EU-SME Centre in China

Qualitative and quantitative indicators:

• Number of SME enquiries and number of contacts of the EU SME Centre in China for information and advice purposes;
• Number of persons/SMEs trained in-person or remotely through webinars and workshops;
• Number of SMEs satisfied with the services provided (e.g. testimonials, post-service customer evaluations, etc.);
• Number of updated and new publications focusing on specific segments of the Chinese market.

The EU SME Centre in China serves as a first point of support for EU SMEs interested in internationalising their businesses to China. It provides them with an overview of opportunities and risks in the Chinese market, as well as relevant information on European policies towards China such as de-risking, which help them assess their fitness and readiness to internationalise. It provides links to relevant Trade Promotion Organisations (“TPOs”), Business Support Organisations (“BSOs”) and other EU actions (e.g. IP helpdesk) to make sure the SMEs can have the best support and advice possible when considering their expansion to China. The Centre also provides training and information sessions on a variety of industrial topics, to even out the knowledge differential that SMEs might have in comparison to larger corporations. Finally, the Centre engages in advocacy activities on behalf of EU SMEs, in coordination with the EU Chamber of Commerce in China’s Working Group on SMEs.

The Centre is expected to assist SMEs to understand the Chinese market, so an expected result is increased awareness by SMEs of services that can be provided in this regard not only by the Centre, but also by other actors in China (e.g. BSOs, TPOs). Through the organisation of training programs, the dissemination of learning materials, and the provision of one-on-one professional advice, SMEs are expected to improve their knowledge over the business landscape in China, and to fully grasp the opportunities available to them and the risks along the way.