今日上海
认证为双赢发展铺平道路 - 2025年07月15日
Accreditations pave way for win-win development
More than two dozen multinational headquarters and 15 foreign-funded R&D centers have been accredited by the Shanghai city government, with Mayor Gong Zheng awarding certificates for the representatives last Friday.
The certification ceremony
In the first five months of this year, Shanghai has added nearly 2,500 new foreign enterprises with actual use of foreign capital reaching US$7.6 billion, the latest indication of Shanghai's strong vibrancy for foreign investment from various industries segments.
A total of 56 foreign investment projects were inked with a total size of US$3.68 billion last Friday.
Currently, there are a total of 1,042 regional headquarters from multinational companies and 605 foreign funded research centers in the city.
New-energy vehicle makers, industrial manufacturers and health care companies are among the new investors which inked deals on Friday as they reaffirmed commitment to the Chinese market with more localization efforts planned in the future.
Vice President and General Manager of Eurofins EAG Material Sciences China Rakesh Kumar said that locating its R&D center in Shanghai has helped it to grow business volume and access the rich talent pool of the city.
The semiconductor industry cluster in Shanghai has helped it grow business volume and serve customers covering the whole country, he added. It has achieved more than 20 percent of annual growth of business revenue in China for the past four years.
Skincare giant Beiersdorf has pledged around US$31 million new investment in China this year to update local formula, new product portfolio and manufacturing capacity for future launches, according to Ketin Lei, general manager of Corporate Affairs at Beiersdorf China.
Shanghai is serving as an essential hub for commercial operations and product introductions. It has a complete industry value chain so that the company can leverage the city's advantages to effectively drive skincare product innovation based on local demands, he noted.
New-energy vehicle is also a highlight in the city as Toyota Motor Corporation last month officially begun construction of its first overseas Lexus-brand electric vehicle production base in Shanghai's Jinshan District.
The US$700 million facility represents Toyota's largest single EV investment in China to date and is scheduled to begin operations in 2027 with an annual production capacity of 100,000 premium electric vehicles for both domestic and international markets
The optimal location and the geographical advantage with easy access to other parts of the Yangtze River Delta enables it to link local manufacturers, parts suppliers, R&D centers.
The strategic location in suburban Jinshan District offers Toyota distinct advantages as the heart of China's most developed automotive manufacturing region.
Wang Qingzhou, chairman of Accelleron (China) Investment Co Ltd, said the company expects to further enhance industrial design and local production capabilities.
It will also focus on energy transformation and upgrading, and assist the green and digital transformation of China's shipbuilding and shipping industries with its innovative technologies.
Lonati (Shanghai) Textile Technology is wholly owned subsidiary set up last year by Italy's Lonati Group, a leading manufacturer of textile machinery.
Tiziano Sandonini, board member of Lonati (Shanghai) Textile Technology, said it's increasing local production for selected models so it can deliver products with greater flexibility and more efficient supply chain to respond to customization demands in China.
This represents not only a new venture, but a deeper commitment to China business.
It has also moved R&D functions from Italy to China as it needs to be more deeply rooted to offer higher level of customization for local clients, based on different types of yarn and customer demand, as well as lifestyle changes, he noted.
Foreign businesses believe Shanghai is the starting point for seeking local partnership and potential investment opportunities.
Axel Liu, managing director of Paul Hartmann (Shanghai) Trade Co, explained that receiving the certification of its regional headquarter sends a positive signal for foreign business while locating the China regional headquarters allows it to raise supply chain efficiency.
The Shanghai trading company is a wholly owned unit of Germany's leading provider of medical and hygiene products HARTMANN Group.
It also hopes to expand the portfolio sold to China through cross-border e-commerce import channels and is also considering setting up local manufacturing lines, which will be beneficiary its nationwide expansion and brand building in the long term.
Scopely China General Manager Michelle Zhang said it's been actively seeking local publishing partners and hopes to release its first gaming title between 2026 and 2027.
"We also expect to set up a local R&D site to cover all kinds of gaming titles and we're fully confident of the city's forward-looking gaming policy environment and supportive measures for foreign businesses," she added.
It hopes to empower local game developers by fully leveraging its strengths in capital operation, overseas distribution network, and in-depth understanding of overseas players' behavior and cultural preferences.
Source: Shanghai Daily
