Beijing E-Town, the capital's national-level economic and technological development zone, is not only an important hub for high-end manufacturing and technological innovation in the city, but also a crucial gateway for foreign enterprises to enter the Chinese market and participate in the country's industrial upgrading.

In recent years, as more and more high-quality foreign enterprises increase their investments, Beijing E-Town is becoming the "Chinese opportunity" for them and their development.

Following Sanofi's announcement of investing nearly 1 billion euros ($1.05 billion) to establish the first multinational pharmaceutical company's biopharmaceutical raw materials project in Beijing E-Town, SMC has also released news recently: in 2025, SMC will further increase its investment in the research and development innovation center project in the area.

Since entering E-Town in 1994, SMC has operated steadily and continuously increased its investment. The company established its Chinese headquarters in the area in 2021 and began construction on the largest overseas research and development innovation center project of China in 2024, along with planning for establishing a national-level key laboratory in pneumatic technology. The continued investment plan for 2025 highlights the company's confidence in the long-term development in the area.

Sanofi and SMC's ongoing investments are just a microcosm of the development of foreign-funded enterprises in Beijing E-Town.

In recent years, there has been a noticeable growth trend in the influx of foreign-funded enterprises in the region, with an improvement in the quality of these enterprises. In 2024, over 100 new foreign-funded enterprises were established in the area, representing a nearly 20 percent year-on-year increase. By now, the development area has attracted 1,500 foreign-funded enterprises from 62 countries and regions, including 160 projects invested in by 105 Fortune 500 companies.

Also, an increasing number of foreign-funded enterprises are choosing to establish regional headquarters or research and development centers in Beijing E-Town, driving a comprehensive upgrade from single factories to advanced manufacturing and headquarters innovation with multiple functions. The area now has 88 foreign-funded research and development centers, accounting for one-third of the total in Beijing.

Through continuous innovation, Beijing E-Town has established a policy support system for foreign-funded enterprises. The area continuously optimizes the business environment for foreign investment such as full life-cycle services, industrial openness and institutional innovation, providing strong support for foreign-funded enterprises to expand their presence in the Chinese market.

These policies are regularly upgraded and refined based on the actual development needs of enterprises to better meet the requirements of foreign-funded enterprises at different stages of development, thus promoting their sustained growth and innovation within the development area.

Beijing E-Town will continue to embrace global capital with an open attitude, constantly enhancing its international competitiveness and contributing more to the high-quality development of the city's economy.