On February 3, the Berlin Business Desk China (BBDC) hosted an exclusive Berlin–Shenzhen Business Roundtable in Shenzhen, supported by the Shenzhen International Business e-Station. The event brought together companies and entrepreneurs from Shenzhen with a shared goal of international expansion, focusing on market entry into Germany, Berlin’s advantages as a gateway to Europe, and concrete cooperation opportunities with Berlin-based partners.
The roundtable began with a guided tour of the Shenzhen International Business e-Station. The platform serves as a pilot service hub established by the Shenzhen Municipal Commerce Bureau to support Guangdong-based enterprises in their global expansion efforts, making it the first initiative of its kind in the region. The e-Station integrates online information services with offline assistance, offering comprehensive support for companies planning to enter international markets. Its services include policy interpretation, strategic planning, and access to curated lists of overseas industry parks, providing practical guidance for enterprises seeking to expand abroad.
Following the tour, Yiran Li, Chief Representative of the Berlin Business Desk China, delivered a keynote highlighting Berlin’s strengths as a key entry point for Chinese companies entering the European market. She emphasized Berlin’s unique role as Germany’s capital and largest metropolitan area, its highly innovative startup ecosystem, its strong concentration of research and development activities, and the wide range of support structures available to international businesses.
Building on this, Marten Rauschenberg, CEO of AsiaBerlin, introduced Berlin’s startup ecosystem and presented AsiaBerlin as a platform connecting Asian and Berlin-based startups and innovation networks. He also highlighted the AsiaBerlin Summit, the organization’s annual flagship event where policymakers, startups, investors, and corporate partners come together to explore emerging technology trends and cross-border collaboration opportunities.
Finally, Sun Chengyan, CEO of NEO M.E. Services in Berlin, shared practical insights on market entry into Germany. Her contribution focused on key challenges, available support structures, and critical success factors Chinese companies should consider when expanding into the German market.
The roundtable concluded with an open discussion session, during which each participating company had the opportunity to introduce itself and raise concrete questions related to its expansion plans to Germany. Topics ranged from legal considerations and sales strategies to identifying suitable business partners.
The discussion highlighted the strong interest of Greater Bay Area companies in expanding into the German market and their growing attention to Berlin as a potential investment destination.
The Berlin Business Desk China would like to express its sincere thanks to the Shenzhen International Business e-Station and NEO M.E. Services for the excellent collaboration, as well as to all participants for their active engagement. The BBDC will continue to support Shenzhen-based companies in exploring cooperation and expansion opportunities in Berlin and Germany.
