On Oct 13–14, NIRA and a Belgian business delegation visited Hangzhou to explore China-Europe digital trade and investment cooperation through exchanges with local authorities, tech firms and VCs.
On October 13-14, Global New Industrial Revolution Alliance (NIRA) and a Belgian business delegation visited Hangzhou for exchanges with government departments, technology companies and venture capital institutions. Through visits to businesses in smart manufacturing, artificial intelligence and the digital economy, participants gained insights into Hangzhou’s innovation ecosystem and explored opportunities for China-Europe cooperation in digital trade and investment.
The delegation was organized by the Belgian business leaders’ organization ETION and ChinaConnect. It was led on the Belgian side by Rudy Aernoudt, Chief of Staff to the President of Belgium’s Reformist Movement (MR), with Geert Janssens, Chief Economist of ETION, serving as Deputy Delegation Leader. Professor Yabin Wu, Secretary-General of NIRA and Executive Director of the Artificial Intelligence Sustainable Development Hub, participated as the Chinese Delegation Leader. Participants included Jürgen Ingels, Founder of SuperNova and Founding Partner and Chairman of Smartfin, and Leen Anthuenis, CEO of SuperNova, the prominent Belgian tech and innovation summit, alongside representatives of leading Belgian businesses in industrial manufacturing, food industry automation, construction and engineering, human resources services, corporate finance, digital services and executive education.
At Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, the delegation met with Liu Ying, Vice President of Government Affairs for Greater China at Volvo Cars, to learn about the company’s development and global business operations. The practical partnership between Geely and Volvo offered insights into opportunities for China–Europe cooperation in automotive technology, brand development and international market expansion.
The delegation visited Alibaba Group’s headquarters and met with Yao Yao, Secretary-General of the Alibaba Foundation, and Yu Bo, Director of Alibaba Group’s Foreign Affairs Office. The exchanges explored opportunities for future China–Europe cooperation in digitally enabled philanthropy, youth entrepreneurship and innovation.
Artificial intelligence and robotics were a central focus of the visit. The delegation toured Unitree Robotics, BrainCo, DEEP Robotics and Rokid—companies associated with Hangzhou’s emerging technology clusters, known as the “Six Little Dragons” and the “New Eight Steeds”. Participants learned about products and applications in robotics, augmented reality, AI-powered devices and brain–computer interfaces, gaining a first-hand understanding of how Hangzhou’s technology companies translate research and product innovation into commercial applications.
Min Zhang, Senior Vice President of Unitree Robotics, exchanged views with the delegation on the development of the robotics industry, the expansion of application scenarios and international market cooperation.
Rokid Founder Misa Zhu (Zhu Mingming) introduced the prospects for artificial intelligence and augmented reality technologies, as well as the company’s international business development. Discussions also explored practical ways to leverage NIRA’s international cooperation network to connect with European industry partners and develop joint technology applications in China and Europe.
During their stay, the delegation met with Chen Weijing, Deputy Director-General of the Hangzhou Municipal Bureau of Commerce, and other officials to discuss economic and trade exchanges between Hangzhou and Belgium and cooperation through the Global Digital Trade Expo (GDTE). The inaugural Global Call for AI × SDG Best Practices, jointly organized by NIRA, ETION and other partners, was launched at the fifth GDTE in Hangzhou in September. Building on this cooperation, participants explored how the Expo could further connect international digital industries and innovation resources, while expanding cooperation in digital trade, technological innovation and business matchmaking.
The Zhejiang Investment Promotion Center provided strong support for the visit. Deputy Director Li Mei and other staff accompanied the delegation on company visits, helping participants understand the local industrial and investment environment and facilitating discussions on potential projects.During the visit, NIRA, SuperNova and ChinaConnect also held discussions with Fu Qiang, initiator of the All Blossom Conference and Executive Vice President and Secretary-General of the Hangzhou Venture Capital Association, and other participants. The exchanges sought to connect Hangzhou’s technology companies, entrepreneurs and investors with internationally recognized technology and innovation platforms in Belgium.
