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One year on
Mairi MacRae, head of Scottish Dev-elopment International’s (SDI) Greater China Operations, has been in post in Beijing for over a year now. A role she describes as “challenging and imm-ensely rewarding, requiring a combination of focus and creativity to position Scotland as a partner of choice for China in key sectors where there are
real opportunities for Scotland”.
These key sectors are energy, electronics and communications technology, life sciences, financial services, education, tourism and food and drink, where Scotland’s strengths and reputation are well matched to the needs of rapidly dev-eloping and internationalising industries in China.
SDI, a joint venture between the Scottish Executive and its economic development agencies, Scottish Enterprise and Highlands & Islands Enterprise, works to attract overseas investment into Scotland, and support Scottish companies as they seek to expand overseas. By integrating trade and investment activities, SDI is well positioned globally to find opportunities for Scottish beneficiaries.
Mairi believes that this collaborative approach is particularly relevant to Scotland’s engagement with the rapidly developing Chinese market. “We can support Scottish companies to tap into Chinese resources and opportunities as the economy opens up, and at the same time we can engage with Chinese companies which are ready to internationalise, understanding their ambitions and business models and being proactive in offering up partnering opportunities with Scotland.”
SDI has a solid understanding of the Chinese market and has been helping Scottish companies do business in and with China for 13 years. Resources in China have been steadily increasing over the past few years with the establishment of the Asia-Pacific headquarters in a new Shanghai office in 2003 and the recent doubling of the China team and Mairi’s appointment as country head. SDI now has eight emp-loyees in the Greater China region in its offices in Beijing (the Greater China HQ), Shanghai and Taipei.
Over the past three years SDI has worked with over 200 Scottish companies from a wide range of sectors to support their business development activities in China including many of the 40 or so Scottish companies who currently have a presence in China. The range of Scottish companies succeeding in the Chinese market and healthy pipeline of companies which are currently exploring opportunities there is a testament to both the opportunities that exist and the international outlook of Scottish companies.
Sustaining Scotland’s engagement with China requires an approach which understands how Scotland best positions itself in the short, medium and long term. Alongside SDI’s work with Scottish companies, delivering on a research and development framework whilst simultaneously developing relationships with Chinese companies in key industries for Scotland has been a major focus for the growing SDI team this year.
Projects in financial services and renewable energy (discussed elsewhere in this edition) are examples of how SDI, in partnership with the Scottish Executive and other partners, are proactively reviewing China’s emerging industries and seeking to showcase Scotland’s strengths and develop effective connections that will reap benefits for Scotland now and in the longer term.
Mairi holds this perspective as central to SDI’s strategy in China. “The emergence of China is changing the world as we know it and responding effectively to the growth of China is crucial. Scotland is being proactive and, importantly, our response is based on a deepening understanding of the opportunities for Scotland over the longer term. By developing effective relationships now we will continue to be ready to respond to the internationalisation of Chinese industries and companies for the benefit of Scotland and Scottish Companies”.
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