A 50,000 m² technology park near Shanghai
This project was our toughest test. We saw it through from a first meeting at a trade fair to the day the finished plant was handed over to the investor, through the pandemic, lockdowns and sanctions. Here is how it went and what we learned.
How it started
It all began at the China International Import Expo in 2019. Our task was to bring a partner’s companies to China, set up production and build sales in the local market.
We ran a PR campaign in China’s official media and arranged the partner’s participation in the Hongqiao International Economic Forum and meetings with China’s leadership. The project was signed in the presence of the Mayor of Shanghai, and the authorities gave it their full support.
Project timeline
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2019
Finding a partner
At the expo we met key market players and found a Chinese co-investor to move forward with.
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2020
Land and design
We registered a joint venture in an economic zone and chose a site 100 kilometers from Shanghai. We bought the land at auction and started design work, sitting with Chinese architects and drawing the future buildings by hand. In parallel, we signed agreements with the government and banks and secured tax incentives.
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2021–2022
Construction
We went through the tenders, chose a general contractor and put up the buildings. We bought and installed the equipment while solving the endless logistics problems of that time.
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2023
Launch
The state commission accepted the facility, and we completed the engineering preparation. We set up full-cycle production shops and started making commercial water equipment.
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2024–2025
Management and handover
For two more years we ran the joint venture. At the end of 2025 we handed the working facility over to the investor.
What this experience gave us
We did not treat this technology park as an abstract project. It was our school, where we learned first-hand how the Chinese system works from the inside.
We worked our way from district administrations up to the Shanghai Municipal Government. We understand how officials work, what they need and how to build a dialogue.
We secured credit lines and built a financial model that met strict Chinese requirements.
From the first sketch and the general contractor tender to installing equipment and reaching real output.
The pandemic, closed borders, broken supply chains, sanctions. We came through all of it and still launched the plant.
What it means for you
We don’t retell other people’s experience or AI-generated theory. We apply what we built with our own hands.
In sourcing, it lets us see right through a factory, from the shop floor to the warehouse, and know where the risks hide. In business missions, it opens doors to company leadership and government offices, because we know how it’s done. In consulting, it helps us tell a real, workable project from a polished presentation, because we have tested it ourselves.
Discuss your project
If you are planning a project in China and want to know how to make it work in practice, write to us. We’ll tell you how we solved these problems in our own project.
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