the pandemic
- Pierre Gargatte, Client Services Manager 

11h40 – 12h20 Digitalisation of European SMEs: Solutions Provided to Industry-shaping Trends in China 
- Liam Jia, Operations Manager, EU SME Centre

12h20  – 12h30  Closing remarks