China and Italy in 2013 launched the conjoint initiative named “China – Italy Science, Technology and Innovation Week”, a matchmaking platform and event held in each year, alternatively in Italy and in China, addressed to companies, universities, research centers and public bodies in order to strengthen scientific cooperation and business opportunities. In this framework, the Ministry of Science and Technology of People’s Republic of China and the Ministry of Education, University and Research of Italy have decided to strongly support the China-Italy Startup Cooperation, a joint program to support the creation and the internationalization of italian and chinese startups. At this aim, in 2016 the two governments launched the China-Italy Best Startup Showcase, the bilateral platform held alternatively in Italy and in China on the occasion of the China-Italy Science, Technology & Innovation Week, aimed to support the internationalization and industrialization of chinese and italian market-proven startups interested to expand their business in the other country, facilitating chinese and italian financial operators to invest in promising startups and attracting investments in the two countries.
In particular, the initiative aims to support chinese and italian startups to explore the other country market through high quality soft landing services and meeting financial operators potentially interested to invest in their business. Based on the success of the first edition of the Best Startup Showcase, with the participation of 22 startups (11 italian and 11 chinese), in 2017 the Joint Strategic Plan for Cooperation in Science, Technology and Innovation between China and Italy towards 2020, signed at the presence of President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping and the President of Italian Republic Sergio Mattarella, and the Action Plan on Economic, Commercial, Cultural and Scientific-Technological Cooperation between Italy and China, signed by Prime Ministers Li Keqiang and Paolo Gentiloni, have identified the Showcase as one of the main activities of the China-Italy Science, Technology & Innovation Week, and a central point of the common strategy in developing a platform to promote internationalization and attraction of startups and investors in both countries. Therefore, in the context of the China-Italy Science, Technology and Innovation Week 2017, organized by Città della Scienza, the Special Program for Startups is at the core of the event and has been expanded. It has been organized by Campania NewSteel under the address of Italian Ministry of Economic Development, in collaboration with PNI Cube, National Network of University Incubators. The China-Italy Roadshow for startups articulated into three initiatives, realized in partnership with relevant representatives of italian and chinese startup ecosystem: -, in collaboration with Beijing Association for Science and Technology, Returnees Chuangyi Scientific and Technological Incubator and Campania Region; – The China-Italy Best Startup Showcase, in collaboration with ITTN – International Technology Transfer Network and TusStar, Tsinghua University Incubator; – The Y-Pitch & ChinaEU – Campania Newsteel Digital Startup & Scaleup Joint Prize, in collaboration with ChinaEU and the special participation of Italia Startup Association.
The Roadshow for startup held on November 13th in Beijing, in collaboration with BAST – Beijing Association for Science and Technology – and with Returnees Chuangyi Scientific and Technological Incubator incubator, where 10 italian and 15 chinese startups presented their projects to a wide and qualified audience, consisting of chinese and italian business angels, incubators and professionals. During this day an important agreement was signed between Campania NewSteel, the Returnees Chuangyi Scientific and Technological Incubator – founded by students, researchers and chinese scientists who spent a period working abroad – Italy Startup and the China Returnees Youth Association .
The November 14th day started with the opening ceremony of the event at the presence of Minister Valeria Fedeli and Minister Wan Gang and of a prestigious Italian delegation including the Chairman of CNR, Massimo Inguscio and the President of the Italian Aerospace Agency Roberto Battiston. During this official ceremony Campania NewSteel signed two agreements with Tsinghua University, the University of Bergamo, the University of Naples Federico II and the Tsinghua University’s Electrical Engineering Department, where Campania NewSteel plays the role of supporting the transformation of the results of innovative research projects into startup, while the other agreement signed with Tsinghua University and the XLab provides acceleration and pre-incubation program of the projects developed by students.
The second edition of the China-Italy Best Startup Showcase initiative was held at Tsinghua University’s headquarters – one of China’s leading Chinese-language training institutes – among the best innovative market-proven startup experiences in Italy and China interested in internationalization programs and meeting investors from both countries. The meeting saw the participation of 8 italian startups and 20 chinese startups. During the event, an important agreement was signed between Campania NewSteel and the TusStar incubator – Tsinghua University incubator – in the presence of Lin Jian, TusStar Director of International Cooperation, in partnership with the International Technology Transfer Network (ITTN). The start-ups presented their activities to a group of Chinese investors including Hongming Lan, QF Capital Investment Manager, Lai Zhang, Director of TusStar International Investment, Ningning Wang, Deputy Director of Funding Management Department of Cross Strait Tsinghua Research Institute, Guochao Xiao, Vice President, Tsingda Innovation (Xiamen) Investment Management Co., Ltd., Luohong Zhou, Senior Management Partner, Angel Foundation, Yaning Pang, Director of Innovation and Incubator Department, Tsinghua Holdings and many more. The meeting ended with a networking session between startups and investors, which generated interesting contacts that will be developed over the next few months in the cooperation activities jointly with TuStar incubator.
The 15th day was held at the 898 Innospace incubator in Beijing, the Y-Pitch & ChinaEU – Campania Newsteel Digital Startup & Scaleup Joint Prize, a special program for accompanying and matching businesses with major Chinese funds interested in investing in startup / scale-ups operating in the digital domain.
Finally on the 16th day in Chengdu, the delegation visited the TusStar incubator one of China’s most beautiful and innovative incubators, inaugurated last October.
