Membership voice, July/August 2007
Fourteen months ago, TWI opened a liaison office in Beijing and started to expand its operations in China. I can now report that the results of our initiatives have so far exceeded our most optimistic expectations. TWI business from China has grown by about 500% in less than two years. We now have 14 Chinese Industrial Members for whom we carry out a number of R&D projects. China currently accounts for only 3% of TWI's membership, but we anticipate this figure will grow to 8% within five years.
Our income from licences, training and examinations, software and product sales has also increased considerably. Contacts with the Chinese market are handled by TWI staff in Beijing, with Jian Wu focusing on interaction with existing Members and Zhenyun Shi handling discussions with prospective Members. The technical co-ordination with TWI experts is managed by Dr Steve Shi at Great Abington.
We are increasingly approached by European or American companies with manufacturing operations in China who are concerned with output quality or manufacturing efficiency. TWI has set up training programmes for Western companies in China, carried out audits to check the suitability of potential suppliers and has been involved in a number of troubleshooting situations, in China, on behalf of UK companies.
China's spectacular emergence as a superpower, following massive investments in railways, subways, airports, highways, energy infrastructure and the new wealth of a large urban middle class, are creating many business opportunities for TWI Industrial Members. China should not only be considered as a cheap source of manufactured goods; it is also a large and increasingly mature market for hi-tech products and services from the Americas, Europe and Japan.
Distance from the UK, cultural differences and a language barrier dictate that China is not an easy market for Western companies. TWI's recent experience, however, shows that China is quite open to UK-based technology, consultancy and training. Have a go at China, it is not that difficult, and it is worth it!
Fred Delany - Head of Industrial Member Services
