Foreign firms expand R&D, talent development and supply chain in the city

BEIJING, Dec. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — A news report from chinadaily.com.cn:

Shanghai, serving as a vital gateway for foreign businesses entering the Chinese market, has emerged as a key hub for the regional headquarters of international companies.

In 2025, a total of 44 foreign-invested headquarters received a recognition certificate from the Shanghai government, bringing the total number of foreign-invested regional headquarters in the city to 1,060.

Shanghai has become one of the cities with the highest number of regional headquarters for multinational companies in China.

Shanghai is a preferred choice for companies for several reasons, including its vast market size, comprehensive industry chains, open and inclusive culture, proximity to the economically vital Yangtze River Delta and its platforms for observing and engaging with the latest research and development activities.

Meanwhile, strong policy support from the Shanghai government is also a significant advantage.

In February, the government issued a plan to encourage foreign companies to upgrade their headquarters in the city by integrating functions such as research and innovation, financial management, investment decision-making, procurement and distribution, supply chain management and shared services under one roof. A tiered system was established to nurture various types of headquarters, including China regional headquarters, Asia-Pacific regional headquarters, and global division headquarters. Support will be tailored to the different development stages and functions of these headquarters.

Driving innovation

Sonova, which has been operating in China for more than 20 years, considers the country one of the most strategic markets in its global landscape. In 2022, it established its China headquarters in Shanghai, a location that supports business decision-making. This year, Sonova received a recognition certificate for its China headquarters from the Shanghai government, marking a new milestone in its journey in China.

“Shanghai, the core of Sonova in China, not only provides resources such as talent but also connects Sonova with the local market,” said Fang Fang, general manager of Sonova China. “The establishment of the China headquarters has accelerated local innovation and product launches, achieving high efficiency in resource utilization.”

Fang said that Shanghai offers a premium business environment, a comprehensive industry chain and a rich talent pool, making it one of the most valued cities for regional headquarters and R&D centers for foreign companies.

“Shanghai boasts a large number of high-end medical professionals and advanced medical technologies, making it the most active regional medical center in China. This provides strong support for corporate innovation.”

In addition to serving as Sonova’s China headquarters, Shanghai is home to the company’s innovation center, which focuses on developing products to meet local demand. The center has introduced solutions such as the Phonak-branded Chinese speech processor, designed based on the tonal characteristics of the Chinese language and the local listening environment, offering a more natural and comfortable listening experience for people with hearing loss in China.

In recent years, Sonova also strengthened partnerships with local businesses and academic institutes to support the high-quality development of Shanghai’s healthcare industry. In September 2024, Sonova signed a memorandum of cooperation with East China Normal University to jointly focus on talent development. Both parties agreed to leverage their strengths to explore R&D opportunities in audiology, promote the creation of accessible educational environments, and enhance professional training and education through industry-academia collaboration. Additionally, they aim to disseminate hearing care knowledge to the general public and raise awareness of hearing health.

So far, Sonova has established a complete local supply chain in China, covering R&D, production, marketing and services. It has also optimized its market layout with the headquarters in Shanghai, production facilities in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, and quick access operations in Boao, Hainan province.

“Sonova is confident in the development of China and Shanghai. We are optimistic about the long-term future of the hearing health industry in the country,” said Fang.

An accelerator

Kerry Group, a global leader in tastes and nutrition, has been operating in Shanghai for more than 20 years. It brings in imported dairy products, protein products, probiotics and natural extracts to meet the quality demand of Chinese consumers.

In 2022, Kerry Group established its China headquarters in Xuhui district of Shanghai in response to its rapidly developing business. It received a recognition certificate from the Shanghai government in 2024. So far, it has established an operational network that spans China, including Jiangsu, Hebei and Shandong provinces.

“Openness, innovation and inclusiveness are the defining characteristics of Shanghai and are crucial factors in supporting the development of enterprises,” said Jiang Wei, general manager of Kerry China. “The establishment of the regional headquarters helps us to define the organization structure and business model, strengthen client confidence and support our long-term quality development goals.”

According to Jiang, during Kerry Group’s more than 20-year journey in the city, Shanghai has impressed the company with its premium business environment, extensive talent pool and complete industry supply chains. The characteristics of the city ensure that Kerry Group’s imported products can clear customs in the most efficient manner. Additionally, the company can easily find supply chain services ranging from raw materials and production equipment to packaging materials and logistics. Furthermore, it can find the right talent that shares the company’s values to support its long-term growth.

“The city acts as an accelerator, helping to shorten the time from product design to mass production and enabling us to respond quickly to clients’ demands,” said Jiang.

“During its development journey in Shanghai, Kerry Group has profoundly experienced the continuous improvement of the business environment. The company is very confident in the Chinese market, which is fully reflected in continuous investments, business expansion and innovative collaborations.”

Since its inception in China 20 years ago, Kerry Group has been strengthening its development foundation in the country. It has successfully established a local chain encompassing R&D, production, technology and marketing. It has acquired three flavor manufacturing plants in China, further solidifying its leading position in the flavored products sector. So far, it has entered a new stage of consistently generating profits in the vast Chinese market.

A foreseeable future

Sherwin-Williams Company, a global leader in the paint and coating industry, opened its first China office in Shanghai in 1930.

In 2019, the company located its Asian headquarters in Jing’an district of Shanghai. The city also boasts one of its four production sites in China.

“The establishment of Sherwin-Williams’ Asia-Pacific headquarters in Shanghai stems from our strong emphasis on the Chinese market and deep recognition of Shanghai’s strategic position,” said Henry Wu, managing director for the APAC region at the Sherwin-Williams Company.

“Shanghai is a core city in Sherwin-Williams’ Asian regional layout. It not only boasts a comprehensive industry chain and abundant talent resources but also offers an open and inclusive business environment.”

Wu said that the stable and efficient business environment, along with a foreseeable future, encourages the company to deepen its roots and focus on its business. This foundation also fuels Sherwin-Williams’ confidence in long-term development.

“From policy support to government services, from industrial ecosystem to talent pool, Shanghai consistently demonstrates strong comprehensive advantages,” said Wu. “Leveraging Shanghai’s mature manufacturing system and innovative resources, Sherwin-Williams has significantly enhanced its service capabilities and response speed in the Chinese and Asia-Pacific markets.”

So far, the Asian headquarters has played a vital role in supporting R&D and accelerating marketing of new products, according to Wu.

Meanwhile, the headquarters also enables the company to enhance collaboration with local enterprises and research institutions to drive coordinated innovation across the upstream and downstream industry chains.

“We have established close cooperative relationships with local enterprises, industry associations and research institutions to jointly promote the development of green coating standards, technological innovation and application implementation,” said Wu. “In the future, we will further strengthen open collaboration to drive coordinated development across the industry chain, supporting Shanghai in becoming a global leader in green manufacturing.”

Looking ahead, Sherwin-Williams will further strengthen its commitment to China to serve the diverse industrial upgrading needs and contribute to China’s high-quality growth, according to the company.

In addition to further expanding its presence in sectors such as industrial wood coatings, packaging coatings, automotive finishes and protective and marine coatings in China, the company will strengthen its commitment to green manufacturing, intelligent coating, functional coatings and solutions with sustainability attributes that comply with international regulations.

“China is Sherwin-Williams’ core strategic market in Asia. In the future, we will continue to deepen our regional presence, focusing on product applications in high-growth industries such as new energy vehicles, smart manufacturing, green building and food safety,” said Wu.

“To succeed, we must gain deep market insights, provide cutting-edge technology, and collaborate closely with our clients. As an international metropolis, Shanghai offers an open and inclusive business environment, efficient government services, a well-developed industry chain, and a rich talent pool. All of these factors will contribute to our success,” added Wu.

Sherwin-Williams participated in the eighth China International Import Expo held from Nov 5 to 10 in Shanghai. This marked the company’s first appearance at the professional trade fair.

Wu said that the participation enables Sherwin-Williams to further embrace the Chinese market with its most advanced products and engage in in-depth dialogue with Chinese industry partners, customers and individuals from all walks of life.

– The achievement analysis report meeting took place on Wednesday, December 10, at 4:00 pm in the fourth-floor conference room of the Main Building, Culture Factory.
– Visitor satisfaction reached 90.3%, and the economic ripple effect increased to KRW 45 billion, indicating simultaneous growth.
– Ongoing strategies are necessary, including establishing a craft landmark, implementing branding initiatives, and connecting with UNESCO Creative Cities to support sustainable development.

CHEONGJU, South Korea, Dec. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The Cheongju Craft Biennale 2025 attracted 402,539 visitors and received exceptional evaluations for its exhibition scale, quality, and international networking. It also achieved record results in key indicators, including visitor satisfaction and economic impact.

The Cheongju Craft Biennale Organizing Committee (Chairman: Beom-seok Lee, Mayor of Cheongju; hereinafter, the Organizing Committee) officially announced these results at the Final Achievement Analysis Report Meeting, held on Wednesday, December 10, at 4:00 PM in the fourth-floor conference room of the Main Building, Culture Factory.

At the meeting, Executive Director Kwang-seop Byun, committee members, officials from Cheongju’s Department of Culture and Arts, and research staff attended as the Cheongju University Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation (lead researcher: Professor Sang-kyu Choi, Department of Tourism Management) presented the analysis. The study used surveys and behavioral analyses of 660 on-site visitors across three phases (early, mid, and late stages of the event), with a 95% confidence level and a ±3.8% margin of error.

According to the report, the overall satisfaction level of the Biennale was 6.02 out of 7 points, or 90.3%, representing a 1.2 percentage point increase compared to the 2023 Biennale. The research team noted that the Main Exhibition and the International Craft Competition were consistently identified as the primary reasons for satisfaction across the early, middle, and late stages, confirming the stable competitiveness of the core exhibition content.

In addition, both the intention to revisit (5.99 points) and the willingness to recommend (6.00 points), which are key satisfaction indicators, recorded high scores, indicating strong loyalty to the Biennale and a high potential for positive experiences to spread. The ratio of returning to first-time visitors was 56.6% to 43.4%, a narrower gap than at the 2023 Biennale. This result was interpreted as an encouraging sign that satisfaction and intentions to revisit have remained steady while the number of new visitors continues to increase.

The largest increase occurred in total consumer spending and economic ripple effects.

Total consumer spending at the Cheongju Craft Biennale 2025 was approximately KRW 24.9 billion, analyzed across seven categories, including ticket purchases, transportation, food and beverages, accommodation, and shopping. This amount was more than KRW 10 billion higher than the 2023 Biennale. The spending induced a production effect of KRW 45.02 billion, an increase of about KRW 6.8 billion from the KRW 38.25 billion recorded in 2023. The induced value-added effect was KRW 17.41 billion, and the employment effect resulted in 178 jobs. According to the research team, these outcomes contributed positively to the revitalization of the local economy.

Beyond quantitative achievements, the researchers evaluated the Biennale as a landmark event that “reaffirmed the intrinsic value of craft in an era of loss, introduced sustainable craft reflecting on the environment, and presented future visions of coexistence, recovery, and solidarity within the community.” They also noted that, following Cheongju’s designation as a UNESCO Creative City of Crafts and its Gold Award in the “Korean Wave Program” category at the Pinnacle Awards of the International Festivals & Events Association (IFEA), the Biennale, now in its 27th year, has strengthened Cheongju’s international cultural competitiveness and cultural diplomacy capacity, making a significant impact both domestically and internationally.

Given the vast scale of the Culture Factory, which covers 120,000 square meters, the research team emphasized the urgent need to identify measures to reduce the complexity of visitor flow and alleviate fatigue. The team also proposed directions for further development of the Biennale.

First, they emphasized the need for sustainable strategies and practices related to the UNESCO Creative Cities Network. They recommended increasing citizens’ familiarity, awareness, and participation in crafts by creating a craft landmark and providing repeated daily exposure. They also suggested expanding craft product sales platforms to create a positive marketing cycle involving appreciation, tourism, and consumption. In addition, the team highlighted the importance of building an integrated data management system to monitor visitor loyalty and revisit rates, upgrading operational systems, and developing strategies to expand international exchanges, such as institutionalizing joint residency programs.

The City of Cheongju and the Organizing Committee stated: “The Cheongju Craft Biennale 2025 was an unprecedented craft festival in every aspect, lasting a record 60 days, with participation from a record 72 countries, and presenting a record 23 exhibitions simultaneously. Thanks to this, Cheongju has transformed into the global center of crafts, beyond K-Craft.” They added: “As we stand at the starting line of writing a new history of crafts as a UNESCO Creative City, Cheongju, the Organizing Committee, craft experts and artists, together with international craft networks, will join forces to ensure that the development directions presented today are fully realized.”

The milestone marks a legacy of leadership in digital transformation and sustainability across Asia-Pacific

MANILA, Philippines and SINGAPORE, Dec. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — FUJIFILM Business Innovation, a leader in information workflows and digital transformation, is celebrating its 60^th anniversary in the Philippines and Singapore. Starting in 1965, the Philippines was the company’s first overseas market, and soon after it established operations in Singapore. This year also marks the 30^th anniversary of FUJIFILM Business Innovation China, further underscoring the company’s long and enduring operational history across the Asia Pacific region. These milestones reflect decades of innovation, sustainable business practices, and strong partnerships that continue to shape the region’s digital transformation (DX) landscape.

Mr. Naoki Hama, President and CEO, Representative Director, FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp., remarked: “We at FUJIFILM Business Innovation have been helping companies in Asia-Pacific strategically leverage information for over 60 years. While maintaining this focus, we are continuing to evolve the format, expanding beyond traditional printing into digital transformation, AI utilisation, and IT services. Our key hubs in the region have been vital for our digitalisation and sustainability initiatives. As we continue to evolve as a company, we look forward to creating further opportunities for the region’s businesses to drive operational innovation through data utilization and reduce the environmental impact.”

A regional strategy built on local strength

In Asia-Pacific, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) make up 98% of all businesses and employ over half of the workforce, creating significant potential for DX and AI to have an economic impact. Given the importance of software, FUJIFILM established a development centre in Vietnam in April 2025.

Across the region, the company relies on partnerships with businesses that are closely connected to local communities. To this end, the company is fostering collaborations with partners in other areas to continue strengthening its development efforts and regional ecosystem.

Mr. Masatsugu Naito, President of FUJIFILM Business Innovation Asia-Pacific, commented: “In spite of challenges for the printing sector, we see significant opportunities in digital transformation, AI, and integrated solutions, particularly in the dynamic, diverse Asia-Pacific region. Our relationships with deeply rooted local partners here have been key to our success thus far and will continue to be so in our growing focus on data and process automation.”

The Philippines as a circular manufacturing hub

With its skilled workforce and manufacturing expertise, the Philippines has been a core part of FUJIFILM’s global operations and commitment to sustainability. Over the decades, the company has built deep relationships with local customers, partners, and the government, creating a foundation for long-term growth and mutual success.

In July 2025, FUJIFILM Business Innovation announced the establishment of the Circular Manufacturing Centre (CMC), making FUJIFILM Optics Philippines Inc. (FOPH)  in to the company’s Asia-Pacific hub for resource circulation. Once operations begin in 2026, this facility will handle remanufacturing processes for the company’s multifunction devices (MFDs). Each machine is disassembled to the component level, cleaned and inspected thoroughly, and rebuilt while ensuring the same quality and reliability standards as newly built machines. The process achieves a reuse rate of 84% by weight, while the remaining 16% is recycled, resulting in a 99.5% resource recovery rate — one of the highest in the company’s industry worldwide.

In addition to contributing to local economic growth and talent development, the CMC’s capabilities in resource circulation are crucial for the company making progress on its Recycling Policy “Promoting Resource Circulation Toward Zero Waste,” which was established in 1995.

Innovating to transform how enterprises handle data

As technology has evolved, the company has been particularly successful at harnessing comprehensive DX, AI, and IT solutions.

Mr. Hama continued: “FUJIFILM Business Innovation has consistently focused on helping companies handle data — but we have evolved in the ways we do so. We started as a document company focused on paper output. Then, demand for paper digitisation increased after the pandemic significantly changed work styles. Today, FUJIFILM Business Innovation is moving towards being a service and solutions company rather than just a multifunction printer manufacturer, but our focus on information handling has not changed.”

One of its more recent solutions is the FUJIFILM IWpro, a cloud-based platform that centralises data across systems and enables secure, seamless collaboration among various stakeholders.

Integrating AI into solutions and operations

As part of its transformation strategy, FUJIFILM is integrating AI in three ways:

1. Using AI to learn from past sales cases and improve internal operational efficiency
2. Embedding AI technology within devices, such as eliminating time-consuming pre-printing adjustments for paper types and using predictive maintenance algorithms to replace components before they fail
3. Integrating AI into solutions and services, such as intelligent document processing of unstructured data, including paper documents to extract key information

This three-pronged strategy reflects the company’s belief that AI should not replace human creativity but rather enhance decision-making and enable smarter, faster, and more sustainable business practices.

About FUJIFILM Business Innovation

FUJIFILM Business Innovation is a global leader committed to continuously delivering innovations to customers’ businesses worldwide, for creating innovative and fulfilling workplaces by effectively adopting information and knowledge through digital transformation (DX). We have pioneered numerous technologies and accumulated expertise since our establishment in 1962, to build an environment that encourages the use of one’s creativity to maximise organisational strengths. Our portfolio includes conducting R&D, manufacturing and sales of world-class workflow solutions, IT services, and printing equipment, such as digital multifunction printers (MFPs). We also offer business process outsourcing (BPO) services as well as marketing and implementation support of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems.

https://fujifilm.com/fbglobal 

SINGAPORE, Dec. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — AbbVie ASEAN has been ranked #15 in the inaugural Fortune Best Companies to Work For Southeast Asia 2025 list, in partnership with Great Place To Work®, highlighting workplaces across Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines.

This honor builds on AbbVie’s inclusion in the 2025 Best Workplaces in Asia™ list earlier this year – recognition that spans a wide geographic area assessed by Great Place to Work, covering markets across Asia and the Middle East. It underscores the strength, consistency and quality of our employee experience across roles and genders in these markets. The Fortune list is a highly selective recognition that spotlights companies with truly exceptional workplace cultures.

AbbVie places trust, collaboration and belonging at the center of how teams work together. These behaviors foster an environment where employees feel valued, empowered and inspired to bring their best selves to work, driving engagement and innovation. By prioritizing its people, AbbVie builds stronger teams and delivers greater impact for the patients and communities it serves.

“As a team spanning Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines, being recognized among the best workplaces in Southeast Asia affirms the commitment we make every day to listen, support and enable our people to thrive,” said Rama Vela, General Manager, AbbVie ASEAN — a sub‑region of Asia comprising Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines. “Our people are at the heart of everything we do. This recognition reflects how purpose, inclusion and focus on wellbeing ripple outward – touching not just our teams, but patients and communities across Southeast Asia.”

The Fortune Southeast Asia ranking is based on employee feedback collected through the GPTW Trust Index™ survey — the same survey used for GPTW Certification — and culture audits evaluating trust, leadership effectiveness, innovation and inclusivity. While certification confirms a company meets global standards for a great workplace, the Fortune listing recognizes only the top performers in the region, setting the benchmark for Southeast Asia.

The full list can be found here.

About AbbVie

AbbVie’s mission is to discover and deliver innovative medicines and solutions that solve serious health issues today and address the medical challenges of tomorrow. We strive to have a remarkable impact on people’s lives across several key therapeutic areas including immunology, oncology, neuroscience and eye care – and products and services in our Allergan Aesthetics portfolio. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at www.abbvie.com. Follow @abbvie on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube.

About Great Place To Work

As the global authority on workplace culture, Great Place To Work brings 30 years of groundbreaking research and data to help every place become a great place to work for all. Their proprietary platform helps companies evaluate the experience of every employee, with exemplary workplaces becoming Great Place To Work Certified™ or receiving recognition on a coveted Best Workplaces List. 

Follow Great Place To Work on LinkedIn, X, and Instagram or visit greatplacetowork.com and sign up for the newsletter to learn more.

SEOUL, South Korea, Dec. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — CREATIP, a leading independent digital marketing agency in Korea, announced that it has won Gold in the Independent Agency of the Year category and Silver in the Performance Marketing Agency of the Year category at the 2025 Agency of the Year (AOY) Awards, hosted by Campaign.

The AOY Awards evaluate agencies not only on campaign results but also on business growth, strategic excellence, creativity, culture, innovation, regional expansion, and leadership. Among all categories, the Independent Agency of the Year – Gold is regarded as one of the most competitive and rigorous distinctions in the Asia-Pacific marketing industry.

CREATIP was recognized for its strong independent operational capabilities, financial stability, integrated marketing expertise, and digital-first creative approach. In the Performance Marketing category, the agency earned high marks for its data-driven media execution, ROI-focused strategies, AI-powered optimization, and consistently strong results for brands entering or expanding in Korea, Japan, and the broader Asia market.

Since 2020, CREATIP has been recognized annually by the AOY Awards, previously earning distinctions in Influencer Marketing and Social Media Marketing. In 2025, the agency further strengthened its position as a top Korea performance marketing agency, especially after being officially appointed as a NAVER certified agency. With this designation, CREATIP expanded its expertise in NAVER marketing and NAVER ads management, enhancing its data- and AI-driven optimization model to deliver stronger results for brands entering the Korean market.

Following the launch of its Japan office in 2023, CREATIP has continued to expand its footprint across Asia. The agency has confirmed plans to open a new office in Taipei, China in January 2026, offering improved accessibility to key Asian markets and strengthening collaboration with regional partners. With hubs in Korea, Japan, and Taipei, China, CREATIP is building a three-market APAC network to deliver localized creative, influencer strategies, social media content, and performance marketing solutions tailored to each region.

“Our Gold recognition as Independent Agency of the Year confirms that CREATIP has become a truly global marketing agency with strong influence across the Asian market,” said Deukil (Daniel) Kong, Founder & CEO of CREATIP.

“With our expansion from Japan to Taipei, China, we aim to become the most effective and reliable partner for global brands entering the Korean, Japanese, and broader APAC markets.”

Today, CREATIP continues to support global brands looking for Korean market entry, Japan expansion, or APAC-wide digital marketing, offering integrated solutions across influencer marketing, social content, brand strategy, and performance-driven growth.