Meeting the Dragon: strategies of Chinese companies in Spain and Latin America

From http://www.casaasia.cat/actividad/detalle?id=208763 (in Catalan)

On Tuesday, Jan 15th 2013, Casa Àsia headquarters in Barcelona will host a workshop devoted to learning about the strategies of the Chinese companies that have moved to Europe and Latin America during the last decade. The representatives of companies from these areas are aware of the opportunities and challenges that these investments represent, so it is important to know them and assess them in detail.

This workshop will be based on the work "Tejiendo redes: estrategias de las empresas transnacionales asiáticas en América Latina" (Buenos Aires, UNTREF, 2012), which helps to understand the approach of Chinese companies to two different markets: Argentina and Spain.

Programme

7:00 pm Presentation and introduction of China as a new economic actor in Spain and Latin America by Jorge Fuentealba, Director of the Iberoamerican Observatory of Asia-Pacific of Casa Àsia

7:10 pm Round table discussion

- Chinese companies in Argentina, by Silvia Simonit, researcher of the National University of Rosario and teacher of the course on China at the National University Tres de Febrero (Argentina)

- Chinese companies in Spain, by Jacinto Soler, partner of Emergia Partners and teacher at Universitat Pompeu Fabra

7:45 pm Questions from the attendants
Date and time: 15 January 2013 at 7 pm

Place: Casa Àsia headquarters, Samarcanda Hall, Diagonal Avenue 373, Barcelona

Admission: Free until reaching room capacity

Organized by Casa Àsia and Universitat Pompeu Fabra, with the collaboration of Garrigues

Contact: casaasia@casaasia.es 

Sinalunya highlighted in Globalasia magazine

Globalasia Magazine, a bilingual magazine in Spanish and Chinese devoted to the economic, social and cultural relationships between China, Spain and Latin America, has just published its January-February issue, in which Sinalunya is highlighted in the  section of recommended blogs. We would like to thank them for considering that Sinalunya was interesting enough to be included in such a list.

[caption id="attachment_1928" align="aligncenter" width="185"] Globalasia 29 - recommended blogs[/caption]

 

Sinalunya's 2012 year in review

As most of media do, we also like to review what the last year has offered and what have been the most relevant materials of 2012, according to our readers and visitors. Here is the list:

#1 – Taiwanese SET TV team visits Catalonia to report about a “calçotada”

#2 - Catalan man honored in China after baby rescue

#3 - Intense activity of Barcelona’s Mayor Xavier Trias in China

#4 - Sinalunya interviews: Sílvia Fustegueres

#5 - Chinese Catalans, portrait of an emerging and entrepreneurial minority

#6 - El Celler de Can Roca awarded as second best restaurant in the world for second consecutive year

#7 - Beijing Foreign Studies University will teach Catalan language

#8 - Taiwanese company Toro chooses Barcelona as site for its European headquarters

#9 - Fluidra creates new structure in East Asia

#10 - Published the Global Competitiveness Report 2012-2013

 

The most read entries of 2012 by month are the following:

* January - Celebrations of Chinese New Year in Barcelona

* February - Chinese Catalans, portrait of an emerging and entrepreneurial minority

* March - Taiwanese SET TV team visits Catalonia to report about a “calçotada”

* April - Catalan olive oil Dauro among the awarded companies in Beijing’s trade fair

* May - Catalan man honored in China after baby rescue

* June - Conference on Chinese Megacities in Barcelona’s Casa Asia headquarters

* July - Intense activity of Barcelona’s Mayor Xavier Trias in China

* August - Intense activity of Barcelona’s Mayor Xavier Trias in China

* September - Published the Global Competitiveness Report 2012-2013

* October - China shows interest in Catalan pharmaceutical sector

* November - Barcelona Business Landing, attracting east Asian businesses to Catalonia

* December - Barcelona Business Landing, attracting east Asian businesses to Catalonia

 

Ficosa reorganizes its activity in China after deal with Canadian company

From http://www.expansion.com/2012/12/04/catalunya/1354636661.html (in Spanish) and http://globenewswire.com/news-release/2012/12/04/509418/10014509/en/SMTC-and-FICOSA-Announce-Strategic-Arrangement.html (in English)

SMTC Corporation, a Canadian global electronics manufacturing services provider, and Ficosa International S.A., a global leader in automotive systems and parts, have signed a strategic manufacturing agreement. Founded in 1949, Ficosa has its headquarters in Barcelona and has an operating presence in 19 other countries across the globe. Under this agreement, Ficosa will transition the manufacturing of selected programs to SMTC's Suzhou plant in China, including production engineering, system integration and logistic services, among others. The Catalan company will benefit from SMTC experience in the control services of the supply chain, whereas SMTC is expected to grow as provider of  automotive industry.

 

Workshop in Barcelona on the challenges for importing and exporting from China

From http://www.eic.cat/wps/PA_Jornades/fitxa.jsp?codi=1086247 (in Catalan)

The Commision on Industrial Policy and Technological Innovation of the College of Industrial Engineers of Catalonia is organizing a workshop in Barcelona on 9 January 2013 aimed at contributing with some useful information for companies willing to establish some kind of trade agreement with China, either for importing or for exporting products. Some of the topics that will be covered are the details to be checked before starting the import/export process, how the process itself shall develop and what are the organizations that are involved in it, among others.

The event will be introduced by Mr. Jordi Guix, president of the Commission of Industrial Policy and Technological Innovation and coordinator of the China Working Group and the speakers will be Mrs. Cristina Castillo, Port of Barcelona Chair of Logistics Research Associate, Mr. Víctor Urruchi, Global Logistics and Trade Manager at Arola Comercio Internacional, Mr. Xavier Lluch, freelance consultant for Port de Barcelona, and member from the China Certification & Inspection Group (CCIC). The final discussion will be conducted by Mr. Albert Ferrari, industrial director at Sedal, S.L..

This workshop will start at 6:30 pm and it will be held at the headquarters of the College of Industrial Engineers of Catalonia, Via Laietana, 39, 5th floor, Barcelona.


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For further information, call +34 933 192 304 (from 9 to 14 h and from 16 to 18 h).

Downloadables:

- Registration form for members

- Registration form for non-members

Water management in Taiwan

Because of my work as member of the technical staff in a public water utility and because I happen to know a little bit about water resources management in Taiwan, I have written a short piece about this issue for the Spanish website iAgua. The article is written in Spanish and the title is "La gestión del agua en Taiwán" (Water management in Taiwan) and you can access to it by clicking on the link. I shall attempt to translate it into English as soon as possible, but for the moment I wanted to share the text already published

[caption id="attachment_1876" align="aligncenter" width="300"] View of Taipei from the top of Taipei 101[/caption]

Barcelona Business Landing, attracting east Asian businesses to Catalonia

Not so long ago Western companies were moving to East Asia seeking for cheaper production costs, especially related to labour. But the fast growth of Asian economies, with China heading the list, is turning that trend and experts forecast that we are about to experience a colonization of Europe by Chinese brands and companies. Lluís Lluch, Co-founder and CEO at Barcelona Business Landing, detected this trend and together with Alejandra Yuste created a company in early 2011 aimed specifically at attracting Chinese and Taiwanese companies to Catalonia. With his privileged background as International Promotion Director at the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, Lluís Lluch was at the right place and time in order to develop a company such as Barcelona Business Landing, addressed to those small and middle-size industrial and technological companies interested in establishing in Europe. The decrease of prices in western countries due to the economic and financial crisis, the availability of funding in Asian companies and the need to reduce the time to market are the main factors that will prompt Chinese companies to try to acquire local ones or merge with them. Barcelona Business Landing has identified this situation and is already working with organizations such as the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, the Barcelona city council and ACC1Ó – Invest in Catalonia or companies such as Almirall, Caixa Capital Risc, the Guangzhou CCM Information Science & Technology or the China at Barcelona Summit to take advantage from the opportunities that this colonization process may offer. For the moment, Barcelona Business Landing offices are only located in the Barcelona Activa business incubator, in the city of Barcelona, but opening a delegation in Shanghai is already under consideration.