The HKUST Bilingual EMBA Program and its Alumni Association recently wrapped up a successful “High-End Smart Manufacturing Tour” in Dongguan. The tour included visits to Dapu Technologies, a “hidden champion” in communications founded by alumna CHEN Baohua (Class 2010), and Dongguan Gree, a leading manufacturing company led by student WANG Wen (Class 2024), who serves as its General Manager.
The event brought over 100 alumni to the forefront of China’s industrial transformation, bridging classroom learning with real-world industry insights. The morning session in Dapu Technologies was followed by a roundtable discussion moderated by Associate Dean of the Business School Prof. FONG Yuk-Fai, exploring “China's Hard Tech Breakthrough”. The speakers highlighted critical strategies for Chinese tech firms. Chen Baohua prioritized R&D and geopolitical resilience; PAN Yi (Class 2011), co-founder of Inovance and founder of Value Capital, focused on operational excellence and global supply chain leverage; WANG Jian (Class 2024), President of Oway, a OPPO distributor, underlined authentic localization for overseas market success.
The afternoon session at Dongguan Gree featured a lecture by Prof. CHEN Zhanhui (right photo) from the Department of Finance who spoke about the global financial landscape amid US-China tensions. He underscored Hong Kong’s vital role as a "super-connector" and offshore RMB hub within the Greater Bay Area.
A subsequent roundtable discussed trade war impacts, with participants noting it accelerates Chinese firms’ innovation and globalization despite short-term challenges.