Editor’s Note: As the year 2024 is around the corner, Shenzhen Daily has interviewed a number of senior executives of local foreign-invested companies, who walk us through their firms’ footprints within this year while exuding unwavering confidence in their future development. These two stories are the third and fourth of our series of reports. Chen Siqi vankochensq@163.com SHENZHEN and Jiangmen, pivotal cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), are positioning themselves for collaborative efforts, according to Michelle Liu, vice president of corporate affairs in the Asia-Pacific region at Tate & Lyle. “Shenzhen is a promising market and holds advantages in technological innovation,” Liu told Shenzhen Daily. She expressed her positive outlook on potential expansion opportunities in Shenzhen. Established in the U.K. in 1859, Tate & Lyle is a global leader in ingredient solutions for healthier food and beverages. It ventured into China in 2006, establishing an R&D lab and office in Shanghai, specifically focusing on beverage, dairy, and bakery applications. The group now operates 57 branches spanning 39 countries. In 2022, Tate & Lyle completed a significant move by acquiring full ownership of Quantum Hi-Tech (Guangdong) Biological Co. Ltd., a Jiangmen-based company specializing in prebiotic dietary fiber, marking its strategic penetration into the GBA. “With this acquisition, for the first time, Tate & Lyle is establishing a presence in South China, including R&D, manufacturing and sales,” Liu said. Beyond strengthening the company’s presence in the GBA and expanding its export business, this strategic move has helped expand the GBA’s international influence as the company has many overseas partners, according to Liu. “We highly recognize and have full confidence in the GBA’s business environment,” she added. Liu was invited to a panel discussion at the U.K.-Greater Bay Area Conference organized by the China-Britain Business Council in Qianhai in November. During her visit to Shenzhen, she was impressed by the city’s technological research projects. “Shenzhen is a leading center in technological innovation in the GBA and plays a pivotal role in cultivating regional cooperation,” Liu said. Liu expressed confidence in Shenzhen’s market, particularly noting the city’s mature customer base among health-conscious young people. This aligns with Tate & Lyle’s values centered around maintaining both taste and health in food products, she said. “Next, we will not only continue to enhance our R&D and manufacturing technologies to promote the high-quality development of the food and health industry, but also make positive contributions to ecology, culture, community, health education, and other areas, giving full play to our advantages as a multinational enterprise in terms of resources and experience,” Liu said. | 