A Belgian business delegation led by Rudy Aernoudt, Director of Cabinet to the President of Belgium's Mouvement Réformateur and former Chief Economist of the European Commission, recently visited Shenzhen's Nanshan District to explore industry collaboration and strengthen economic and trade ties.
Over two days, the delegation including top entrepreneurs from the Belgian think tank ETION and corporate leaders visited leading robotics firms including DJI, UBTECH, and Dobot, witnessing drone-delivered meals and spectacular drone light shows. They also attended the "Shenzhen (Nanshan)-Belgium Business Leaders Matchmaking Conference" at the Global Service Center, Go Global.
"Seeing these companies today has only deepened my conviction: whether Europe acknowledges it or not, China's industrial strength is now an undeniable reality in the global value chain. Cooperation is not optional—it is essential," said Geert Janssens, CEO of ETION, following his visit to DJI.
"Three of our delegates ended up buying DJI products on the spot," notedWu Yabin, Ambassador of the World Economic Council and Country Representative for China, during the visit. The energy carried into the afternoon matchmaking event, where InnAIO's exhibition booth sold 20 smart translation devices on the spot, with bulk orders already in the pipeline.
Beyond on-site sales, companies such as HERE, Optak, DST, and AI² Robotics helped forge precise connections with Belgian enterprises. This "see-now, buy-now" scene highlighted Shenzhen's product strength.
Rudy Aernoudt noted that Nanshan's strength lies not in individual companies but in its complete industrial ecosystem, supported by the local government's open mindset. He said this symbiotic model, where government and businesses work in alignment, is a blueprint Europe can learn from.
The conference concluded with over 20 companies expressing preliminary interest in collaboration, paving the way for compliance checks and in-depth discussions.
Ambassador Wu announced that the delegation plans to launch a China-Europe sustainable industry cooperation platform and host a high-level matchmaking event in Brussels later this year on new energy, electric vehicles, and robotics, warmly inviting Shenzhen enterprises to join.
Author | Zhang Siyu
Photo | Go Global
