Beijing

         Looking for a read to both to inform and inspire this Autumn? Well, look no further as author Gilbert Van Kerckhove joins us in our Speaker Series to us give us a review of his thought provoking new book, "Toxic Capitalism the orgy of consumerism and waste: are we the last generation on Earth?". The book centers on the world’s economic, environmental, governmental and social problems and what we need to do to fix them. Living in China Gilbert became alarmed by the dramatic pollution levels and the impact of Toxic Capitalism, an unwelcome strain of capitalism that thrives on over consumption and indiscriminate wastage, promoted by the West with the help of questionable companies, financial institutions and governments. China, as Factory of the World, is facing depletion of resources and roams the world to satisfy its voracious appetite for energy, raw materials, and food. How serious is the environmental destruction? Is capitalism fundamentally wrong? How did we come to this madness, and what can we do to preserve the future of our children? We need to combat the idolatry of consumerism and fight for our goals: quality & durability, saving resources and energy. We simply consume too much and too quickly: too many gadgets, too many clothes, too many consumer products we either use little or even never at all. We waste too much, including food. Quality & durability is not limited to consumer products. We need it in governments, services, companies, and financial institutions. We have to change our lifestyle.   Registration   To register please send an email to info@cameraitacina.com by November 26th at noon. About the author Gilbert Van Kerckhove, is from Belgium and graduated as master in electronic engineering. Since 1980 he has been working with China, where he spent 27 years, mostly in Beijing but also in Hong Kong and Shanghai. He is the president of a Beijing-based management consulting that provides strategy guidance to foreign and Chinese companies. Since 2000 he has been assisting the Beijing Municipality in the areas of economic studies and foreign investment promotion. He has received the highest Chinese awards for his role in the 2008 Olympics, including the Chinese Green Card. He considers Beijing his home. For more information visit http://blog.strategy4china.com and www.toxiccapitalism.com Please note a limited number of copies of the book will be available for sale at the event (Price: hardcover 270 RMB and softcover 170 RMB.)

                    With the current pace and scale of urbanization in China, the need to improve building efficiency in order to meet environmental and energy standards and goals is becoming more and more apparent. The green building market is developing and growing rapidly year after year, and the Chinese government has now selected 40 cities including Beijing to undergo energy efficiency retrofits. The government has already decided to achieve a 65% energy consumption reduction on new constructions as compared to existing buildings. These new opportunities and standards also bring numerous challenges and costs. In this dynamic context, our two guest speakers will stress the opportunities and challenges of international Cleantech companies in China.   Mr. Marco Rhyner, Chief Representative China from Cleantech Switzerland, China liaison office will introduce the Chinese Green Building market their projects in China as well as the opportunities and challenges for Cleantech Switzerland.   Ms. Jolanda Jonkhart, Director of Trade and Development Programme, Regional Coordinator for East and Southeast Asia at INBAR (International network for Bamboo and Rattan), will explain the potential in structural applications of bamboo composite. He will stress the barriers in the market such as the lack of building code regulations.   Registration   To register please send an email to info@cameraitacina.com by Tuesday, 27th of November 2012 at noon.

  Event Description The EU SME Centre and the China IPR SME Helpdesk are organising a breakfast seminar on how to find and work with Chinese business partners. This seminar will deliver key messages on how to effectively protect your company`s assets in business dealings with China, as well as give an overview of the most important considerations when working with Chinese business partners. The experts from the EU SME Centre and the China IPR SME Helpdesk will provide practical and business-focused advice on doing business in China and will give you the opportunity to: - Find out more about due diligence when dealing with legal, financial and operational issues - Learn useful and practical tips on how to protect your business - Gain insight in what the term ‘trade secrets’ means, and learn how to use them in your relations with (potential) Chinese business partners - Learn why trade secrets are important to protect your company’s intellectual property - Get the opportunity to book a private one-on-one consultation session with one of the experts following the seminar to discuss issues you may have in a confidential environment. Breakfast will be served during the seminar.   Tentative Agenda 08.00 am - 08.30 am Registration and networking 08.30 am - 09.15 am - Introduction to the EU SME Centre                             - Preliminary due diligence on business partners                                  Helen Ju, Legal Manager, EU SME Centre 09.15 am - 10.00 am - Introduction to the China IPR SME Helpdesk                                  - Using Trade Secrets to protect your Intellectual Property with business partners                                  Beata Suwala, IP Expert, China IPR SME Helpdesk 10.00 am - 10.30 am Q&A Session One-on-One Consultation Sessions If you would like to receive confidential One-on-One advice about your business in China, sign up for a free, 20-minute consultation with the experts of the EU SME Centre or the China IPR SME Helpdesk. To ensure you have a chance to meet with the experts, please book your session in advance by indicating your interest when you register. Please specify the nature of your question and the expert you wish to book a session with. The One-on-One consultations are open to European SMEs on a first-come, first-served basis. Any information you provide to the EU SME Centre and the China IPR SME Helpdesk with be treated as confidential. Speaker Biographies Helen Ju, Legal Manager, EU SME Centre Helen is a legal expert at the EU SME Centre providing legal advice on various aspects of economic cooperation between Europe and China to EU SMEs looking to establish themselves in the Chinese market. Before joining EU SME Centre, Helen worked as a lawyer for over seven years specializing in foreign direct investment, general corporate and commercial laws, and tax law etc. Among others, she provided full legal support to clients from Europe, the US and Singapore, advising on the feasibility of their proposed transaction models and compliance of the models with PRC regulations, issuing legal opinion and advice, and drafting and reviewing legal documents. She also has five years’ experience with an export and import company. Helen has gained broad knowledge and rich experience especially in company law, labour law, contract law, tax law and social insurance law. Beata Suwala, IP Expert, China IPR SME Helpdesk Beata is a Polish patent attorney and European trademark attorney.She holds a master degree in law from the University of Warsaw and obtained a LL.M degree in IP Law in Spain. Beata has worked for more than three years in law firms in Poland and in Spain where she dealt with international IP portfolios including IP rights prosecutions, enforcement actions and drafting contracts. Afterwards she joined the European IPR Helpdesk, where she advised on IP and in particular on technology transfer under the European Commission`s funded projects (the 7th Framework Programme and Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme). Beata joined the China IPR SME Helpdesk in June 2011. Registration and cancellation China IPR SME Helpdesk events are available to European Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and SME intermediary organisations such as embassies or consulates, chambers of commerce and trade associations only. China IPR SME Helpdesk events are closed to law firms and consultants who offer IPR services. If you meet the criteria and would like to attend please register by emailing registration@eusmecentre.org.cn with the name and date of the event in the subject line and your company information. You will receive a confirmation email. Because places are limited, in the case of unexpected cancellations please inform the Helpdesk as soon as possible. About the China IPR SME Helpdesk The China IPR SME Helpdesk provides free information, first-line advice and training to SMEs to protect and enforce their IPR in China. The Helpdesk’s services are free to European SMEs and SME intermediaries (including EU embassies) and includes training events in China and Europe; online tools and materials at www.china-iprhelpdesk.eu and tailored advice from our expert by phone, Email or through the website. About the EU SME Centre The EU SME Centre is a support service provider for European SMEs facilitating market access in China. The Centre provides practical information, advice and business tools free of charge, aimed at better equipping SMEs to develop their business and tackle challenges faced in the Chinese market. The online portal www.eusmecentre.org.cn will help SMEs gain a clearer insight into conducting business in China, by offering professional information and confidential advice.