Dear VDMA member,
Chinese competitors are no longer just catching up. In several sectors, they are redefining speed, cost structures, and innovation cycles. Some European industrial leaders have already lost strategic ground.
The machinery sector now faces a critical question: are we prepared for similar disruption?
We are pleased to invite you to our upcoming VDMA China Top Executive Dialogue: Leadership Under Pressure: What European Machinery Can Learn from China's Automotive and Telecom Disruption
The automotive and telecommunications industries in China have experienced rapid competitive shifts: new players emerging, technology leapfrogging, and ecosystems evolving at high velocity. Market leaders who once seemed untouchable were forced into defensive positions. This executive dialogue focuses on what machinery leaders must learn before disruption accelerates further. We have invited two distinguished speakers who will share their frontline insights and will discuss the implications for our sector with participants.
- Frank Sieren – Journalist, author, and documentary filmmaker, who has lived in Beijing since 1994. With decades of on-the-ground experience observing China's technological, and economic transformation, he brings a unique long-term perspective on China's rise. He recently published his new book "Der Auto-Schock" (The Auto Shock – How China Was Able to Leave Us Behind and What That Means for Our Future), in which he analyzes how China's automotive industry advanced at remarkable speed and the implications for established industrial leaders.
- Markus Borchert, Chairman of Nokia China – With more than 30 years of international experience in the tech industry, including 12 years in China, Markus Borchert brings extensive cross-market and strategic expertise. He will provide a perspective from the telecommunications industry's development journey. European players such as Nokia once held strong position in China but later faced increased challenges through industrial strategy and regulatory policies resulting in intense competition through the rise of powerful domestic competitors. Drawing on this experience, he will reflect on how industry structures, innovation speed, ecosystem dynamics, and policy environments reshaped the sector and what these developments may signal for other European industries.
Event Details:
- Date: March 12, 2026
- Time: 4pm – 8 pm
- Location: Beijing, Kempinski Hotel
- Participation fee: 3,000 RMB (incl. dinner)
- Agenda:
- Welcome & Opening Remarks by VDMA China
- Keynote Address – Automotive Industry by Frank Sieren
- Keynote Address – Telecommunications Industry by Markus Borchert
- Moderated Q&A Session and Discussion
- Networking Dinner
- For participants who are unable to join in person, a small number of virtual access options can be arranged upon request.
We look forward to welcoming you to this key strategic discussion.
Best regards,
Claudia Barkowsky
Speakers
Frank Sieren
Journalist, author, and documentary filmmaker, who has lived in Beijing since 1994. With decades of on-the-ground experience observing China’s technological, and economic transformation, he brings a unique long-term perspective on China’s rise. He recently published his new book “Der Auto-Schock” (The Auto Shock – How China Was Able to Leave Us Behind and What That Means for Our Future), in which he analyzes how China’s automotive industry advanced at remarkable speed and the implications for established industrial leaders.
Markus
Borchert
Chairman at Nokia China
• Markus Borchert, Chairman of Nokia China – With more than 30 years of international experience in the tech industry, including 12 years in China, Markus Borchert brings extensive cross-market and strategic expertise. He will provide a perspective from the telecommunications industry’s development journey. European players such as Nokia once held strong position in China but later faced increased challenges through industrial strategy and regulatory policies resulting in intense competition through the rise of powerful domestic competitors. Drawing on this experience, he will reflect on how industry structures, innovation speed, ecosystem dynamics, and policy environments reshaped the sector and what these developments may signal for other European industries.