Singapore entrepreneurs travel to Catalonia to learn from its gastronomy

From http://www.expansion.com/2011/07/21/catalunya/1311275284.html (in Spanish)

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="432" caption="Restaurant Can Jubany (image from Restaurant Can Jubany website)"][/caption]

A group of 20 entrepreneurs and directives from Singaporean companies have traveled to Catalonia in order to learn about its food industry and its gastronomy. This visit has been arranged by the government of Singapore, that helps companies to learn from innovation done by other countries, and Catalonia has been the chosen one in the food sector. The Singaporean delegation has visited companies such Europastry, Gallina Blanca and Damm, and they have been surprised by the high level of robotization in the production process of the latter.  They have also visited the baker and chocolate expert Enric Rovira, as well as restaurants Via Veneto, Can Jubany, and the new foundation created by El Bulli owner Ferran Adrià, Fundació Alícia, a research centre focusing on technological innovation in kitchen science and the dissemination of agronourishment and gastronomic heritage.

President Artur Mas offers Catalonia to Chinese companies as base for SW Europe

From http://premsa.gencat.cat/pres_fsvp/AppJava/notapremsavw/detall.do?id=115170 (in Catalan)

The president of the Catalan government, Artur Mas, has offered Catalonia to Chinese companies to estabish in the area and to use it as a base for expanding their businesses to south western Europe, northern Africa and the Mediterranean area.  In his speech at the 6th edition of the Spain China Forum, Artur Mas has announced that government is working to make Catalonia attractive for foreign investors, specially for Chinese companies. He has also stated that Catalonia is already the Spanish autonomous community with a greater relationship with China and that with every passing day there is an increase in the relationship between companies from both countries, as well as an increase in both the trading and touristic activities. Finally, he has remembered the Chinese community in Catalonia (around 50,000 people) and how their roots are getting deeper into the Catalan society.

ACC1Ó promotes Green Building mission in Singapore

From http://agenda.acc10.cat/agenda/default.php?id=6416 (in Catalan)

ACC1Ó-Competitiveness for Catalonia is organizing a Green Building mission in Singapore for Catalan companies due next September. Singapore is currently promoting architecture, design and construction of buildings which are energetically efficient, the so called Green Buildings. The goal of the government is that by 2030 at least 80% of the buildings in Singapore, both new and existing, could be certified as Green Building, a strategy that is aimed at leading this activity in the Asia-Pacific area. The specific goals of the mission are: i) to do networking with potential local partners in order to know the reality and the opportunities of the local market; ii) to hold meetings with relevant institutions, such as the Building & Construction Authority, the Singapore Green Building Council, the Singapore Institute of Architects and the Urban Redevelopment Authority, among others; and iii) to attend the BEX Asia trade fair (14-16 September 2011).

Cafe Networking in Barcelona: Exploring East Asian markets for textile industry

From http://agenda.acc10.cat/agenda/default.php?id=6317 (in Catalan)

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="Cafè Networking (image from L'Anella website)"][/caption]

On Tuesday July 5th, 2011, ACC1Ó-Competitiveness for Catalonia is organizing a 2-hour meeting in Barcelona in order to facilitate productive networking between businessmen and entrepreneurs in the textile and fashion industries that are either interested in internationalizing their products and/or services, or that are already established and doing business in China and India. The goals of this session are: i) to detect opportunities for collaboration, i.e., for joint export;  ii) to exchange information and experiences about the strategies to enter these markets; iii) to identify synergies with competitors for project cooperation; iv) to meet potential partners, suppliers and clients; and v) to discover business opportunities in these sectors and markets.

The session will start with the presentation of a list of good business practices by a representative of the Catalan textile company Punto Blanco, by David Garcia, head of the Platform for Production and Sale promoted by ACC1Ó in Hong Kong, and an expert on East Asian markets from ACC1Ó. Right after these presentations, there will be the speed meeting session, which consists of 5-minute meetings between professionals, to finish with an open networking session during the coffee break.

ICEX promotes 14 Spanish companies in Singapore's BroadcastAsia

From http://www.icex.es/icex/cda/controller/pageICEX/0,6558,5518394_5519005_6366453_4496959,00.html (in Spanish)

From June 21st to 24th, 2011, Singapore will simultaneously host BroadcastAsia and CommunicAsia, two of the world leading trade fairs devoted to the broadcasting and communication sectors. The Multisectoral Association of Companies of Electronics and Information and Communication Technologies (AMETIC) , together with the Spanish Institute of Foreign Trade (ICEX) are jointly promoting a 200 m2 pavillion for the 14 Spanish companies attending the event. BroadcastAsia will showcase a wide variety of broadcasting products, including satellite and cable, as well as high definition and multimedia products, whereas CommunicAsia, will offer a global platform for the display of the latest digital technology related to telecommunications and information technologies. A summary of these events, including contact information, can be downloaded at a specific ICEX page.

6th edition of the Spain China Forum in Barcelona

From http://chinaclubspain.blogspot.com/2011/06/vi-edicion-de-foro-espana-china.html (in Spanish)

On July 5th and 6th, 2011, the Barcelona World Trade Center will host the 6th edition of the Spain China Forum. It will have three Plenary Sessions that will be aimed at promoting economic relationships between the two countries. The Forum will be presided by the two co-Presidents: Mr. Pedro Solbes (Spain) and Mrs. Uyunqing (China).

China may receive an office for the promotion of Catalan economy

From http://www.expansion.com/2011/05/23/catalunya/1306150709.html (in Spanish)

Catalan Minister for Business and Employment, Francesc Xavier Mena, has declared that the opening of new offices for the promotion of Catalan economy in emerging markets is currently under evaluation. He has met with directors of the business promotion network ACC1Ó from worldwide in order to analyze these possibilities in the light of the limited funding by the Catalan administration. China, Brazil and India, for promotion of businesses, and United States and the Asia-Pacific region, for promotion of tourism, are candidates to see receive these new offices. ACC1Ó, the agency responsible for the promotion of competitiveness of Catalan economy, has 34 of these offices located worldwide that give support to Catalan companies working in 70 different markets.

Catalan cosmetics company Nature Bissé aims at strong internationalization

From http://www.expansion.com/2011/05/16/catalunya/1305572919.html (in Spanish)

Catalan cosmetics company Nature Bissé aims at a strong internationalization process that could render a 70% of total sales abroad by 2013. Nature Bissé has approved a 3-year strategic plan that expects to achieve 56.25 million euros in sales. In 2010, total sales amounted 33.9 million euros, with an annual growth of 6.6%. According to top representatives of the company, this step towards a much greater internationalization is the third landmark in the history of the company, after entering the United States market and after the building of the factory in Cerdanyola del Vallès (Barcelona province). Nature Bissé will also start selling its products in China in September 2011, thanks to the alliance with two local partners: Imaginex Shanghai and Joycentury. Asia-Pacific markets represent nowadays the 9.22% of the total sales of Nature Bissé and they are expected to provide 19.8% of total sales by 2013, after the recruitement of Cecilia Chang, former Responsible for Marketing Purchases at Grupo Godó de Comunicación, S.A.

Appreciation for Catalan pork meat in China

From http://www.expansion.com/2011/05/18/catalunya/1305741502.html (in Spanish)

Catalan food products based on pork meat have received a great appreciation in the Sial 2011 fair, in Shanghai, as reported by the General Director of Food, Quality and Food Industries of the Catalan government, Domènec Vila. Catalonia exported 14,000 plus tons of pork meat to China in 2010, which amounted 11 million euros in sales, and the present goal is to reinforce exports in the forthcoming years thanks to an increased collaboration with ICEX (Spanish Institute of Foreign Trade).

Construmat China will open on July 11, 2012

From http://www.globalasia.com/destacados-portada/construmat-sera-exportado-a-china-en-2012 (in Spanish)

As already explained on the post Construmat trade show exported to China in 2012 here at Sinalunya, Fira Barcelona together with the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) have agreed to organize Construmat China in Beijing between July 11th and 13th, 2012. This construction trade show will be held at the Beijing Convention Center, which offers to exhibitors an area of 24,000 squared meters. At least 200 exhibitors are expected to take place in this event.

Catalan government promotes food products in China

From http://www.expansion.com/2011/05/17/catalunya/1305653455.html (in Spanish)

Top officers from the Department of Agriculture of the Catalan government are visiting China with the intention to promote Catalan food products there, specially in the Shanghai area. This delegation is led by Domènec Vila, General Director of Food, Quality and Food Industries, who travels together with twelve representatives from Catalan food companies. They all will also attend the Sial 2011 fair that is held in Shanghai from May 18th to 20th. Sial 2011 is the largest and fastest growing food and beverage show in China, with more than 1,500 exhibitors from more than 80 countries and regions, and with more than 35,000 visitors expected.

Huachen Automotive Group to evaluate establishment in Catalonia

From http://www.acn.cat/acn/614590/General/text/Huachen-Automotive-Group-Brilliance-Auto-acord-empresa-cotxe-Generalitat-Catalunya-Artur-Mas-president-de-la-Generalitat.html (in Catalan)

Chinese automobile company Huachen has signed an agreement with Catalan government to evaluate the convenience for its subsidiary company Brilliance Auto to open a factory in Catalonia, as a first step for a later expansion to other European countries. Brilliance Auto is partner of BMW, Toyota and Mitsubishi. The signature of the agreement has been made by President Artur Mas and Minister of Business and Employment Francesc Xavier Mena on the Catalan side, and by President of Brilliance Auto, Qi Yumin, and by the Governor and Secretary of the Communist Party in the Liaoning province, Wang Min, on the Chinese side.

High entepreneurship attitude by Chinese population residing in Catalonia

From http://ensenyarllengualumnatnoromanic.blogspot.com/2011/05/els-xinesos-mantenen-la-seva-vocacio.html (in Catalan)

Chinese population in Catalonia has had a ten fold increase in the last 10 years, reaching the present figure of 46,000 inhabitants. The Chinese community has a high entepreneurship attitude and some 9,000 thousand businesses have been censed in Catalonia alone, with 15,000 self-employed workers. As already described in Sinalunya, self-employed Chinese workers nearly double the percentage of native self-employed Catalan workers. They are known for being hard-working, as they are seen fronting businesses with long working hours.

Catalan TV channel TV3 recently broadcast a short report covering the entepreneurship attitude of the Chinese population in Catalonia (in Catalan).

China, main import and export destination for traffic through Barcelona port

From http://www.catalannewsagency.com/news/business/container-traffic-passing-through-barcelona-port-increases-23-between-january-and-marc (in English)

Despite the increase in traffic to some destinations such as North Africa or Turkey, China has remained as the main import and export destination of traffic through Barcelona port. According to the Barcelona Port Authority, between January and March 2011 overall container traffic has experienced a 23% increase during this period, totalling 538,700 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent units).

Chery includes Catalonia on its development plans

From http://www.expansion.com/2011/04/28/catalunya/1304018088.html (in Spanish)

Chinese car maker Chery International Automobile Co. has confirmed that Catalonia is included on its future development plans. In an interview to Spanish economic newspaper Expansión, Deputy General Manager at Chery Patrick Gao has declared that "Catalonia is a potential candidate (for establishing a factory) and we have entered in close contact with local authorities", but he also mentioned that "other countries have also shown interest for the investment of Chery” and that "no final decision has been made". Conversations between Chery and the Catalan goverment started in late 2010 when the former President José Montilla traveled to China to meet and negotiate with Chery representatives and now will be resumed by the government led by new President Artur Mas.

Spanish car maker SEAT is looking for partners in China

From http://www.expansion.com/2011/04/19/empresas/auto-industria/1303248269.html (in Spanish)

Volkswagen-owned Spanish car maker SEAT has had meetings with 30 local car dealers in order to start selling cars in China in April next year. SEAT León and SEAT Ibiza have been presented in the 2011 Auto Shanghai exhibition and it is expected they can be sold in 2012 by the time of the Beijing car exhibition. All the cars to be sold in China initially will be produced in the SEAT factory in Martorell (Barcelona province), together with the Audi Q3. SEAT has been renamed as XiYaTe (西雅特) for the Chinese market.

FC Barcelona will open shop in Beijing

From http://www.expansion.com/2011/04/14/catalunya/1302808882.html (in Spanish)

FC Barcelona is expanding beyond Europe and is currently in conversations with Nike in order to open a shop in Beijing and another one in New York City in a time frame of 2 or 3 years. Apart from China and United States, future marketing actions will be addressed to Mexico, South Korea and Turkey.

China backs Spain by acquiring more debt

From http://www.expansion.com/2011/04/12/economia/1302595011.html (in Spanish)

Chinese prime minister Wen Jiabao has announced today to Spanish president José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero that China will keep on acquiring more debt, as done in the recent months, and will also invest in Spanish saving banks. José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero has thanked Wen Jiabao for the Chinese support during the toughest moments in which international finantial markets showed little trust in Spanish economy. José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero’s words are explained by the fact that Spanish debt in Chinese hands has grown from 4% in 2009 to the present 12%. In turn, Wen Jiabao has declared Spain as China’s best friend in Europe, whereas Li Keqiang has congratulated Spanish government by the measures undertaken in order to improve the situation of the economy. He has also declared his impression that Spain is back to the path of sustained growth and shown interest in the import of Spanish agricultural products. José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero and minister Miguel Sebastián have invited Chinese officials to invest in Spanish ports and in the privatization process of airports, and to consider Spain as a prominent destination for Chinese tourists.

Mango aims at Chinese and Russian markets

From http://www.expansion.com/2011/04/12/catalunya/1302609388.html (in Spanish)

After a total 81% sales abroad in 2010, Catalan group Mango has decided to increase its presence in Chinese and Russian markets. Total sales in 2010 increased by 11% as compared to 2009 and they reached 1.27 billion euros. Online sales grew by 80% and although they represented only 1.6% of total sales, they are expected to double in 2011. Top model Kate Moss is currently working in Paris in Mango’s new promotional campaign.

Barcelona design company Lagranja opens office in Hong Kong

From http://www.expansion.com/2011/04/07/catalunya/1302160530.html (in Spanish)

Seeking for new challenges that would keep their creativity at a high level, the Barcelona-based design company Lagranja has recently opened an office in Hong-Kong. Founding partners Gabriele Schiavon and Gerard Sanmartí have chosen the former British colony as a new market for the company, after a failed experience in Brazil. In Hong-Kong, Lagranja will soon start to do the interior design of ten suites for the Madera Hotel, commissioned by the Hip Shing Hong Group. Company's sales rose from 230,000 euros in 2009 to near 500,000 euros in 2010, with customers such as Médicos sin Fronteras, Pans & Company and Banc de Sabadell, among others.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="412" caption="Lagranja new offices at Poble Nou, Barcelona (image from http://www.lagranjadesign.com)"][/caption]