Xuzhou City Delegation visits SIDECTime：2024-10-12
On September 27, 2024, Chen Gang, Deputy Secretary-General of the Xuzhou Municipal Government and a second-level inspector, led a delegation to visit the Sino-Italian Design Exchange Center Florence base, operated by DoBe Group. The delegation held talks with the President of CONFAPI (Italian Confederation of Small and Medium Private Industry) Florence and Italian experts in the field of architecture. Wang Qun, Chief Operating Officer of the Sino-Italian Design Exchange Center and Head of DoBe Group's Italy Center, warmly welcomed the delegation.
The members of the delegation attending the exchange meeting included Chen Pei, Deputy Director of the Xuzhou Housing and Urban-Rural Development Bureau; Fang Chengwei, Deputy Director of the Xuzhou Housing and Urban-Rural Development Bureau; Zhang Jian, Deputy District Mayor of the Yunlong District Government; Zhang Qiang, Chairman of the Xuzhou Cultural Tourism Group; and Ding Yongquan, Manager of the Comprehensive Department of the Xuzhou Cultural Tourism Group. Italian participants included Leonardo Cavini, President of CONFAPI Florence; Silvia Casati, Vice President; Giampaolo Pacini, Vice President; and Francesco Sani, President of SANI+partners.
During the meeting, Deputy Secretary-General Chen Gang introduced the planning concepts for Xuzhou and the Pengcheng Qili district, elaborating on Xuzhou’s recent progress in urban renewal, historical and cultural preservation, green building, and sustainable development. He emphasized that as a historical and cultural city in China, Xuzhou boasts a rich cultural heritage. By advancing urban renewal projects like Pengcheng Qili, Xuzhou is actively seeking global partners and attracting international innovation projects to drive further international development of the city.
In her speech, Wang Qun reviewed the history and achievements of the Sino-Italian Design Exchange Center, highlighting its role as a bridge in architectural design, cultural creativity, and transnational business cooperation. She expressed that the Sino-Italian Design Exchange Center will actively assist the Xuzhou government in advancing project cooperation to enhance the internationalization of Xuzhou’s urban development and contribute to the sustainable development of the regional economy.
CONFAPI, established in 1947, represents over 116,000 companies and more than 1 million employees in Italy. As a member of the National Economic and Labour Council (CNEL), CONFAPI plays a key role in policy-making and international cooperation, promoting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to enter the global market. During the meeting, Leonardo Cavini, President of CONFAPI Florence, introduced the unique advantages and development experience of SMEs in the Florence region, particularly in the fields of cultural and creative industries and innovative applications of traditional craftsmanship. He expressed great anticipation for future cooperation with Xuzhou.
Francesco Sani, President of SANI+partners, delivered a speech on sustainable design development, offering strategic suggestions ranging from design and historical and cultural preservation to green development. He believes that the combination of Xuzhou’s rich historical and cultural background with modern urban development needs will create broad prospects for international cooperation.
During the exchange, the Xuzhou government highly praised the development experience of Florence’s historical and cultural districts and the development of Italy’s creative industries. They expressed hope to draw on Florence’s experience and combine it with Xuzhou’s local characteristics, looking forward to launching high-quality cooperation projects in the future to support the international development of outstanding enterprises from both sides.