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Associated Press
17-03-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Setting Sail for Europe! Delegation from the Beijing Innovation Service Hub for Digital Economy Enterprise Going Global Elevates China-Europe Digital Collaboration
BARCELONA, Spain, March 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Recently, at the invitation of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology and the Organizing Committee of the Global Digital Economy Conference, the Beijing Innovation Service Hub for Digital Economy Enterprise Going Global (hereinafter referred to as the 'the Hub') partnered with leading enterprises in Beijing's digital economy sector, including iSoftStone, to visit Europe. They conducted a series of engagements with government agencies, academic institutions, business associations, and enterprises in Barcelona and Rome. Leveraging the digital economy as a bridge, this initiative aims to further advance China-Europe digital-friendly exchanges and foster substantive cooperation in the field. During the visit, the delegation actively engaged in the 2025 MWC Barcelona (Mobile World Congress), conducting targeted one-on-one meetings with international telecom operators including Orange (France), Telefónica (Spain), Vietnam Telecom, Telecom26 (Switzerland), Vodafone (UK), e& (UAE), and SK Telecom (South Korea) to promote Beijing's expanded openness policies for value-added telecommunications services. The delegation also held in-depth dialogues with leading Chinese enterprises such as AsiaInfo, SuperMap, Huawei, ZTE, Xiaomi, Lenovo, China Unicom Global (Europe), and China Telecom Global to gain insights into their overseas expansion strategies and diverse demands. Additionally, the Hub shared its latest achievements with its ecosystem partner, the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), and reached a consensus to mutually invite digital economy enterprises to participate in the 2025 Global Digital Economy Conference and the 2025 Smart City Expo. Furthermore, the Hub delivered comprehensive presentations to over 10 companies, including Xinlun New Materials, Nexus Telecom, AXELERA, U Mobile, Digital Nasional, Hengtong Group, BoardNet, EDOTCO, PMW, WeaverLabs, and Swisstech, inviting them to explore opportunities to join the Hub and inject new vitality into its ecosystem. The delegation also invited all participants to attend the 2025 Global Digital Economy Conference, aiming to showcase cutting-edge innovations and jointly build bridges for international exchanges and collaboration. MWC Barcelona, organized by the GSMA—one of the world's three major global mobile communications organizations—is a premier authority in the telecommunications industry. This year's event, themed 'Coverage, Connect, Create', brought together over 2,400 enterprises from more than 200 countries and regions. Centered on six key topics—5G Inside, Connect X, AI+, Enterprise Re-invented, Game Changers, and Our Digital DNA, the event spotlighted cutting-edge technologies such as 5G-Advanced, generative AI, and 6G, underscoring the global telecommunications sector's profound focus on future trends and its proactive exploration of transformative innovations. On March 4, 2025, the European Chapter of the Global Digital Economy Conference (GDEC) was successfully held in Barcelona, Spain. As a flagship project in Beijing's efforts to build itself into a global digital economy benchmark city, the Hub made a notable appearance at the event. Zhang Genxue, General Manager of the Hub, delivered a keynote presentation, highlighting that since its establishment on July 3, 2024, the Hub has actively connected overseas enterprises, ecosystem service providers, international clients, and governments, while pioneering a '1+4+N' ecosystem. This initiative aims to build a multi-tiered global resource network platform, accelerating its role as the 'first stop' for foreign enterprises investing in Beijing and the 'launchpad' for Chinese companies expanding overseas. During the conference, the Hub signed strategic partnership agreements with the ChinaEU, the Catalonia Beijing Association, and the Catalonia Business Leaders Association. All parties reached a consensus to deepen collaboration in supporting Chinese and Spanish enterprises in overseas market expansion, technology exchange, and operational localization. At the concurrent 'Beijing Night' event, the Hub engaged with over 20 government agencies and corporate representatives, including the Catalonia Investment Bureau, NXP Semiconductors, Denodo, Livoltek, AGRUPA ENERGIA, and Avanzate, fostering dynamic and in-depth discussions in a lively and engaging atmosphere. Zhao Houlin, former Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), emphasized the significance of the overseas chapter in advancing international digital economy cooperation. Sihan, President of GSMA Greater China, expressed strong support for the Global Digital Economy Conference, reaffirming MWC's commitment to strengthening collaboration with Beijing. The delegation conducted an on-site visit to the Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in Barcelona, engaging in an exchange with Consul General Meng Yuhong. The two sides held discussions on Beijing's digital economy benchmark city development, the Hub's overseas cooperation network agreements, and the expanded openness policies for value-added telecommunications services. The Hub provided a detailed overview of its strategic background, functional positioning, and international network development. The delegation also conducted an on-site visit to the Government of Rome , engaging in extensive discussions with government officials including Fabio Sokolowicz, Foreign Affairs Advisor to the Mayor of Rome and Director of the International Relations Office of the Rome City Government, and Enrico Colaiacovo, Director of the Digital Transformation Office of Rome. The delegation welcomed the Government of Rome to bring digital innovation enterprises to participate in the 2025 Global Digital Economy Conference and join Beijing's Global Digital Economy Partner Cities initiative. They also proposed concrete project collaborations in areas such as 5G, smart cities, and digital cultural tourism through the Hub. The delegation conducted an on-site visit to Casa Asia in Barcelona as well, and met with the Official Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Services, and Navigation of Barcelona (Cambra), where they signed a strategic cooperation agreement. In collaboration with the Catalonia Beijing Association, they inaugurated the Hub's 'Barcelona Service Station'. Leveraging domestic and international business associations as well as overseas service stations, the Hub will support more Beijing-based digital economy enterprises in expanding their global market presence, actively promote the implementation of high-quality overseas projects, and facilitate the efficient integration and mutual benefit of domestic and international business resources. The delegation visited DIET at Sapienza University of Rome, and held in-depth discussions on key topics such as its leading disciplines, the development of digital laboratories, strengthening collaboration with universities in Beijing, establishing talent exchange programs, and fostering corporate technology partnerships. The delegation also engaged in in-depth dialogues with leading digital economy enterprises and innovative companies. During their visit to Talent Garden, an innovation platform in Italy, they conducted project exchanges with five local Italian digital economy startups: Elaison (AI-powered smart agriculture), Flint (international ICT service operator), Sketchin (a top European design firm), eFM (digital twin and digital platform provider), and Rosso (an innovative platform dedicated to addressing blood emergencies). Additionally, they explored collaboration models with Almaviva, a leading Italian information and communications technology (ICT) giant. This European tour represents a significant step by the Hub to deepen its integration into the international market and enhance its global brand influence. With the successful hosting of the European Chapter of the 2025 Global Digital Economy Conference, a series of efficient and pragmatic meetings and exchanges were conducted, further solidifying the Hub's role as a platform for China-Europe two-way collaboration. By upgrading its international service resource network, the Hub has sounded Beijing's call to Europe and the world, strengthening its brand presence on the global stage. Riding the waves to new horizons, charting a future of shared growth. The Hub will embark on a new journey following this European tour, establishing a long-term China-Europe cooperation mechanism spanning policy, market, and technology. Committed to its strategic mission as the 'first stop for foreign enterprises entering Beijing' and the 'launchpad for Chinese companies expanding globally', the Hub will leverage its multi-stakeholder network—government, industry, associations, and research institutions—to empower Chinese enterprises in their overseas ventures. Together, we will usher in a new chapter for Beijing's digital economy growth, fostering innovation-driven collaboration and mutual prosperity on the global stage.
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
China's robotics start-ups emerge as new venture-capital darlings
China's robotics market is witnessing an investment boom, as start-ups in the field obtain increased venture- capital funding, raising the sector's potential to become as important as the country's electric-vehicle (EV) industry. In the first two months of the year, nearly 2 billion yuan (US$276 million) in new funding went to humanoid robot developers across 20 deals, up from 1.2 billion yuan generated from 4 transactions a year earlier, according to data from ITJuzi, which tracks China's venture-capital market. That development reflects China's position as a leading player in building humanoid robots; the domestic industry predicted to be on the cusp of achieving mass production and commercialisation in 2025. Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. Of the 100 publicly-traded companies worldwide that Morgan Stanley "confirmed to be involved" in developing humanoid robots, 56 per cent were based in China, according to a research paper published last month. China is also home to 45 per cent of the world's integrators, which are firms that customise robots to match end-user needs, according to the report. A Chinese-made humanoid robot interacts with visitors at a booth during this week's 2025 MWC Barcelona trade show in Spain. Photo: Xinhua alt=A Chinese-made humanoid robot interacts with visitors at a booth during this week's 2025 MWC Barcelona trade show in Spain. Photo: Xinhua> At least three Chinese robotics start-ups on Thursday announced new financing, including LimX Dynamics, AI2Robotics and Eyoubot. LimX Dynamics said it completed a series A+ funding round, several months after its series A financing in July. The firm said it raised 500 million yuan from the two fundraising events. Its investors include China Merchants Group, EV maker Nio and Alibaba Group Holding, owner of the Post. Founded in 2022, LimX Dynamics develops humanoid robots that can lift heavy loads and be deployed in factories and warehouses. AI2Robotics said its latest funding round collected more than 100 million yuan from institutions such as Dunhong Capital and Yunqi Capital. Dunhong is known for its early investment in Unitree Robotics. Two months ago, AI2Robotics said it completed a fundraising that raised "hundreds of millions of yuan" from Dunhong Capital, Fortune Capital and CoStone Capital. The start-up said it has signed up a number of first-tier domestic and international automotive companies as clients, and recorded sales worth "tens of millions of yuan" in 2024. Both LimX Dynamics and AI2Robotics are based in Shenzhen, in southern Guangdong province. They form part of the city's "magnificent eight" robot enterprises, which includes Hong Kong-listed UBTech Robotics and EngineAI, which last month showed off the world's first front-flip by a humanoid robot. Meanwhile, Eyoubot said it completed a series-A funding round that raised 50 million yuan. Founded in Wuxi, a city in eastern Jiangsu province, the start-up said it would relocate to an industrial estate in Shanghai. The firm, which develops and manufactures robotic joints, said it expects to ship around 180,000 units this year, up from around 30,000 units in 2024. The increased investor interest in these start-ups comes amid Unitree's high-profile showcase of its humanoid robots since they were first unveiled in 2023. The firm showed off the dancing skills of its general-purpose H1 humanoid robots at this year's Spring Festival Gala, China's most-watched television show, to the delight of more than 1 billion viewers. Unitree, however, last month issued a warning about scams that aimed to exploit growing interest from investors seeking to acquire shares of the privately held company. Company founder Wang Xingxing last month was seen seated in the front row of a high-profile business symposium hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping. Beijing has attached greater importance to the robotics sector. In the latest government work report presented this week at the annual meetings of China's top legislature and main advisory body - together known as the "two sessions" - mentioned the term "embodied intelligence" for the first time. It refers to the application of artificial intelligence in physical systems, such as robots. The state will "establish a mechanism for the growth of investment in futuristic industries", which include embodied intelligence, according to the report. This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright © 2025 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2025. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
South China Morning Post
08-03-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
China's robotics start-ups emerge as new venture-capital darlings
China's robotics market is witnessing an investment boom, as start-ups in the field obtain increased venture- capital funding, raising the sector's potential to become as important as the country's electric-vehicle (EV) industry. Advertisement In the first two months of the year, nearly 2 billion yuan (US$276 million) in new funding went to humanoid robot developers across 20 deals, up from 1.2 billion yuan generated from 4 transactions a year earlier, according to data from ITJuzi, which tracks China's venture-capital market. That development reflects China's position as a leading player in building humanoid robots; the domestic industry predicted to be on the cusp of achieving mass production and commercialisation in 2025. China is also home to 45 per cent of the world's integrators, which are firms that customise robots to match end-user needs, according to the report. A Chinese-made humanoid robot interacts with visitors at a booth during this week's 2025 MWC Barcelona trade show in Spain. Photo: Xinhua At least three Chinese robotics start-ups on Thursday announced new financing, including LimX Dynamics, AI2Robotics and Eyoubot.
