GASME News

International Cooperation on Intelligent Manufacturing Matchmaking Meeting Held in Hefei

On the afternoon of September 20th, the International Cooperation on Intelligent Manufacturing Matchmaking Meeting, a key special event of the 2025 World Manufacturing Convention was held in Hefei.

The matchmaking meeting, co-hosted by the Global Alliance of SMEs (GASME) and Anhui Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology, is themed “World Trend on Intelligent Manufacturing and International Cooperation”. The event has attracted over 300 domestic and international guests, including representatives from international organizations, foreign business associations, Fortune Global 500 companies, hidden champion enterprises, and industry leaders. They gathered to focus on core topics such as research and development innovation, application practices, smart manufacturing, and cooperative development. They discussed the challenges and breakthroughs in advancing smart manufacturing and explored new paths and opportunities for the development of high-end smart manufacturing.

Guests attending the meeting at home and abroad include Sun Hongmei, Member of the Standing Committee of the Anhui Provincial Party Committee and Minister of the Organization Department, Christian Wulff, Former President of Germany, Honorary Chairman of GASME, Recipient of the Chinese Government Friendship Award 2022, Jochen Leonhardt, Chairman of the Board of German Federal Association of SMEs (BVMW), Karim Zidane, Minister of Investment, Public Policy Coordination and Evaluation of the Moroccan Government, Yuan Fang, Secretary of Ma’anshan Municipal Party Committee, Luo Wenshan, Deputy Director of the Anhui Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology, Wang Nianbao, Deputy Director of Anhui Provincial Foreign Affairs Office, Que Fangjun, Deputy Mayor of Ma’anshan City, Zhou Furu, former Chairman of Hefei Municipal Committee of CPPCC and GASME Senior Advisor, He Weiwen, Senior Vice Chairman of GASME and Expert of the State Council Information Office, Frank Cao, Executive Chairman and Secretary-General of GASME, Gianni Di Giovanni, Chairman of Eni China BV and Eni Energy China, EVP Eni China Rep Office, Shao Xiande, Chairman of Saint Gobain PAM, Liu Lijia, Global Partner Manager of LafargeHolcim, Duan Wei, Vice President of Europe and Africa Division of Gotion High-tech Co., Ltd, Jessica Luk, Senior Vice Chairman of GASME Sustainable Development Committee, President of Helper International Consulting Group (HICG), Wang Wenxing, Expert on International Tax Law, HICG Senior Vice President, Wu Qunxue, President of Anhui Haixuan Culture Group and Bao Guanning, President of Ningbo Kaite Machinery Co., Ltd, etc.

Minister Sun Hongmei pointed out in her address that it is necessary to strengthen international cooperation and promote deeper and broader cooperation in intelligent manufacturing during the critical period of global manufacturing transformation and upgrading.

Chairman Wulff emphasized that in order for SMEs to achieve sustainable development, they must deeply integrate into the global value chain, which requires technological support and a fair competitive environment.

Chairman Jochen Leonhardt believes that both China and Germany are major SME countries, and only by strengthening cooperation between the two countries’ SMEs can they achieve better development in the future. BVMW sent a high-level delegation consisting of more than 30 members to participate in the World Manufacturing Convention this year.

Karim Zidane, Minister of Investment, Public Policy Coordination and Evaluation of the Moroccan government, shared relevant measures for developing the manufacturing industry in Morocco, and Yuan Fang, Secretary of the Ma’anshan Municipal Committee, introduced the favorable business environment in Ma’anshan.

In the signing process, eight institutions signed strategic cooperation agreements such as the Anhui Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology with BVMW and the People’s Government of Ma’anshan City with GASME. In addition, GASME and the Ma’anshan Municipal Government held a plaque exchange ceremony: the Ma’anshan Municipal Government awarded GASME the plaque of “Global Investment Partner”, and GASME awarded the Ma’anshan Municipal Government the plaque of “GASME Recommended Foreign Investment Destination”.

Chairman He Weiwen delivered a keynote speech on the theme of “New Dynamics of World Economy and Reglobalization”. He pointed out that Europe is an important highland for advanced manufacturing today. To achieve high-quality development of China’s manufacturing industry, it is necessary to establish long-term cooperation with European manufacturing industry. The future of European manufacturing lies in Asia, while the largest market and resources in Asia are in China. Only by cooperating with China can European manufacturing industry become higher and stronger.

In the special sharing session, executives from well-known multinational companies such as Gotion High-tech, Eni Energy, and Saint Gobain shared their cutting-edge practices and practical experience in high-end intelligent manufacturing. Wu Qunxue, President of Haixuan Culture Group, shared and released relevant research results.

Wang Wenxing, Expert on International Tax Law and HICG Senior Vice President, gave a speech on the Current Situation of China US Tariff Game and Prospects for Enterprise Internationalization Breakthrough. In response to the development trends in 2025 and 2026, he has put forward many forward-looking insights and strategic suggestions covering enterprises’ overseas breakthroughs and compliance responses, bringing practical “overseas experience” to the participating enterprises.

Secretary General Frank Cao delivered a concluding speech. In his speech, he said that in the next three years, GASME plans to accomplish three major tasks: work together with institutions such as BVMW to jointly build a German SME headquarters cluster in Anhui, and strive to make Anhui a model of Sino-German enterprise cooperation; Together with the Anhui Provincial Government, establish a permanent exhibition hall for the World Manufacturing Convention in Hefei, making it an important window for year-round promotion of the convention; Actively support the establishment of the Sino-German College at Anhui University, recommend German multinational corporations, universities, and research institutions to cooperate with Anhui University, and jointly cultivate international professional talents.

After the sharing of Chinese and foreign guests, a one-on-one cooperation matchmaking was held between Chinese and foreign enterprises.

This matchmaking meeting was jointly organized by the People’s Government of Ma’anshan City, BVMW, the European Chamber of Commerce in China, the Global Alliance of Business Organizations, JAC Automobile Group, Gotion High-tech, Fenjiu Group, HICG and other institutions.

Venue

Address by Sun Hongmei, Member of the Standing Committee of the Anhui Provincial Party Committee and Minister of the Organization Department

Address by Chairman Wulff

Address by Jochen Leonhardt, Chairman of the Board of BVMW

Address by Minister of the Moroccan Government

Address by Yuan Fang, Secretary of Ma’anshan Municipal Party Committee

Signing Ceremony

Award Ceremony

Speech by He Weiwen, Senior Vice Chairman of GASME and Expert of the State Council Information Office

Speech by Gianni Di Giovanni, Chairman of Eni China BV and Eni Energy China, EVP Eni China Rep Office

Speech by Shao Xiande, Chairman of Saint Gobain PAM

Speech by Duan Wei, Vice President of Europe and Africa Division of Gotion High-tech Co., Ltd

Speech by Wu Qunxue, President of Anhui Haixuan Culture Group

Speech by Wang Wenxing, Expert on International Tax Law and HICG Senior Vice President

Concluding Speech by Frank Cao, Executive Chairman and Secretary-General of GASME

Index