On the occasion of the Swiss Week, swissnex China organized a conference on Swiss business in China in cooperation with Swiss Center Shanghai and China Integrated.

With the recent publication of the “2013 Business in China Survey” realized by China Europe International Business School (CEIBS), Swiss Center Shanghai and China Integrated took the opportunity to particularly highlight the survey outcomes of Swiss businesses in China.

Mr. Pascal Marmier, Executive Director of swissnex China, was giving an introduction on the topic.

The specific analysis of Swiss companies was at the center of the conference in which Maria Puyuelo, Nicolas Musy and Sarah Edmonds presented an overview of the general survey and then, more specifically, the most important trends among Swiss business in China. One especially interesting trend is that Swiss companies, on average, increased their profit level in 2012 by an impressive 9% in comparison with 2011.

Professor Dominique Jolly, renowned expert of the Chinese market at CEIBS-SKEMA, emphasized important changes in the driving factors that push companies and R&D centers to move to China. Whereas 10 years ago costs were the key driving factor, now foreign companies’ interests in coming to China are driven by market and knowledge factors.

Pierre-Alain Cerrali from Firmenich shared his observations from an operative point of view and stressed the importance for companies coming to China to establish R&D centers in order to keep a sustainable competitive advantage on the worldwide market.

The conference was a great success. All speakers shared their personal perspectives and expectations for the future with the audience and both Chinese and Swiss participants received lots of interesting up-to-date information.

After the conference the participants had the opportunity to attend the official opening ceremony of the Swiss Week where they enjoyed a typical Swiss aperitif in company of members of the Swiss community.

Contributed by academic intern Mélanie Boillat