Mattias Debroyer, Trade & Investment Commissioner Representing the Government of the Brussels Capital Region, hub.brussels at the Consulate General of Belgium in Shanghai (2014-present)
Mattias is in charge of trade and investment promotion in China for the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium. He is managing the hub.brussels offices in Shanghai and Shenzhen. Together with the hub.brussels China team, Mattias has organized a long series of activities including economic missions in technology, e-commerce, fintech, green building, and business services. Two of the highlights were the state visit of HRH King Philip and HRH Queen Mathilde of Belgium to China in 2015, and the Belgian economic mission, led by HRH Princess Astrid of Belgium, visiting China in 2019, which was the largest economic mission in Belgian history. Before 2014, Mattias was a business lawyer in Brussels, specializing in mergers and acquisitions and international trade. Mattias holds the degree of Master in Law at the Catholic University of Leuven. Mattias is a Dutch native speaker and speaks French, German, English and Mandarin.
hub.brussels
hub.brussels is the Brussels Agency for Entrepreneurship. We are the facilitators of entrepreneurship in Brussels, dedicated to informing, supporting, and guiding Brussels-based companies.
We believe in entrepreneurship as a powerful catalyst for empowerment. That's why we work to make it accessible to everyone, offering services tailored to each stage of the entrepreneurial journey. Whether you're a young creative mind bursting with innovative ideas, an ambitious SME, or an established company looking to embark on an economic transition, we have the necessary resources to help you bring your projects to life.
Brussels is the perfect place to start a business. Its central location in Europe, dynamic multiculturalism, and connected entrepreneurial ecosystem make our region a fertile ground for business growth. We strive to showcase and promote Brussels as a preferred destination for entrepreneurs, investors, and business partners from around the world.
We provide a wide range of free services, from personalized guidance to funding assistance, training, and export support. We work closely with a network of local and international partners to deliver tailored solutions and foster the sustainable growth of businesses.
At hub.brussels, we believe in boldness, innovation, and the entrepreneurial spirit. We are here to support Brussels-based entrepreneurs who dare to push boundaries, create jobs, and actively contribute to an impact-driven economy.
We have an international network of trade and investment commissioners all around the globe. In China, we have offices in Shanghai and in Shenzhen.
Join us on this exciting entrepreneurial adventure in Brussels, where dreams sprout, ideas flourish, and businesses bloom.
Philippe Snel has been active as a business lawyer in China for more than 20 years and started his China practice in 2001. Since 2004 he is permanently established in Shanghai.
As one of the few senior foreign lawyers in Shanghai, he has assisted numerous foreign investors to establish, develop and operate their businesses in China. Philippe mainly advises in the fields of corporate law, compliance and technology transfer. He is a regular speaker on all issues related to Sino-European business relations and his opinion in this regard is solicited.
Additionally, Philippe teaches Intellectual Property & Technology Law at the Shanghai Normal University (Finance & Business School) and is active in several professional and educational organizations such as the Benelux Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai (BenCham), the Lycée Français de Shanghai (LFS) and Sinnolabs, a business accelerator for European technology companies in China. He has also been awarded a Silver Mangolia Award in 2021. Also in 2021 he was appointed as “Chevalier dans l’Ordre du Mérite” by French President Macron. In 2023 Philippe was appointed by H.R.H. King Philippe of Belgium as Counsellor in Economic Diplomacy. Philippe is a member of the Brussels Bar (Nederlandse Orde der Advocaten Brussels) since 1997. He is fluent in Dutch, French, and English. He is also conversational in Mandarin and German.
Alexandre Moreau is UCB China Country President since April 2022. In his role, Alexandre is responsible for delivering on the company’s responsibility to unlock the potential for helping patients in the world’s 2nd largest healthcare market.
He is also member of the UCB International Markets leadership team, leading UCB China country strategy and operations. From 2018 through 2022, Alexandre had Corporate Vice President responsibilities as UCB Head of Global Epilepsy Unit and UCB Global Strategy Lead for the Osteoporosis therapeutic area. In these roles, Alexandre guided the development of the UCB strategic roadmap, supported the acquisition of Engage Therapeutics Inc. and Zogenix Inc.
Alexandre is passionate about improving patient care and has 30 years of broad multi-national leadership experience across the value chain. Prior to joining UCB, He served top leading pharmaceutical companies such as Roche-Genentech, Sanofi, Novartis, Novo-Nordisk, Bayer, Astra Zeneca.
Alexandre is also an entrepreneur. He co-founded Axxelis AG, a management consulting firm based in Switzerland and worked in biotech as CEO and board member. With a strong track-record as a people-first leader, Alexandre has also focused his energy on creating working environment where each individual can show up every day as their authentic self to best serve the interest of people and in particular living with disease.
Alexandre has a science and business background. He received a Doctorate in Pharmaceutical and Biological Sciences from Rene Descartes University (Paris, Fr), an MBA from La Sorbonne University (Paris, Fr) and graduated from the INSEAD Advanced Management Program (Fontainebleau, Fr) as well as from the General Management Program at Harvard Business School (Cambridge, US).
Nick Guo (Dipl. BWL)
Nick is General Manager at Cisema Beijing, a Regulatory Consultancy Co. based in Beijing offering regulatory consultancy for China market entry.
He has studied Macro-economics and Business Administration at the renowned universities of Nankai in China and Mannheim in Germany. With his enthusiasm of bridging the economies and culture diversities between China and Europe, Nick joined Cisema Consulting Group in 2008.
Nick is now leading Cisema Beijing, which is the biggest unit under Cisema Group and in charge of delivering consulting service.
In more than 16 years, Nick has contributed to lead Cisema Group to one of the most influential China Regulatory Consulting company in Europe. He has developed many new concepts/terms/interpretations for a better navigation of numerous oversea manufacturers in the complex China Regulatory Jungle. He has achieved this through deep understanding for both sides: China regulation authorities like NMPA(National Medical Products Administration), SAMR(State Administration of Market Regulation), CNCA(China National Accreditation&Certification Administration) etc on the one side and oversea manufacturers on the other side.
Nick is fluent in German, English and Chinese and regularly speaking in important conferences. He has done more than 300 factory audits in different industry fields like automobile, special equipments, medical device etc worldwide.
About CISEMA Regulatory Consulting Group
Cisema is a CRO (clinical research organization) and turnkey regulatory affairs solutions provider for the China and Hong Kong market, with a large on-the-ground contingent of local Chinese staff and satellite sales offices around the world with someone that speaks your language. Our special focus is China regulatory affairs for product registration. In China, certain product groups require compulsory registration (e.g. NMPA, CCC, CEL, CML) before they can be imported, traded and used. We are a one-stop service provider supporting your company register its product for sale in China, conduct clinical trials (we’re a CRO) and monitor post-registration compliance.
iam Jia
Team Leader, EU SME Centre
Liam Jia is a versatile professional with the past 8 years advising European businesses on market access and business strategies to China. Liam has a solid working experience in project and operations management, financial and risk control in the EU context.
He is an experienced speaker and author of publications on a range of topics, including the environmental sector, SME digitalisation and F&B distribution.
About the EU SME Centre
The EU SME Centre is an initiative funded by the European Union to assist small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from EU Member States and countries participating in the Single Market Programme and get them ready to do business in China.
At its core, the Centre’s mission is to facilitate market access and provide a comprehensive range of first-line, hands-on, free services to inform, advise, train, and connect SMEs. The Centre forms partnerships with business support organisations and trade promotion organisations across Europe and China to bring services and expertise to European SMEs of all sectors. Learn more and get in touch: www.eusmecentre.org.cn
Jan is Founder and CEO at White Caviar, a Commercial Consultancy Co. based in Shanghai offering market research-based brand strategy and innovation consultancy. He has been living in China since 2004, experiencing the changes that are taking place first hand, putting him in the unique position to bridge the cultural boundaries between East and West.
Prior to starting White Caviar, Jan worked at some of the big global market research agencies and has strong client background at Procter & Gamble where he was working for 13 years on consumer innovation and marketing programs.
With almost 30 years of client and consulting experience in Europe and Asia, his focus is on helping Western businesses succeed in China as well as helping Chinese brands succeed overseas through understanding of the local culture, emerging needs where to focus and what to communicate. Jan holds a degree in Clinical Chemistry and Master of Science in the Tropical Molecular Biology.
Publications
• Consumer shifts in China (2019)
• Retail 2030 (2020)
• The Soul of Chinese (2020)
• Social Sc ores in China (2022)