苏州何以打造中英经贸合作新平台

新华网南京7月27日电（记者何磊静）对于不少志在中国这一巨大市场寻得机遇的英国创业者来说，来华第一站多了一个新选择：离上海仅约30分钟车程的江苏省苏州市。

这座长三角地区的经济大市，于今年5月启用中英经贸合作创新港。作为长三角国际科技创新中心关键节点平台，这一中英合作的新平台位于苏州高新区，由英中贸易协会（CBBC）深度参与运营。

“这一平台立足长三角地区良好的产业基础、区位优势及创新生态，发挥英中贸易协会桥梁纽带作用，促进中英两国产业协同创新、贸易双向繁荣、资本有效对接、人才深度交流。”苏州高新区服务业招商中心董事长董建介绍，该平台将致力于构建一个涵盖投资促进、产业协作、人文交流、政策咨询、市场开拓等多功能的双向开放合作平台。

董建表示，目前该平台所在的办公环境已建设到位，来华的英国创业者基本能实现拎包入住。

苏州是制造业高地，苏州高新区坐拥新一代信息技术、高端装备制造两大千亿级主导产业，新能源、光子集成电路、大健康医疗器械等新兴产业拔节生长，创新载体、产业配套完备，有着与英国高端创新资源高效协同、错位互补、双向赋能的扎实条件。目前，该区内已集聚外资企业超2000家，涵盖霍丁格必凯、达格测试等各类英资及英资参股企业。

董建说，在合作方向上，该平台聚焦投资促进、创新孵化、产业协作等，持续探索“苏州制造+英国品牌”“英国技术+苏州市场”等合作模式，重点推动人工智能等前沿领域的联合研发与产业转化。

截至目前，该平台已累计对接落地经营主体、合作机构40家，在谈项目22家。首批涵盖金融服务、跨境投资等领域的9个合作项目。

不仅赋能英国企业来华，该平台还旨在助力中国企业出海。

近期，该平台与励展博览集团（RELX旗下）建立了常态化活动合作机制。自今年5月以来，双方已围绕生命科学、新材料、新能源等领域举办多场产业分享活动，助力本地企业更好地拓展海外市场、开展全球合作。

“这一平台为中国企业对接国际标准、开拓全球市场搭建跳板，也为英国创新项目落户长三角提供一站式服务，架起一座双向奔赴的桥。”英中贸易协会首席代表、项目部高级经理王峥霞说。

下半年，30场双向经贸活动已排上日程，贯通文化教育、体育旅游、科技创新等多个赛道。一方面，平台将接待英国私募基金、绿色建材、康养等行业代表团来访；另一方面，组织江苏大健康产业代表团赴英出访，同步举办伦敦发展署圆桌会、苏英企业家商务峰会、英国KBP苏州专场等专题活动，带动中英双边合作迈上新台阶。

眼下，走进创新港，办公间、会议室、文化角等功能区错落排布，全景落地窗揽尽城市风光。通透开阔的空间设计，处处彰显英伦格调。

“优质载体、完善服务、开放机遇，我们万事俱备，只待企业‘拎包入驻’。”王峥霞说。

How China’s Suzhou builds new gateway for China-UK business and innovation

NANJING, July 27 (Xinhua) -- For British entrepreneurs seeking a foothold in China’s vast and dynamic market, the first stop in the country now comes with a new option: Suzhou, an economic powerhouse in east China’s Jiangsu Province, just a 30-minute drive from Shanghai.

The city in the heart of the Yangtze River Delta opened the UK-China Business & Innovation Hub in May, creating a new platform designed to deepen collaboration between the two countries in business, technology and investment.

Located in Suzhou New District (SND), the hub serves as a key part of the blueprint of the Yangtze River Delta to build an international science and technology innovation center and is jointly operated with the involvement of the China-Britain Business Council (CBBC), a leading organization promoting bilateral economic ties.

“Leveraging the region’s strong industrial foundation, strategic location and vibrant innovation ecosystem, the hub will harness CBBC’s role as a bridge to facilitate coordinated industrial innovation, two-way trade growth, capital connectivity and talent exchange between China and the UK,” said Dong Jian, Director of SND Modern Service Industry Investment Promotion Center.

The hub aims to become a comprehensive gateway for bilateral cooperation, offering services ranging from investment promotion and industrial partnerships to cultural exchanges, policy consultation and market expansion.

Dong said the facility is already fully equipped, allowing British entrepreneurs arriving in China to settle in and begin operations as starting point.

Suzhou, long known as a manufacturing highland, has developed a sophisticated industrial ecosystem that provides fertile ground for cooperation with British innovation resources. SND is home to two pillar industries, new-generation information technology and advanced equipment manufacturing, while emerging sectors such as new energy, photonics and integrated circuits and medical devices and healthcare are rapidly gaining momentum.

With strong industrial support, innovation platforms and supply-chain networks, SND offers opportunities for complementary cooperation with the UK, combining British technological strengths with Suzhou’s manufacturing capabilities and market advantages.

More than 2,000 foreign-invested companies have established operations in the district, including a number of British-funded or British-invested enterprises such as Hottinger Brüel & Kjær (HBK) and Dage Test Systems.

“On the cooperation front, the hub focuses on investment promotion, innovation incubation and industrial collaboration,” Dong said. “We are exploring new models such as ‘Suzhou manufacturing plus British brands’ and ‘British technology plus the Suzhou market,’ with a particular emphasis on joint research and commercialisation in frontier fields including artificial intelligence.”

Since its launch, the hub has connected with and helped attract more than 40 business entities and cooperation partners, with 27 projects currently under discussion. Its first batch of initiatives includes nine cooperation projects covering areas such as financial services and cross-border investment.

Beyond helping British companies enter China, the hub is also designed to support Chinese enterprises expanding overseas.

Recently, the hub established a regular event cooperation mechanism with RELX’s Reed Exhibitions. Several industrial sharing events focused on life science, new materials and new energy have been held since this May, helping local businesses better navigate overseas markets and pursue global partnerships.

“The hub provides a platform for Chinese companies to align with international standards and explore global markets, while offering British innovators a one-stop gateway into the Yangtze River Delta,” said Carol Wang, Chief Representative for CBBC’s Nanjing office and Senior Project Manager. “It is building a bridge where China and the UK can meet halfway.”

A series of 30 bilateral economic and trade events are scheduled for the second half of the year, spanning culture, education, financial, retail and technological innovation.

The hub plans to welcome British delegations from sectors including private equity, green building materials and healthcare, while also organizing visits for Jiangsu healthcare companies to the UK. Other planned activities include roundtables with London & Partners, Jiangsu-UK entrepreneur summits and special sessions on various thematic sectors.

Inside the hub, office spaces, meeting rooms and exhibition areas are arranged around an open, modern layout. Floor-to-ceiling windows offer sweeping views of the city, while design details incorporate a distinctive British aesthetic.

“With quality facilities, comprehensive services and abundant opportunities, everything is ready,” Wang said. “We are waiting for companies to arrive and start their journey with a simple ‘suitcase and settle in’ approach.” Enditem