政府新闻
上海的区域总部环境推动了企业的扩张和创新 2025-06-03
One common secret of success in China for Det Norske Veritas(DNV) and L'Oreal, global giants in their respective fields, is that they chose Shanghai as their regional headquarters, which has facilitated their solid business performance in the past 20-plus years.
During a media tour to discover how multinational enterprises fare in Shanghai, both DNV and L'Oreal pointed to the good function of regional headquarters in the city that empowered their capabilities in continued business expansion and innovation.
"China is one of DNV's most critical markets globally," said Norbert Kray, senior vice president of DNV Group who is also chairman of DNV China.
A Norwegian firm starting as a service provider for the shipping sector in 1864, DNV can trace its China roots back to 1888, when it first opened an office in Xiamen, southeastern Fujian Province.
In 2000, DNV relocated its regional headquarters to Shanghai from Hong Kong, and turned itself into a wholly foreign-owned enterprise in 2009 in Shanghai. Now located in Hong Qiao State Guest Hotel in the Hongqiao International Central Business District, the firm has taken advantage of Shanghai's construction as a global shipping center along with other booming industries.
The regional headquarters of DNV is located in Hong Qiao State Guest Hotel, which is in the center of Shanghai's Hongqiao International Central Business District.
On Sunday, DNV has expanded into emerging industries other than maritime business, excelling in charting certificates for companies in sectors like automotive, aerospace, supply chain, energy, health care etc.
The Chinese market, where DNV has 32 offices in 21 cities and employs more than 1,200 people, accounts for 28 percent of its global business.
"We are a knowledge-based company, and as a certifier, we need to develop new standards and rules, thus we invest heavily in R&D," Kray said, noting that Shanghai has fully met its demand for skilled professionals and created a friendly business environment that contributes to the firm's development.
In 2019, DNV received the certificate of regional headquarters from the Shanghai government and Kray was given the Magnolia Award in 2022 to recognize his contribution to the city.
Norbert Kray (center), senior vice president of DNV Group who is also chairman of DNV China, poses at the DNV office in Shanghai, which is the firm's regional headquarters.
The same passion and confidence in Shanghai was found at French firm L'Oreal.
As a leader in the beauty industry, the company set up L'Oreal Research and Innovation China in Shanghai 20 years ago.
As one of L'Oreal's seven global R&D hubs and the largest outside the French headquarters, the center boasts end-to-end R&D capabilities. In 2024, it applied for 372 patents in China, including 81 invention patents from Chinese R&D teams.
"In 2005, we opened in Shanghai's Pudong New Area to introduce innovative achievements from our French headquarters to China. Today, we are here to introduce China's innovations to the world," said Xavier Blin, director of the research and innovation center. "Investing in China is investing in future."
L'Oreal has just announced a strategic partnership with a local startup Veminsyn to jointly develop innovative bioactive ingredients and promote mass production.
"From DNV's century-long heritage to L'Oreal's 20 years of innovation, these multinationals' practices in China vividly illustrate the strong magnetism of the Chinese market, its cutting-edge innovation capabilities, and its open and inclusive cooperation philosophy," said Liu Liang, a researcher with the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences.
Xavier Blin, director of L'Oreal Research and Innovation China.
Source: Shanghai Daily
