A high-level visit by key Chinese companies and Government officials to Coventry and Warwickshire has been branded a success “which could lead to future investment.”
The China Investment Promotion Agency (CIPA), part of the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, visited the city with 29 delegates from companies and government organisations.
The delegates were investigating opportunities to invest or work with a range of transport engineering firms – particularly in new energy and autonomous vehicle development, universities and research institutes as well as niche vehicle manufacturers.
The visit, organised by UK Trade and Investment in partnership with the Coventry and Warwickshire Growth Hub, came after the CIPA had visited Italy and Germany and was their only stop in the UK.
Jonathan Browning, chairman of the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership – which organised the visit through its CW Growth Hub, said the two day event had given the delegation a very good impression the area’s expertise in those sectors.
He said: “We – along with UTKI – made sure that the programme underlined the expertise which lies in these sectors in this area, ensured the delegation met relevant companies with a high level of expertise and, importantly, communicated clearly that we are keen to establish partnerships.
“These visits are always difficult to quantify in the short term but there is no doubt that it was the start of relationships which could lead to future investments.
“Companies tend to form partnerships with places which are easy to do business with – and that is what we aimed to achieve in this instance.”
The delegation visited MIRA and the Warwick Manufacturing Group at the University of Warwick and saw latest developments in driverless vehicles and battery and alternative propulsion technology.
Craig Humphrey, managing director of the Coventry and Warwickshire Growth Hub, added: “We will be following up contacts to ensure we continue to build the relationships which were started during the visit.
“Reports on the event are beginning to filter back and they are very positive, particularly from the Chinese delegates who were extremely impressed with what they saw, did and with whom they met. UKTI further commented that our model seems to be far superior than others that were presented elsewhere in Europe. Our aim now is to turn interest into investment.”
