Objectives achieved for the technology mission organised by Confindustria Lombardia, Digital Innovation Hub Lombardia and the Industrialists' Union of the Province of Varese

A country experiencing exponential growth, with its sights set on the future and immersed in technological and digital innovation.
This is the portrait of China's economy and industrial system that emerged upon returning from TechMission 2019, the technology mission organised by Confindustria Lombardia, Digital Innovation Hub Lombardia and the Industrialists' Union of the Province of Varese, which was attended by around thirty entrepreneurs, managers and representatives of the Lombardy economy.

The initiative, which also included a large delegation from Varese, is part of the programme of side events for the World Manufacturing Forum 2019, the most important manufacturing event, which will bring together international experts, representatives of large and small-to-medium enterprises, academics and policy makers in Cernobbio from 25 to 27 September to discuss the skills challenges the manufacturing sector faces in addressing the fourth industrial revolution.

The TechMission visited Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, as well as CES Asia 2019, where it was possible to see first-hand all the latest developments in electric vehicles and Artificial Intelligence.
One of the most significant moments was the meeting with Italian entrepreneurs living and working in China, who explained the difficulties and opportunities of the Chinese market.
Opportunities that our companies must be able to seize, which outweigh the problems inevitably encountered when engaging with a reality so different in terms of both regulations and industrial culture compared to Europe or the United States.

Participants in the Study Tour, for which the Industrialists' Union managed the organisational aspects, were able to observe first-hand how major Chinese companies are addressing the transition to the new digital economy, which is rapidly redesigning the structure of all economic sectors, with effects that are particularly impacting the manufacturing industry. Digital technologies are also changing organisational models, companies' market approaches and the creation of new business models. All this is within the framework of the Made in China 2020/2025 industrial plan, with which Beijing intends to redraw the global geography of innovation. China was not a protagonist in the first industrial revolutions, but it intends to be in the fourth.

The TechMission delegation was able to engage directly with experiences, solutions and innovative technologies that Chinese companies use in their plants and which can also be imported into our own companies, representing added value.

"From the TechMission in China," the Industrialists' Union commented, "many points for reflection emerged, starting with the great focus on innovation, which involves the whole country, from large industrial entities to smaller ones. The unified vision that the Chinese system demonstrates encourages the digital revolution; changes are daily, as are the opportunities for businesses. China is obviously also a competitor, but our industry possesses all the necessary elements to improve its results."

Varese, 20 June