April 11, 2013

Chinese companies investing in technology development through acquisitions



New opportunities for German firms through Chinese investments

In recent years, a number of Chinese companies have either bought German firms outright or acquired a shareholding in them. This investment activity is being driven by a desire to gain access to state-of-the-art technology. But contrary to initial expectations, most of the new owners are not interested in draining their newly acquired companies of knowledge. Instead, we are seeing productive collaboration in research and development. This was what Technische Universität München (TUM) and the Munich Innovation Group discovered in their recent collaborative study. Chinese companies are looking at these investments as a way to expand their product portfolios, strengthen their position in China, and gain a lasting foothold in Europe.