Xi Jinping makes no secret of it
China is going to invest heavily in the digital economy in the coming years. In a speech to the CCP Politburo in October 2021, Xi Jinping announced his intention to make the development of the digital economy a national strategy. In fact, the core industries of the digital economy are set to account for 10% of China’s gross domestic product by 2025. This growth is to be driven primarily by stimulating innovation in key technologies such as 6G, blockchain, artificial intelligence and big data. All to be at the forefront of the global digital transformation.
Innovation rate
This has major implications for the European Union and the Netherlands. For certain key technologies, such as semiconductors and battery technology, the Netherlands does not want to become dependent on China. Undesirable technology transfer must be avoided. At the same time, cooperation with China offers many opportunities for Dutch companies and institutions. After all, innovation benefits from cooperation. To what extent is cooperation with China possible and desirable in the field of these technologies? And what are the consequences for Dutch and European companies in case of dependence on Chinese technologies?
Sufficient knowledge and insight?
The key question at this meeting is whether there is sufficient knowledge and insight in the field of data-intensive technologies in the European Union and in the Netherlands. Which scenarios are imaginable if the Dutch business community cannot keep up? How will we see the consequences of this in society? What is going well? Does the education system match the needs of the business community? Given the digital transformation, it is very important to improve people’s digital competences and skills, otherwise competition with China will be impossible. If there is time left, we would also like to discuss whether China’s desire to dominate the standardisation of new technologies means that our products cannot eventually be sold in the countries connected to the New Silk Road.
Huawei Technologies will be our host on March 23. We are pleased to invite you to attend this next live China Café at their offices. Our three speakers will give their views on cooperation and dependence in the field of Chinese technology.
Speakers
Rogier Creemers is an assistant professor of Modern China Studies at Leiden University. His research mainly focuses on Chinese digital technology policy, as well as the growing importance of China in global digital affairs. He is also principal investigator of the NWO Vidi-project “the Smart State: Big Data, Artificial Intelligence and the Law in China”, and for the LeidenAsiaCentre he leads a project on China and global cybersecurity, funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Gert-Jan van Eck has been the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Huawei Netherlands since 2019. In this position he is responsible for the long-term development of Huawei in the Netherlands. He has a long career within the telecom industry. Previously, he worked for Ericcsson and KPN, where he held various international management positions. He has a background in Industrial Engineering and Business Economics and years of experience in telecoms and digitalisation.
Leah Li works for Seedlink. Seedlink is a tech scale-up that develops artificial intelligence to better match candidates to jobs, the China and Netherlands based company wants to leverage cutting edge technology by removing human bias from the decision-making process. Leah works on taking Seedlink back to the Chinese market, as well as recruiting fast growing scale-ups in Europe. Before Seedlink, she focused on research at University of Amsterdam about comparisons of business incubators and ecosystem in the Netherlands and in China. She studied International Business in France and Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the Netherlands.
Lilian Kranenburg (Moderator) is the owner of ChinaMoves. She supports and advises Dutch companies that are active in China in the field of communication in the broadest sense. She consults newcomers on the Chinese market on entry strategies, links trends to commercial opportunities and provides tailor-made culture training. Together with Joke Bruynzeel, she runs the China Café.
Programme
17:00 Entry with networking opportunity
17:30 Welcome and introduction of this China Café Session by Lilian Kranenburg (China Café)
Speaker 1: Rogier Creemers (Universiteit Leiden , LeidenAsiaCentre)
Speaker 2: Gert-Jan van Eck (COO Huawei)
Speaker 3: Leah Li (Seedlink)
18:00 Discussion and questions from audience
18:20 Closing words from the moderator and thanks from Joke Bruynzeel (China Café)
18:30 Drinks & guided tour through the Huawei Experience Center for those interested
Practical information
Host: Huawei Technologies Netherlands B.V
Locatie: Laan van Vredenoord 56, Rijswijk
Accessibility: Tram stop Rijswijk, Broekpolder. Parking is limited, try carpooling!
