Expo right Rx for foreign enterprises

Many of the innovative exhibits of foreign firms during previous editions of the China International Import Expo had attracted wide attention from consumers and industry stakeholders, several of which have gone on to achieve commercial success in the prosperous Chinese market.

With such benefits, it is becoming a priority for such companies to emphasize new brand and technology debuts during the CIIE. With the sixth edition having begun on Sunday, leveraging the platform to expedite the introduction of world-leading innovations in China by riding the country's high-quality development is now a successful strategy for a growing number of well-known international enterprises.

The United States-based biopharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences participated in the CIIE for the first time last year when it debuted its innovative oncology drug Trodelvy and blockbuster anti-fungal injection AmBisome. Both have been marketed in China this year at an accelerated speed to realize maximum availability for patients.

"As a returnee to the CIIE this year, we look forward to sharing the company's rapid development and future plans in China on such an open platform, accelerating the introduction of innovative products and continuously improving access to medicines amid our efforts to contribute to the Healthy China 2030 Initiative," said Jin Fangqian, vice-president of Gilead Sciences and general manager of its China arm.

GSK's shingles vaccine was a key exhibit of the company during the CIIE in 2019. It was commercially available in China the following year. Taking advantage of the CIIE's extended impact, the company quickly completed formal market introduction of the vaccine. It is currently available at 9,500 vaccination sites in 314 cities nationwide, and is expected to expand to over 30,000 sites soon.

On Monday, GSK held discussions at its CIIE booth with professionals from the medical sector, including public health experts and representatives from community healthcare centers, and reached a consensus on prioritizing disease prevention to promote healthy aging. The company believes its vaccine products, including the shingles vaccine, can play a role in better health management for seniors.

Pavol Dobrocky, president and CEO of Boehringer Ingelheim Greater China, said the German firm — which plans to invest over 4 billion yuan ($548 million) in research and development in China over the next five years — has unveiled nearly 30 groundbreaking products and solutions at the CIIE during the past five years.

"For example, at the fourth CIIE, we partnered with the Wenjiang district government of Chengdu to invest in the construction of a German gold-standard stroke rehabilitation center in Chengdu Medical City. The project was launched earlier this year, marking our transition from an exhibitor to an investor," Dobrocky said.

Europe-based management and technology consultancy Bearing-Point first participated in the CIIE in 2021.

"Leveraging the extensive connections and impact of the CIIE platform, the company's exhibition items have accelerated integration into the wave of digital transformation and low-carbon development among Chinese enterprises," said Tunde Laleye, BearingPoint China CEO.

BearingPoint globally launched a new product, the Sustainable Maturity Assessment Tool, at the expo that year. It has continued to help Chinese enterprises achieve sustainable development in areas including digitalization, innovative management and carbon neutrality, Laleye said.

Japanese cosmetics giant Shiseido debuted its skin care brands THE GINZA and BAUM and beauty device brand EFFECTIM in China during the 2020 CIIE, and all were launched in the Chinese market the following year.

"Over the past four years of participating in the CIIE, we've seen firsthand just how influential the expo can be for our corporate image and business. Many new technologies and products have gone on to receive widespread attention from consumers after being exhibited at the CIIE, successfully transforming from exhibits to products," said Toshinobu Umetsu, president and CEO of Shiseido China.