From October 14th to 18th, 20 Cluster Managers from various Catalan clusters visited China to participate in the tenth edition of the Strategic Cluster Week organized by ACCIÓ.

The mission's objective, in which Xavier Garcia, Cluster Manager of the Tech Tourism Cluster, participated, is to enable Catalan clusters to explore new markets and innovation ecosystems worldwide. It also reaffirms the clusters' commitment to promoting internationalization and creating synergies to boost their members' competitiveness.

The mission's program included visits to cities like Hong Kong, Shenzhen, and Shanghai, with group visits to major companies pioneering in technological innovation, such as OPPO, Baozun, and the headquarters of Tencent, one of the world's ten most valuable companies.

There was also an opportunity to learn from anthropologist Coral Puig, who provided an in-depth analysis of the Chinese consumer, and to examine the economic situation of one of the world's leading powers with economist Alicia Garcia-Herrero. Additionally, a special emphasis was placed on China's cluster policy, with a session led by Professor Teng Tangwei from East China Normal University.

Apart from all the group activities and visits, there was also time for each cluster manager to visit companies in their respective sectors. In the case of the Tech Tourism Cluster, Xavier Garcia had the opportunity to meet with Trip.com, Huawei, and TongCheng Travel, leading Chinese companies in the international 'travel tech' field.

The Strategic Clusters Week allows Catalan clusters to gain a deep understanding of the country's innovation ecosystem, as well as to explore alliances and collaboration opportunities with international partners.