Joe Kaeser, President & CEO of Siemens AG (photo provided to Newsgd.com)

Improving connectivity between cities, developing clean energy and digital industries will be the key levers of Guangdong’s future development, according to Joe Kaeser, President & CEO of Siemens AG, during an interview with Newsgd.com recently.

Serving as the Economic Adviser of the ICCFED 2019, together with other 11 peers, Kaeser has brought his insight on the development of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) to Guangzhou.

Kaeser further explained that in line with the development agenda of GBA, it is important for Guangdong to continue as a pioneer of opening-up, to foster innovation and to make its economy more sustainable. He believes that openness, partnership and innovation are three cornerstones. With an open mindset and commitment to true collaboration, on the basis of reciprocity the GBA will develop well.

Kaeser said his company is willing to support Guangdong build smart-city pilot projects, to develop a reliable, affordable, and low-carbon supply of energy, and to establish a highly advanced industrial base.

Rooted in China since 2002, Siemens Shenzhen Magnetic Resonance Ltd. (SSMR) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Siemens. (File photo from Nanfang Daily)

Siemens’ friendship with Guangdong dates back to 1929 when Siemens provided two diesel generators for the province. Since then cooperation has boomed in various fields, and now Siemens has put down roots in the region with 3 operational companies, 2 innovation centers and 8 offices and branches across the various GBA cities.

The province has shaped its digital and advanced manufacturing industries by utilizing a lot of Siemens’s technology over the past few decades. At least 18 metro lines in Guangdong use Siemens technology and the city of Zhuhai, a city adjacent to Macau, has applied the integrated traffic management system, allowing residents enjoy customized transport services through just a click on a mobile app. Furthermore around 20 universities and vocational colleges in Guangdong are cooperating with Siemens to nurture talent in the field of intelligent manufacturing.

When talking about the ICCFED, Kaeser was also very excited. Twenty years ago, in 1999, when the first-ever ICCFED was held, Siemens senior management was named Economic Adviser to Guangdong. “I am very proud that Siemens has been here from the very beginning, and today the honour of continuing this work has fallen to me.”

Reported by Nan

Edited by Olivia & Simon