Barcelona appointed as the sixth best European city to locate a business

From http://www.catalannewsagency.com/news/business/barcelona-sixth-best-european-city-locate-business (in English)

The capital city of Catalonia, Barcelona has recently been appointed as the sixth best European city to locate a business in 2011, behind London, Paris, Frankfurt, Amsterdam and Berlin, dropping one place from 2010's results, but one position ahead of Madrid. This European Cities Monitor list is compiled each year by the consultancy firm Cushman & Wakefield and is the result of analyzing twelve indicators. The position of Barcelona is expected to go even higher on the list if improvements are made in the future on telecommunications, international flights, market access and English language skills. For a more detailed information, either visit the link at the beginning of this post or go to the European Cities Monitor website.

[caption id="attachment_986" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="View of Barcelona from Gaudí's Parc Güell"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_987" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="Agbar Tower, Barcelona"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_990" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="Barcelona's recently developed Forum area"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_989" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Casa de les Punxes o Casa Terrades by Josep Puig i Cadafalch, Barcelona"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_988" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="La Rambla, Barcelona"][/caption]

Barcelona Chamber of Commerce organizes workshop on investments in China

From http://www.cambrabcn.org/agenda/-/enhanced_calendar/VE?salesProductId=Q0TPPA0JYE8G&tipus=Jornades and http://www.casaasia.eu/actividad/detalle?id=203909 (in English)

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125" caption="Barcelona Chamber of Commerce"][/caption]

The Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, La Caixa and Mazars, in collaboration with Casa Asia are organizing a workshop aimed at the Catalan companies willing to invest in China, more specifically in the cities of Beijing, Shanghai and Chongqing and in the province of Shandong.  This workshop is organized as a side event of the China at Barcelona Summit to be held in Barcelona between October 19th and 21st, to which  the representatives of the investment promotion agencies of these 3 cities and province will be attending. The Chinese officials will provide policy updates and the current situation of inbound investment in their areas. The session is also aimed at becoming a platform for business matchmaking between attendees and the agencies' representatives. Admission will be free prior registration and maximum capacity will be 45 attendants. The language for this event will be English and no translation will be provided.

Programme

3.30 pm: Welcome and opening session

Mr. Josep Mª Cervera, International Director, Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Navigation
Mr. Jordi Martí, Responsible for the China Desk of Mazars Spain & Mr. Bryan Chen, Partner, Mazars Shanghai
Mr. Amadeu Jensana, Director of Economic Programs and Cooperation of Casa Asia

3.45 pm

Panel 1: Shui Yong, Deputy Director, Beijing Investment Promotion Bureau
Panel 2: She Guizheng, Chongqing Investment Promotion Agency
Panel 3: Yunbin Xia, President, Shandong International Investment Promotion Agency
Panel 4: Dong Tao, Assistant President, Shanghai Foreign Investment Development Board

4.45 pm: Interaction and individual meetings with the promotion agencies’ representatives

5.30 pm: Closing of the event

The workshop will take place in the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Navigation, 452 Diagonal Avenue, Barcelona.


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To register for the event call to 902 448 448 or visit the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce website for this event.

Catalan companies seeking opportunities in the machinery sector in China

From http://www.anella.cat/web/portal/cercador-oportunitats/-/custom_publisher/7Nep/27513446/Oportunitats-de-negoci-en-el-sector-de-la-maquinaria-a-la-Xina (in Catalan)

ACC1Ó-Competitiveness for Catalonia has recently issued a 3-page dossier analyzing the situation of the machinery sector in China, aimed at the Catalan companies seeking opportunities in such a giant market. The document is composed of an analysis of the machinery sector in China, followed by a description of the business opportunities and a list of references and contacts, such as the China International Machinery Industry Exhibition, the China Yiwu International Machinery Industry Fair, the China International Machine Tool and the China Machinery Industry Federation (Chinese website). For further information, download the 3-page report (pdf file) and/or can contact Mrs. Isabel Gimeno (ialtarriba@acc10.cat) at the Centre for Internationalization within ACC1Ó-Competitiveness for Catalonia.

 

 

Workshop on intellectual and industrial property in China organized in Barcelona

From http://www.eic.es/wps/PA_Jornades/fitxa.jsp?codi=1083482 (in Catalan)

The College of Industrial Engineers of Catalonia organizes a workshop on the intellectual and industrial property in China that will be held on October 10th, 2011 in their headquarters at Via Laietana 39, 5th floor, in Barcelona, at 6:30 pm. The workshop will allow to exchange opinions with experts on industrial property in China about regulations, procedures, registration (how to choose a Chinese name for a brand) and law application, among others. They will also report on experiences on these fields by Catalan companies already working on Chinese territory. 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

Bodegas Torres winery keeps expanding in China

From http://www.lavanguardia.com/economia/20111005/54226794047/bodegas-torres-continua-su-expansion-en-china-y-tendra-37-tiendas-este-ano.html (in Spanish)

Catalan winery Bodegas Torres is still expanding its presence in China and by the end of this year is going to have 37 shops in the Asian giant. In 2010, Bodegas Torres increased their sales in China by 40% and started the direct sales through Everwines, its Chinese selling brand that already has shops in Chengdu, Nanjing, Xi'an, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hangzhou. In the forthcoming months, several new shops are going to be opened thanks to parallel agreements with Cadena Hola and Supermercados Spar to reach the number of 37 shops by the end of the year. Everwines aim is to have 62 shops in China by the end of 2013.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="282" caption="Vineyards from Bodegas Torres (Image from BT website)"][/caption]

New distributor of Chinese Yanjing beer in Spain

From http://www.elpuntavui.cat/noticia/article/4-economia/18-economia/460705-miquel-alimentacio-es-ara-el-distribuidor-de-la-cervesa-yanjing.html (in Catalan)

Catalan food trading group Miquel Alimentació, based in Vilamalla (Alt Empordà, Girona) is the new distributor of Chinese Yanjing beer in Spain. Yanjing beer is the most popular beer in China and accounts for 85% of the beer sales in Beijing and the 8th beer producing company in the world. Yanjing Group, with 33,500 employees in 40 factories, exports its more than 20 products to the United States, Italy and South-East Asia. The signature of the agreement of exclusive distribution in Spain was signed by Ramon Miquel Vilanova, vice-chairman of Miquel Alimentació Group, and Dai Yongquan, Deputy Managing Director of Yanjing Group. Apart from this agreement with Yanjing Group, Miquel Alimentació Group has reached another agreement with the main food distributor in China, which allows the Catalan company to firmly establish in this country.

Catalan mission to the Hong Kong International Lighting Fair

From http://agenda.acc10.cat/agenda/default.php?id=6566 (in Catalan)

For companies interested on the East Asian lighting markets, CICAT (Lighting Cluster of Catalonia) is organizing a mission to the Hong Kong International Lighting Fair, the most important fair of this kind in Asia that will take place between 27-30 October 2011. The goals of the mission are: i) to promote the Catalan lighting sector as a separate brand; ii) to establish commercial links between the attending companies and open new markets in Asian countries; and iii) to find potential suppliers in the area.