Over the years, many German-owned companies have aggregated in Taicang. According to statistics, about 20 German-owned companies have settled in Taicang this year. Taicang is now home to 200 German-owned enterprises.

This year’s newly-introduced German-owned enterprises engage in various businesses. Westland and Fristam are traditional advanced German manufacturers. Other firms specialize in sales, after-sales services, and import and export transactions. The Steinbeis Sino-German Technology Transfer (Taicang) Centre provides technology transfer and talent training for Taicang enterprises.

The 200 German-owned companies have brought investments of over $1.5 billion. Two special industry bases for precision machinery manufacturing and automobile spare parts manufacturing have begun to take shape. There are 72 precision machinery manufacturers with an annual output of over 10 billion yuan ($1.65 billion). The 26 automobile spare parts manufacturers have an annual output of over 9 billion yuan. The benefits of German-owned enterprises have become increasingly prominent. These companies cover 2,000 mu (133 hectares) of land, have output value of 8.25 million yuan and revenues of 460,000 yuan per mu. Their energy consumption ratio per 10,000 yuan is 0.021 tons of standard coal.

Starting in 1993, it took 14 years for the first 100 German-owned companies to settle in Taicang. But it took only 5 years for another 100 German-owned companies to arrive. At a meeting to honor the fifth anniversary of the Sino-German Enterprise Cooperation Base this November, Taicang was highly praised for its achievements in business cooperation with Germany. The Ministry of Commerce hoped that Taicang could maintain strong industry planning, expand economies of scale, improve the investment environment and explore development potential.

Taicang has always been providing considerate policy support, efficient and transparent administrative services, and a good business environment and optimized resource allocation. Taicang will focus on introducing the high-tech industry and dual-track educational pattern as well as strengthening intellectual property protection.

The 300-mu Sino-German Small and Mid-Sized Enterprise (SME) Industrial Park will be put into use in 2014, which will attract and cultivate more innovative German science and technology SMEs. The Germany Business Centre and Steinbeis Sino-German Technology Transfer (Taicang) Centre will introduce more enterprises engaged in market consultation, legal services and accounting to offer all-round service for German enterprises. Taicang will strengthen cooperation with Fraunhofer and the Shanghai German Centre to ensure no less than 20 German-owned companies settle in Taicang.