China meets Europe at MCI: The second China–Europe Innovation Forum, hosted by MCI | The Entrepreneurial School® and Wuhan University (WHU), one of China’s top 10 universities, brought together an international community for dialogue and exchange between Europe and China.
Following the success of the inaugural forum in Wuhan in 2025, this year’s event took place in Innsbruck. Under the theme “GLOBAL CHALLENGES & JOINT SOLUTIONS – Building Bridges between Continents, Cultures & Businesses,” the forum focused on current developments in innovation, technology, entrepreneurship, and international cooperation.
The forum opened with welcoming remarks from MCI President Andreas Altmann and Wang Kangning, Standing Member of the University Council of Wuhan University, together with Ruguo Fan, Professor at Wuhan University’s Economics & Management School, and Wei Manske-Wang, Head of the MCI China Center. More than 130 guests attended the event.
The program featured a wide range of talks, discussions, and networking opportunities with leading voices from politics, business, academia, and research. Speakers included Rudolf Scharping, former German Minister of Defense and candidate for Chancellor; Brenda Zhang, Professor at the University of Macau; Frank Sieren, journalist and China expert; Jun Nie, Dean at Wuhan University; Feiyu Xu, Professor at the German International University and board member of global corporations; and Jingke Hong, Professor at Chongqing University.
An international panel discussion featuring additional experts from business, academia, and research explored the opportunities and challenges of cooperation between China and Europe. The forum concluded with a keynote by Yu Zhang, entrepreneur and host of the Annual Female Impact Summit.
Beyond providing opportunities for dialogue and networking, the China–Europe Innovation Forum also marked important milestones in the institutional partnership between Europe and China. MCI awarded Frank Sieren an honorary professorship in recognition of his significant contribution to understanding China’s economic, social, and technological developments and to fostering dialogue between Europe and China.
At the same time, MCI and Wuhan University renewed their existing partnership agreement, further strengthening their long-standing collaboration. The continued partnership will create opportunities for students, faculty, and researchers at both institutions to gain valuable international experience and develop skills for an increasingly global and competitive environment.
About the China–Europe Innovation Forum
The China–Europe Innovation Forum was held under the patronage of the Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs and in cooperation with Chinese partner universities and companies. The forum was jointly organized by MCI | The Entrepreneurial School® and Wuhan University, with the support of the Federation of Austrian Industries Tyrol, the Tyrol Chamber of Commerce, the Austrian Hong Kong Society, Swarovski Crystal Worlds, and Standortagentur Tirol.
Speakers, partners, and guests from around the world gathered at the China–Europe Innovation Forum at MCI in Innsbruck ©MCI
Frank Sieren (center) is presented with an honorary professorship. ©MCI
MCI and Wuhan University sign extension of their partnership agreement ©MCI
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