Shenzhen technology district skyline at dusk

Shenzhen2 days (extendable)

China Technology & Innovation

Name: China Technology & Innovation
Location: Shenzhen

Meet the businesses, builders and investors defining the next generation of Chinese technology.

AI & digital platformsHardware ecosystemsRobotics & drones

Why Shenzhen

Shenzhen went from fishing village to China's hardware and tech capital in under two generations. It is the only city where you can walk into a telecom giant, an internet platform, a drone manufacturer and a humanoid robotics company without leaving town.

Industries covered

Telecom & ICT infrastructure
Internet & platform economy
AI & computer vision
Robotics
Consumer drones & the low-altitude economy

Sample itinerary

Day by day.

Every itinerary is a starting point. Visits, session topics and duration are tailored to your team's priorities before departure.

Day 1Platform Giants

09:30–12:30

Huawei

Songshan Lake European Town Campus

Global telecom equipment leader, now building out AI infrastructure and enterprise digitalisation services alongside its core networking business.

Why visit

One of the clearest examples of a privately held Chinese company building genuinely global R&D and engineering capability, including through a prolonged period of external pressure. IPD (Integrated Product Development) is one of the most widely benchmarked product-development frameworks among Chinese manufacturers.

13:30–15:30

Tencent

Shenzhen HQ

One of Asia's largest internet companies, built around a small number of long-running consumer ecosystems — messaging, gaming, content — rather than constant pivoting.

Why visit

See how one company sustains multiple mature product ecosystems for over a decade instead of chasing the next trend. A deliberately unhurried management style, worth studying as a counterpoint to 'move fast and break things'.

Day 2Frontier Tech — Drones, Vision AI & Robotics

09:30–11:30

DJI

Shenzhen Innovation Experience Centre

The world's leading maker of consumer and commercial drones. Live drone flight and RoboMaster combat-robot demonstration included.

Why visit

One of the few Chinese hardware companies to build and hold a genuinely global category lead, well beyond the domestic market. A live look at how DJI pairs deep manufacturing capability with fast product iteration.

13:00–14:30

SenseTime

Shenzhen Showroom

One of China's leading computer-vision and AI companies. Showroom tour covering 3D content generation, AI chess robot, crowd analytics and digital-human demos.

Why visit

A direct, working look at how computer-vision research becomes a deployed commercial product. Useful lens on China's AI commercialisation model.

14:45–16:15

UBTECH

Robotics Showroom

A leading humanoid and intelligent service robotics company. Hands-on robot interaction and a themed talk tailored to the group's sector.

Why visit

One of a small number of companies shipping humanoid robots at commercial scale rather than prototype stage. A grounded look at the gap between robotics hype and what is actually deployable today.

Swap option

EHang (low-altitude economy / eVTOL) can replace UBTECH for groups more focused on urban air mobility.

Investment

From £500–£1,000 per delegate

Pricing is per delegate and scales with group size. Larger delegations benefit from a lower per-head rate. All itineraries are fully customisable — visits, session topics and duration can be tailored to your team's priorities.

Included

All company visits and private sessions
Dedicated programme director throughout
Pre-departure briefing and post-programme debrief
Ground logistics and in-city transfers

Not included

International flights
Hotel accommodation
Meals unless specified

Who is this for

Senior leadership teams — C-suite, board members and functional heads — from European and US enterprises seeking a grounded, first-hand view of China's technology landscape.

Typically 8–20 delegates. Smaller executive groups (4–7) can be accommodated with adjusted pricing.

Available dates

Bespoke dates are available for groups of 10 or more. Contact us to discuss availability.

Check availability

Apply for 2027

Discuss your delegation.

Tell us about your team's priorities and we will shape an itinerary around the conversations that matter most to you.

Enquire about this programme

Share

Premium retail environment in a Chinese city

All programmes

Hangzhou2 days (extendable)

China Consumer Market

Explore the new expectations, channels and brands reshaping the world's most dynamic consumer economy.

Retail innovationDigital commercePremium consumers

Why Hangzhou

Hangzhou is Alibaba's home turf and, by extension, the birthplace of modern Chinese e-commerce. It is one of the few cities where you can see the full loop in a single trip: the platform, the brands that grew up on it, and the factories behind them.

Industries covered

E-commerce & platform economy
FMCG & beverages
Small appliances & new retail
Smart home

Sample itinerary

Day by day.

Every itinerary is a starting point. Visits, session topics and duration are tailored to your team's priorities before departure.

Day 1The Platform and the New-Retail Playbook

10:00–12:30

Alibaba

Building 5 Campus, Hangzhou

One of the world's largest e-commerce platforms, now expanding into cloud, AI and digital-economy infrastructure. Campus tour followed by a themed session on the digital-intelligence economy.

Why visit

The reference point for platform-driven commerce in China. Most consumer brands you will meet elsewhere on this trip built their growth playbook on this platform. A live view of how a platform company is repositioning around AI and the digital-intelligence economy.

13:30–16:30

Joyoung

Culture Zone & Smart Factory, Hangzhou

Inventor of the soymilk maker and a category leader in e-commerce small-appliance sales. Brand culture zone, product showroom, smart-manufacturing workshop tour and a session on brand marketing.

Why visit

A single-category inventor that used e-commerce to become a small-appliance category leader — a clean case study in platform-driven brand growth. A genuine working factory tour, more hands-on than a standard corporate presentation.

Day 2FMCG Distribution and Premium Branding

09:30–12:00

Wahaha

Industrial Park, Hangzhou

One of the world's largest beverage producers, built on an FMCG distribution network established almost entirely offline. Industrial park tour and a session on building China's most extensive distributor network.

Why visit

A three-decade offline distribution network, worth understanding before assuming every Chinese consumer brand wins through e-commerce alone. A useful counterpoint to the platform-native brand growth seen on Day 1.

13:00–16:00

Robam Appliances

Smart Manufacturing & Logistics Base, Hangzhou

The leading brand in China's kitchen-appliance category. Brand heritage exhibit, digital smart-manufacturing base, smart warehousing and logistics base and a session on smart manufacturing.

Why visit

A premium-positioned domestic brand that grew on quality and design rather than competing purely on price — relevant for anyone studying premiumisation in the Chinese consumer market. A concrete look at the warehousing and factory operations behind a household appliance brand.

Investment

From £500–£1,000 per delegate

Pricing is per delegate and scales with group size. Larger delegations benefit from a lower per-head rate. All itineraries are fully customisable — visits, session topics and duration can be tailored to your team's priorities.

Included

All company visits and private sessions
Dedicated programme director throughout
Pre-departure briefing and post-programme debrief
Ground logistics and in-city transfers

Not included

International flights
Hotel accommodation
Meals unless specified

Who is this for

Commercial, marketing and strategy leaders from European and US consumer-facing businesses seeking a direct view of China's consumer landscape, digital channels and brand dynamics.

Typically 8–20 delegates. Smaller executive groups (4–7) can be accommodated with adjusted pricing.

Available dates

Bespoke dates are available for groups of 10 or more. Contact us to discuss availability.

Check availability

Apply for 2027

Discuss your delegation.

Tell us about your team's priorities and we will shape an itinerary around the conversations that matter most to you.

Enquire about this programme

Share

Shanghai Lujiazui financial district skyline

All programmes

Beijing · Shanghai2 days (extendable)

China Finance & Globalisation

Gain perspective on capital, regulation and the financial forces linking China to the global economy.

Financial marketsPolicy & regulationCross-border growth

Why Beijing

Beijing is where China's fintech and venture capital activity concentrates. Shanghai is where that meets the traditional financial system — the Bund and Lujiazui are home to the stock exchange and the headquarters of most major domestic banks. Seeing both cities back to back, connected by China's flagship high-speed line, shows fintech from both directions.

Industries covered

Fintech & digital platforms
Corporate venture capital
Insurtech
Digital transformation in commercial banking

Sample itinerary

Day by day.

Every itinerary is a starting point. Visits, session topics and duration are tailored to your team's priorities before departure.

Day 1Beijing — Venture Capital & Platform Finance

09:30–11:30

Lenovo

Beijing HQ

A Chinese-founded, globally operating technology group with an active corporate venture arm. HQ showroom tour and a session on Lenovo Capital's CVC tech industry investment approach.

Why visit

A rare inside look at how a Chinese industrial company runs its own corporate venture capital arm, distinct from a bank's or a fund's approach to tech investment. A useful counterpoint to the platform-native fintech story.

13:00–15:00

ByteDance

Beijing Campus

Owner of Douyin and TikTok, and increasingly a platform that financial institutions use to reach consumers. Campus tour and a session on financial digitalisation transformation or Douyin marketing growth.

Why visit

See how a consumer platform has become one of the main channels financial institutions now use to reach retail customers. A concrete look at digital marketing built specifically for a regulated industry.

Evening

Beijing–Shanghai High-Speed Rail

Beijing South Railway Station

The group departs on the Beijing–Shanghai high-speed line — roughly 1,300 km covered in under five hours on the fastest services at 350 km/h. A genuine part of the itinerary: a good stretch to debrief on the day and prepare for Shanghai.

Why visit

One of the world's busiest and most punctual rail corridors. Arriving into Shanghai Hongqiao in the evening, well positioned for an early start the next morning.

Day 2Shanghai — Insurtech & Commercial Banking

09:00–10:15

ZhongAn Technology

Showroom, Shanghai

A global leader in insurance technology. Showroom tour and a session on digital innovation and practice, closing with a group photo at the Bund.

Why visit

China's first fully online insurer — a useful case study in building a regulated financial product with no physical branch network. A direct line from insurtech theory to a company that actually operates at scale.

13:30–15:30

Bank of Communications

Lujiazui, Shanghai

One of China's state-owned 'Big Five' commercial banks, headquartered in Shanghai's Lujiazui financial district. Tour of the bank's history museum followed by a session on private banking, risk management or product strategy.

Why visit

A state-owned bank's perspective on private banking and risk management — the traditional-finance counterweight to Day 1's platform-first stories. The history museum itself is a case study in how a 100-plus-year-old institution manages its own brand narrative.

Investment

From £500–£1,000 per delegate

Pricing is per delegate and scales with group size. Larger delegations benefit from a lower per-head rate. All itineraries are fully customisable — visits, session topics and duration can be tailored to your team's priorities.

Included

All company visits and private sessions
Dedicated programme director throughout
Pre-departure briefing and post-programme debrief
Ground logistics and in-city transfers
Beijing–Shanghai high-speed rail tickets

Not included

International flights
Hotel accommodation
Meals unless specified

Who is this for

Finance, strategy and investment leaders from European and US enterprises seeking a grounded view of China's financial system, fintech landscape and cross-border capital flows.

Typically 8–20 delegates. Smaller executive groups (4–7) can be accommodated with adjusted pricing.

Available dates

Bespoke dates are available for groups of 10 or more. Contact us to discuss availability.

Check availability

Apply for 2027

Discuss your delegation.

Tell us about your team's priorities and we will shape an itinerary around the conversations that matter most to you.

Enquire about this programme

Share

China Technology & Innovation

Day by day.

Discuss your delegation.

China Manufacturing & Supply Chains

Day by day.

Discuss your delegation.

China Consumer Market

Day by day.

Discuss your delegation.

China Finance & Globalisation

Day by day.

Discuss your delegation.