UCIC - Joint initiative of Taicang and the Rhine-Neckar region establishes innovation platform for German-Chinese cooperation

UCIC

WEINHEIM, Germany, June 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On June 25, the UCIC (United China Innovation Center) officially opened in Weinheim – an offshore incubation center jointly initiated by the eastern Chinese city of Taicang and the German Rhine-Neckar metropolitan region. The opening marks a significant step in Taicang's efforts to advance its international innovation strategy and deepen economic cooperation with Europe. Around 100 guests from politics, business, academia, and the media from both countries attended the opening ceremony.

The goal of the UCIC is to create an international platform that connects the German innovation ecosystem with China's vast market potential and industrial resources. The center offers a comprehensive range of services, including modern office space, startup mentoring, financing support, and market analyses – with a particular focus on three strategic sectors: green technologies, digital innovations, and life and health sciences. A specialized on-site service team supports German founders and innovation projects in quickly and effectively establishing contacts with Chinese partners, thus accelerating commercialization and market entry.

The UCIC is located in the heart of the Rhine-Neckar region—one of Germany's leading innovation hubs. The region is home to over 100,000 companies and renowned universities such as the Universities of Heidelberg and Mannheim. With its strengths in fields such as life sciences, bioinformatics, sustainability, and digital industries, the region offers extensive resources and a wealth of talent. Proximity to globally active companies such as BASF and SAP further enhances the potential of the local innovation ecosystem.

The establishment of the UCIC is based on the partnership between Taicang (China) and the German Rhine-Neckar District, which has existed since 2019. In recent years, bilateral relations in the fields of business, education, and culture have steadily deepened – more than 560 German companies now operate in Taicang. The new center aims to further strengthen these relationships and open up new areas of cooperation in key technologies such as hydrogen energy. At the same time, the UCIC also aims to promote civic and cultural engagement.

The UCIC is part of an overarching strategy of the Taicang High-Tech Industrial Development Zone to integrate even more closely into global innovation networks. In addition to the Weinheim site, similar innovation platforms have already been established in Frankfurt and Berlin. Furthermore, Taicang cooperates with renowned institutions such as the Fraunhofer Society to promote joint research and development. The Taicang region is now home to several research centers of German companies and has made significant technological advances in areas such as automotive electronics, 3D printing, and intelligent manufacturing.

With the UCIC, Taicang aims to open a gateway for international innovation projects in China and, at the same time, be a driver for its own transformation into a globally networked innovation center.

Source: UCIC

Contact person: Mr. Feng, Tel: 86-10-63074558