MEWG Company Visit at Startup Factory (Kunshan), March 13

Dear Members and Friends,

The China-Italy Chamber of Commerce (CICC) is pleased to announce a new session of the Company Visit Series organized by CICC together with its Mechanical Engineering Working Group (MEWG).

The focus of this series is to provide all participants with insights and valuable business lessons by sharing the expertise of successful companies based in China. Case studies of successful Italian companies are generally selected.

The host of this event will be Startup Factory (Kunshan) Co., Ltd. It’s the only industrial coworking in China; founded in 2011 and is famous in Germany but still unknown within the Italian ecosystem.

This visit aims to introduce - for the very first time to the Italian business community - the concept of industrial coworking.

You will be among the first Italians to discover this unique and innovative model. We will take you around the ‘campus’ facilities for a hands-on experience. You will see how SMEs from different sectors, from machinery to automotive, manage their operations and get an insight into digital use cases on the shop-floor.

After the mini-tour, you’ll be invited for lunch at our canteen. You will also be able to network with fellow visitors and Startup Factory’s partners in a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere.

DETAILS

• Date: March 13, 2024
• Time: 9.15 – 14.15 (arrival at SUF – departure from SUF)
• Language: English
• Format: Offline
• Venue: Startup Factory (Kunshan) Co., Ltd. | 启德航管理服务（昆山）有限公司
• Address: 江苏省昆山市张浦镇德浦路692号 | No. 692 Depu Road, Zhangpu Town,  215321 Kunshan

Participation is open to both Members and Non-Members. CICC members (as well as any Italian non-members) would benefit from this visit. It will certainly be of particular interest for companies involved in manufacturing or B2B trading and all service providers that support companies in China.  

Click here to register!

PRICE

• CICC members: free of charge
• Non-members: 200 RMB

A bus will be organised for the round trip from Shanghai to Kunshan. When registering, please indicate whether you need to use the bus service!

AGENDA

• 9.15-9:30 Arrival at Startup Factory & CICC Registration
• 9:30 -10:00 Welcome & intro speeches
• 10:00-11:15 Startup Factory tour
• 11:15-11:30 Coffee break
• 11:30-12:30 Q&A, discussion
• 12-30-14:00 Lunch in canteen’s VIP floor & Networking
• 14:00-14:15 Farewell speech                       
• 14:15 Departure back to Shanghai

Alessandro Duina has over 20 years of China experience, as a business consultant and entrepreneur.

He first visited Startup Factory in early 2021 and loved the unique concept and superb execution. He also realized how it could offer a truly new roadmap to China for Italian manufacturing SMEs that ignored such an opportunity even existed. Creating that magic link with the Italian SMEs is his mission at SUF. Before China, career milestones include Barilla, BCG (The Boston Consulting Group), and various startups in US and Europe. He has an MBA from Kellogg Business School (Northwestern University, Chicago) and a Laurea in Management Engineering from Politecnico di Milano.

Frank Gaenzle landed to Shanghai in 2002 and joined Losberger, a German world leader in aluminum structures for events and modular construction. As GM he developed Losberger Shanghai from its startup phase to a major event-supplier, certified manufacturer and world-wide exporter. He directed the company through Beijing Olympics 2008, Shanghai World Expo 2010, Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games and many other mega-events, as well as through a major restructuring in 2017. He knew the founding partner of SUF since shortly after his arrival in China, had been well connected with its management for many years and finally joined the team in 2019. He started his business life in banking and holds a Diploma in Business Administration with majors in real estate and controlling.

About Startup Factory

Startup Factory China (Kunshan) is the only industrial coworking for European manufacturing SMEs entering the market with their 100% wholly-owned subsidiary or relocating/restructuring their operations if already in China.

This unique and innovative concept offers plug-and-play solutions– with flexible spaces and support services – so that companies can focus on production and sales to grow their business. This means faster time to market at reduced costs and lower risk.

Their 40,000 sqm factory in Kunshan (between Shanghai and Suzhou) offers ideal conditions to run production, assembly, or service & sales companies that need more than just office space. Their 2,400 pallet bay warehouse can even support logistic needs.

Founded in 2011, Startup Factory China has built a proven track record managing more than 60+ mainly German subsidiaries for total investment of USD 100 million, of which 40 are currently present with 400 employees combined. More than 10 client companies with up to 100 employees have successfully outgrown the space and settled in the industrial park nearby. 

About Mechanical Engineering Working Group (MEWG)

The MEWG represents the interest of all Italian companies in China working directly or indirectly in the sector on a national base. MEWG Objectives

• Coordinate and promote all Italian members’ needs which are active in many different industries of the Chinese mechanical engineering sector (machinery, automotive, component manufacturers, mechanical engineering...);
• Promote and raise awareness on the size and the importance of the Italian technology in the sector to all institutions in China and Italy that are our natural counterparts, in order to develop business opportunities;
• Coordinate and promote activities and events that boost the visibility and the image of “Technology Made in Italy”;
• Become a reference for all mechanical engineering companies within the China-Italy Chamber of Commerce, lobbying private and public institutions active in the Chinese market.