CMP and the City of Malmö are investing in getting Chinese companies to choose CMP as their entry point into the northern European marketplace. Scandic Sourcing is representing them both, on the spot in Shanghai. The concept for the partnership was born during the World Expo in Shanghai in 2010, and as early as May the first Chinese companies will be visiting the region.

One of the reasons why Scandic Sourcing decided to take on the assignment was Toyota’s successful investment in Malmö.

“When we heard how well Toyota had succeeded with its investment in car imports via Malmö, we became interested. We are now hoping for a parallel development for Chinese companies. Malmö is ideally situated for distributing products to northern Europe, where it is often easier to launch new products than in southern Europe,” says Per Lindén, CEO of Scandic Consulting. Business in China has developed enormously over the last 10-15 years, and the number of large companies is increasing. Many of them have started to move into other parts of the world, but are still unsure about the European market. The products that might be relevant for a launch in Europe include, for instance, building materials, steel products and white goods. “Many of the business owners we talk to are really curious about Europe and say that, during 2011, they will decide what their investments here will be. Hopefully, our trip in May can get them to open their eyes to a new market,” comments Per.

He also emphasises that the investment is a long-term one and that expectations prior to the first trip should not be set too high. There will probably be another trip towards the end of 2011. “We have initiated a process. It may take two or three years before we see the results of our efforts. But if you look at Toyota’s successful investment and copy it for other sectors, I think the chances are good. CMP offers excellent intermodal transport opportunities and Malmö has lower land costs than, for instance, German ports, which ensures excellent distribution and logistics options at good prices,” says Per, who concludes:

“CMP and the City of Malmö are among the first to try to attract Chinese companies to Europe. There are really exciting opportunities around and I think we are looking at the start of a coming trend. If you are involved now and can earn the trust of companies, then you have the chance of being at the forefront. That’s when this investment will pay for itself.”

Lennart Pettersson, Deputy Managing Director at CMP, is also looking forward to the new partnership:

“We view the work now being done by Scandic Sourcing to access the Chinese market as both exciting and inspiring. We are also seeing huge interest in the region ahead of the Chinese visit, above all within the logistics and property industries,” he says.