On 19 December 2024, the China-UK SME Service Innovation and Cooperation Workshop was successfully held at the China-UK Innovation Centre in London, UK. Supported by Shanghai Municipal Coordination Office for the Promotion of SME Development, hosted by Sino-British Innovation Centre, and organised by Shanghai Creative City Technology Development Company Limited and London Tech Club, the seminar aimed to promote exchanges and cooperation between SMEs in China and the UK, and to explore innovative service models and development opportunities.
Xu Ming, Director of the Shanghai Coordination Office for the Promotion of SME Development, Jeff Astle, Chairman of the Advisory Board of the UK-China Business Development Centre, Simon Pavitt, Chief Operating Officer of the London Tech Club, and Edward Albazii, Chief Executive Officer of Gainz.AI, were present and delivered speeches. In addition, around 50 guests from Shanghai SME Development Service Centre, SME Service Centres of various districts, state-owned parks, relevant UK industry associations and UK SMEs attended the event, focusing on SME development opportunities and innovative service models in the UK and Shanghai.
At the beginning of the event, Jeff Astle, Chairman of the Advisory Board of the UK-China Business Development Centre (BCBDC), delivered a welcoming speech and said that London, as a global financial centre, provides a broad space for cooperation between Chinese and British SMEs in areas such as green finance and financial technology. We look forward to both sides working together to help SMEs explore the potential for co-operation and promote the deepening of bilateral business relations.
Xu Ming, Director of the Shanghai Coordination Office for the Promotion of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), delivered a speech in which he emphasised that SMEs are an important driver of Sino-British co-operation, and that Shanghai, as an important hub for global links, welcomes UK SMEs to explore new opportunities together. Immediately after, Director Xu shared the development opportunities for SMEs in Shanghai, focusing on the development of SMEs in Shanghai as well as the service system and policy support, demonstrating the attractiveness of Shanghai as a global business centre for SMEs.
Simon Pavitt, COO of London Tech Club, shared current market trends in venture capital, highlighting SME growth strategies and investment opportunities in areas such as artificial intelligence and electric mobility.
Edward Albazii, CEO of Gainz.AI, shared his successful experience in driving business innovation through AI, highlighting the company’s unique strengths and future growth potential, with such innovative examples providing valuable lessons and inspiration for SMEs in both countries.
The success of this seminar not only promotes the sharing of experiences between SMEs of China and the UK in terms of service innovation and co-operation and innovation, but also provides the basis and impetus for more co-operation in the future. It is believed that in the future, China and the UK will achieve more fruitful results in the field of SME services and cooperation.