Missions · China 2026
The paradigm
has changed.
Beijing · Shanghai · Hangzhou · Shenzhen — 8–20 April 2026
The paradigm
From "Made in China"
to global benchmark.
For twenty years the West described China as the world's factory: low-cost products, modest quality, imitation rather than invention. That narrative is now simply false. In high-technology sectors China is no longer catching up: it sets the standard.
The Innovation Bridge China 2026 – From the Silk Road to Technological Innovation mission was born with a precise objective: to witness this paradigm shift first-hand, company by company, and bring it back to local businesses with direct data and testimonials — not through the mediation of analysts or newspapers.
As with all our missions, university students took part alongside entrepreneurs and managers. The first bridge the Foundation wants to build is the one between the "differently young" — who often hold decision-making power — and young people, who represent the future in every sense.
The itinerary
Twelve days, four cities
Beijing
8–11 Apr
- Xiaomi EV Factory
- Zhongguancun AI Park
- Boundless Power
- Rossum Robotics
Shanghai
12–14 Apr
- JD.com
- Tongji University
- Italian Consulate
- Shanghai Data Exchange
Hangzhou
15–16 Apr
- Alibaba Campus
- Geely / Zeekr
- Brembo Bilab Asia
Shenzhen
17–20 Apr
- BYD
- DJI
- Tencent HQ
- UBTECH Robotics
- EngineAI
- Unitree Robotics
- Huaqiangbei
Images from the mission
What we saw
Organisations visited
Where we went
From giants such as Alibaba and Tencent to robotics pioneers like Unitree and EngineAI — 19 organisations across 4 cities in 12 days.
Who took part
The delegation
22 people from the worlds of entrepreneurship, finance, media, innovation and academia. Including two university students.
Giancarlo De Leonardo
President, Fondazione Innovation Bridge
Antonio Pizzutelli
Design Operations & Technology Innovation
Francesco Cerilli
Director of Management Control, ASL Frosinone
Carlo Rinaldi
Director of Marketing & Communications, Humans.tech
Marco Cimmino
Head of Strategy and Co-founder, Ubiquo Marketing
Valerio Mizzoni
Co-founder, Ubiquo Marketing
Vincenzo Formisano
President, Banca Popolare del Cassinate
Donato Formisano
Undergraduate Student, Luiss University of Rome
Francesco Pompeo
Co-founder, Dopamina Growth Agency
Angelo Pio Pompeo
Undergraduate Student, University of Rome
Corrado Tatangelo
Producer
Fabio Masi
RAI Director
Luca La Mesa
Entrepreneur and tech investor
Giulia Lapertosa
Co-founder, Carriere.it
Andrea Geremicca
Director General, EIIS
Alessandro Leonardi
Innovation Manager, Poste Italiane
Andrea Tulli
Entrepreneur
Dario Cerea
AI Expert
Andrea Iacovanelli
Marketing Manager, ADI Apicoltura
Manuela Polcaro
Innovation Expert
Marco Dotto
Entrepreneur and life sciences investor
Andrea Grimandi
FMCG Executive and tech investor
Full account
The report, company by company.
Xiaomi, Tencent, BYD, the humanoid robots of Shenzhen, the Shanghai Data Exchange, the Alibaba campus: every visit recounted with data, impressions and the implications for Italian businesses.