Mayor Josep Maria Vallès has led a delegation that travelled to the Chinese city of Changzhou to sign a framework collaboration agreement. The agreement aims to promote economic development, innovation, and investment attraction.
An institutional delegation from Sant Cugat del Vallès, led by Mayor Josep Maria Vallès, has travelled to the Chinese city of Changzhou to sign a framework collaboration agreement between the two cities. The agreement, which seeks to boost economic promotion and innovation, was finalised after several days of meetings and visits to local companies and institutions.
Changzhou, with 5.4 million inhabitants and close to Shanghai, has established itself as one of the main Chinese clusters in sectors such as electric mobility, new energies, advanced manufacturing, robotics, electronics, and biomedicine. The trade mission included representatives from the Sant Cugat City Council, Sant Cugat Empresarial, Esade, and the Terrassa Chamber of Commerce, and was supported by Acció, the agency of the Generalitat.
The framework agreement establishes the foundations for facilitating connections between companies, universities, technological centres, and institutions from both territories. It also aims to promote business missions, seminars, fairs, and joint events, as well as develop projects that can apply for European and international funding. Additionally, best practices will be shared in areas such as innovation, entrepreneurship, sustainability, and economic development.
During their stay, the delegation visited companies, universities, and research centres in Changzhou to gain firsthand insight into the region's technological and industrial development level. Mayor Josep Maria Vallès expressed great satisfaction with the results and stated that the agreement will allow for “boosting the international projection of the city and its business and innovation ecosystem.” Vallès added that the collaboration opens new opportunities for attracting investments, retaining talent, and fostering cooperation between both territories.
Yang Di, ambassador and representative of the Changzhou Government, explained that they have focused on Sant Cugat due to its similarities with their city. “It is a city that has certain similarities with Changzhou, with a business ecosystem that has well-developed sectors such as healthcare and high-level universities. Our solid base in the manufacturing sector complements perfectly with the knowledge and talent of Sant Cugat, which will facilitate establishing regular collaborations in innovation,” she noted.
Albert Salarich, the Councillor for Business, Innovation, and Internationalisation of Sant Cugat, highlighted that internationalisation is a tool for economic promotion at the service of the city. “The contacts we have opened can help local companies to export, attract investments, and find partners,” he stated. Salarich also emphasised the possibility of collaborating with universities and participating in international projects.
The agreement with Changzhou is part of the Sant Cugat City Council's strategy to strengthen ties with cities around the world to promote economic and technological exchange. The Chinese city, with a strong industrial fabric in leading sectors, thus becomes a strategic partner for companies and knowledge centres in Vallès Occidental.
For companies in Sant Cugat, the agreement represents an opportunity to access the Chinese market and establish alliances with companies in Changzhou. Furthermore, university collaboration will allow for the exchange of students and researchers, as well as the joint development of R&D projects.
The delegation has already returned to Sant Cugat, and in the coming weeks, the first actions outlined in the agreement will begin to take shape. Among them are the organisation of reciprocal business missions and participation in international fairs.
You may also like
