“The European Chamber gave the opportunity not only to ‘react’ to present circumstances, but also to shape the future. The Position Paper is an example of how to do this.”

Interview with Nikodem Maciejewski, General and Plant Manager of Signify Lighting Industry (China) Co., Ltd.

The first time I came to China was over 10 years ago, when I lived and worked in Shanghai.

As the head of supply chain improvements, I could experience a rapid transformation of the business environment and, together with Philips, we were actively participating in this great movement.

Philips and now Signify were always involved in China and are now also continuing to be an active member of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China.

At that time, having a common understanding and more unified voice in partnership discussions with the government, as well as exchanging experiences within the growing number of European Chamber members, was for us a key reason to be part of this community.

20 years of the European Chamber, this time, also gives a great perspective. Many things that are clear and obvious today were not so straightforward in the beginning. Today, we have a common ground and platform, where all the different European companies can exchange their experiences and also, in many cases, the issues. The European Chamber gave those individual entities an opportunity to create a stronger group – a team, which can better address the common questions. I see the creation of that group and the sense of ‘being together’ as the biggest achievement, next to the strong link with the provincial authorities and government, as well as on the national level. To make a long story short – being partners with all the parties involved is a big achievement.

The European Chamber gave the opportunity not only to “react” to present circumstances, but also to shape the future. The Position Paper is an example of how to do this. The analysis, voice and messages in that document are also a great input for the next improvements in the business environment. The fact that it is prepared by the Chamber and all its members means a very strong voice is being heard.

Originally, the key task behind the European Chamber formation was to address the issues, but today it is also about shaping the future in the best positive way. Another great example of that is how the Chamber become a great benchmarking and learning platform. Members can learn from each other, and share best practices. Those are the elements of what makes us part of a team, where all members can contribute and benefit from being together.

Nikodem Maciejewski, General and Plant Manager of Signify Lighting Industry (China) Co., Ltd.