CHENGDU, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- At a machinery factory in Vicenza, Italy, Chinese-made robots weld components and move materials. The machines come from Chengdu CRP Robot Technology Co., Ltd., which now has more than 20 partners across 13 European countries.
Thirty years ago, German entrepreneur Harald Kumpfert relied largely on European technology for his energy-saving projects in China. Today, he buys Chinese heat pumps, thermal storage equipment and heat exchangers, and is trying to introduce Chinese technology to Europe.
"Now most technology is actually from China," Kumpfert said at a business fair in Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province.
The 19th Europe-China Business and Technology Cooperation Fair, which concluded Friday, brought together about 200 Chinese and European companies for nearly 400 one-on-one business meetings.
Kumpfert's experience shows the importance European businesses place on Chinese suppliers.
In a 2026 survey by the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, 94 percent of respondents said sourcing from China was important or very important to their supply chains and business success, while 75 percent said that their production lines in China were more efficient than those elsewhere.
The automotive industry shows how competition and cooperation can develop side by side.
China's rapid advances in new energy vehicles have intensified competition for established European automakers. Yet European carmakers remain interested in investing in China and are working with Chinese companies to explore opportunities in European markets, according to Adam Dunnett, secretary-general of the chamber.
Dunnett described China's electric vehicle development as "nothing short of amazing" and said there was considerable scope for further cooperation.
"I think there is a much bigger upside to what can happen in the future than perhaps the focus on all the challenges that we are facing right now," he said.
Some European businesses are also expanding their research and development operations in China.
Swiss specialty chemicals maker Sika Group has 33 factories and four of its nine global R&D centers in China. Zhang Yejiong, President of Sika China, said the company was expanding local R&D while incorporating low-carbon requirements into product development.
Chinese components are also attracting European researchers. Juha Röning, a professor at Finland's University of Oulu and euRobotics' Vice President of Research, said the availability of Chinese-made sensors, motors and gears allowed researchers to concentrate on developing new applications rather than building every component themselves.
For equipment manufacturers, selling to Europe increasingly involves more than shipping machines.
CRP Robot is working with European local partners to improve technical support and after-sales services, its deputy general manager Deng Shihai said. Luigi Gambardella, president of the international digital association ChinaEU, said Chinese robots entering European factories could also generate business for local engineers, software developers and service providers.
European producers, meanwhile, are pursuing opportunities in China's consumer market.
Hervé Grangeon, founder of Ergaster Distillery in France, came to Chengdu seeking distributors for his gin and whisky, while Spanish ham producer Garcia Lizana is preparing the documents needed to enter China.
Smaller European businesses, however, often struggle to find local partners and navigate market-entry requirements, Zhang said. He suggested that local governments and business associations could help them identify opportunities by providing policy guidance and connecting them with potential Chinese partners.
Among the technologies on display was a Chinese elevator energy-saving system that caught Kumpfert's attention. Having spent much of his career bringing European technology to China, he now plans to explore cooperation with its Chinese developer. ■
