May 14, 2018. Shanghai – In Roland Berger CEO Charles-Edouard Bouée’s vision of the not-too distant future, we will take back control of our lives by controlling our data, cutting out middle men such as platforms (Uber, Airbnb, Mobike) and digital leaders (Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon, Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent) and there will be no need for advertising. This will all be made possible with artificial intelligence (AI); not the version we know today which he believes is mostly a lot of irrelevant data, but AI that will curate and provide information specific to the needs of individuals. It’s called portable AI. We can take it anywhere with us: in our homes, on our mobile phones, even in a pin on our lapel.

May 15, 2018. Accra

May 14, 2018. Shanghai – A considerable number of innovations now lie in the bold attempts of start-ups. This is gradually being realised by established companies and makes it attractive for them to introduce these innovations into their own businesses through, for example, corporate venture capital (CVC) investment – a mutually beneficial form of partnership. This was the topic on which Mr. Markus Solibieda, Managing Director of BASF Venture Capital GmbH, today shared his insights while keynoting a CEIBS Executive Forum on "Engaging with Start-ups through Corporate Venture Capital Investing to Create New Growth Engines".

Citing the value and numbers of VC and CVC deals in China during the past eight years, Solibieda noted that China has now become a leader – no longer a follower – in these types of investments. He added that the most popular fields include the shared economy, electric and autonomous vehicles, AI, technology, healthcare, e-commerce, and B2B enterprise services. Solibieda also stressed that, in addition to China-based funds, more and more multinationals such as Intel, IBM, Qualcomm, and Samsung among others, are also active in CVC investment in Chinese start-ups.

The CVC approach, Solibieda explained, is to invest in young companies with disruptive technologies and business models to support the corporations' growth strategy. And this kind of partnership can be mutually beneficial.

On one hand, in addition to financial support, CVCs can provide management and marketing expertise to start-ups, sharing their resources (such as R&D labs and expertise, manufacturing facilities, and distribution networks) and experience in the industry and offering advice for the investees' operations and decision-making. Besides, established corporates can open up their customer base to the start-ups they invest in, taking full advantage of their global client base to help fledgling companies build up their customer networks in the early stages.

On the other hand, Solibieda suggested, cooperation with start-ups may reward large corporations with inspiration and even opportunities for new business. Start-ups pursue disruptive innovation, he pointed out, while established enterprises tend to be good at continuously improving their products through incremental innovations. Also, a start-up is usually customer-centred, attempting to identify unmet needs in the market, instead of simply marketing its products, as established companies tend to do. These enormous differences may cause conflict in the partnership between CVCs and those who benefit from their investment; however, it is in the exchange of ideas that outside innovation gives birth to new perspectives for the corporate investors, he said.

Eduardo tells MBA Admissions about his favourite Xiaomi gadget, the difference between Chinese and Spanish office cultures and his views on CEIBS’ role in preparing the next generation of alumni to make an impact between China and Europe.

May 13, 2018. Barcelona – CEIBS has earned high praise from young students and teachers of Tema International School in Ghana for its support in ensuring their participation in the 2018 la Caixa Foundation competition in Spain. It was, once again, a demonstration of CEIBS’ commitment to the promotion of the entrepreneurial spirit among young people in Africa by making it possible for the continent to be represented during the competition. This is the second straight year CEIBS has played this role. This year, six students from Tema were among those participating from 40 schools across Europe, Africa and South America. 

May 12, 2018. Shanghai

China’s service sector now makes up the bulk of the country’s economy and is expected to play an even greater role in the years ahead. But there is still a need for talented professionals – within Chinese firms doing business in and outside of China – capable of offering world-class service across a wide range of industries. The freshly launched Hospitality Executive MBA (HEMBA) is expected to make a huge difference in addressing this talent shortage. The joint CEIBS-EHL programme began classes at the China Europe International Business School’s (CEIBS) Shanghai Campus today. For the next week, 52 executives from a mixture of Chinese companies and foreign firms doing business in China will have classes on Strategic Management in the Hospitality Industry, Organisational Behaviour and Leadership. 

Career Treks in Germany, Silicon Valley & Shenzhen

May 9, 2018. Shenzhen – Joo Yi had never heard of QQ or Tencent in 2008, when she was a year into her CEIBS MBA studies. Back then, she was still using MSN to keep in touch with friends and family in South Korea. Tencent only made its way onto her radar after she began looking for a summer internship that would help her reach the very clear goal she had set herself when enrolling at CEIBS: get a job with a Chinese company. Eight years later she is still with Tencent. The job initially took her back home to Seoul but now she works out of the company’s Shenzhen headquarters as Director of Business Strategy in the Mobile Internet Group.