WHEN BMW first ventured into China’s old industrial heartland over two decades ago, it adopted a light asset investment strategy of cautiously sharing production lines with local partner Brilliance Auto Group. At that time, China’s automobile industry had just started to build momentum, with production and sales exceeding 4 million vehicles for the first time. Today, the German automaker’s sprawling complex anchors in the China-Germany Equipment Manufacturing Industrial Park in Shenyang, northeastern China’s Liaoning Province, and serves as BMW’s largest global production base and an electric vehicle nerve center. BMW’s production base in Shenyang integrates R&D, procurement, and manufacturing to swiftly meet local consumer demands, supported by advanced infrastructure, technology, strong government support, and local partnerships, said Michele Melchiorre, senior vice president of technology and manufacturing at BMW Brilliance Automotive Ltd., BMW’s China joint venture. Celebrating its 10th anniversary, the China-Germany Equipment Manufacturing Industrial Park in Shenyang has evolved from an “open window” to a dynamic ecosystem where German engineering collides with Chinese scale and digital ambition. In 2024, the combined output value of major enterprises in the park totaled 112.62 billion yuan (US$15.9 billion), which was 2.7 times that of 2016, while foreign companies like BMW, ZF, Heraeus, Michelin, and Gestamp now make up over 40% of the park’s more than 300 enterprises. “The park, already a gold-standard business hub, is poised to attract more companies from Germany and other European countries to deepen collaboration in high-end manufacturing, green industries, digitalization, and biomedicine,” said Feng Xingliang, chief representative of NRW.Global Business, the trade and investment agency for the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia in China. Having established a mature model of cooperation over the past decade by marrying German technical expertise with Chinese market demand, the China-Germany Equipment Manufacturing Industrial Park in Shenyang now sees new two-way potential with China’s leading-edge digital technologies, positioning the city as a gateway for European businesses in Northeast Asia, Feng added. This collaboration thrives on reciprocity. BMW’s some 460 Chinese suppliers drive automotive upgrades, while its July 2025 new joint venture with China Datang Corp. Ltd. is planning to develop a 1-gigawatt onshore wind power project to supply green electricity for its supply chain. This will green not just BMW’s 100% renewable-powered Shenyang production base, but also empower its regional partners to further cut carbon emissions. Sean Green, president and CEO of BMW Group Region China, noted that Chinese partners have been crucial on BMW’s journey toward electrification, digitalization, and circularity. Beyond hardware, the park’s trilingual “one-stop” digital platform offers 11 tailored international services, including visa processing, schooling for expatriate children, and support for its many foreign enterprises and staff. It also provides proactive, one-stop support, such as facilitating human resources and tech partnerships, and enables financial services, providing these directly to companies. For firms like Shenyang Zhongjin Mould Group Co. Ltd., this has proved transformative. “These services taught us recruitment tactics and broadened channels,” said company chairman Zhao Zhongning. Simultaneously, Schutz Group, a well-known German company in the field of security and intelligent systems, injects vocational expertise at this venue, blending German standards with local needs. “We plan to introduce curriculum standards and practical training models of German vocational education,” said Schutz’s project manager Chris Klann. “On the other hand, we plan to align the technological needs of the Chinese market with the job requirements of park enterprises to customize training for individuals who understand both theory and practical operation.” The park’s ability to connect with German SMEs is also impressive, as its extensive experience cooperating with Germany and its network of resources allows it to provide German SMEs with comprehensive support, including information connection, project incubation, and market expansion. German SMEs are crucial drivers of innovation and vitality. The park provides an industrial ecosystem platform that effectively integrates these companies’ technological and process advantages with the demands of the Chinese market, said Michael Weber from Weber & Partners, a tax consulting and corporate services organization in central Germany. “In the long term, this collaboration will foster a more multifaceted and stable framework for Sino-German economic and trade relations through the in-depth participation of a large number of SMEs,” he noted. According to the 2024/2025 Business Confidence Survey by the German Chamber of Commerce in China, 92% of member companies plan to stay in China, and about half intend to increase their investment over the next two years. This long-term commitment reflects not only confidence in the Chinese market, but also recognition of the country's growing innovation capacity. In fact, 55% of German companies operating in China expect their Chinese counterparts to become innovation leaders in their industries within the next five years, and nearly half of the surveyed firms plan to enhance competitiveness through partnerships with Chinese players.(Xinhua) | 