Chen Siqi

vankochensq@163.com

A DECADE ago, Javier Remírez first set foot in Shenzhen as a private sector professional, struck by the raw potential of its automotive industry. Today, returning as the first vice-president of the government of Navarra, he finds a metropolis that has undergone a total metamorphosis.

From Wednesday to Friday, Remírez led a high-level delegation of government officials and industry leaders from the Spanish region of Navarra on an intensive tour of Shenzhen’s innovation ecosystem. The mission focused on three pillars of future growth: medical innovation, smart hardware manufacturing, and advanced industrial infrastructure.

The three-day itinerary was designed for impact. Beyond strategic business matchmaking, the delegation conducted deep-dive site visits to the HarmonyOS Ecosystem (Longhua) Innovation Center, energy storage pioneer Hithium, and Yesun Science and Technology Park in Longhua, Huaqiangbei in Futian, and the iMakerbase accelerator in Bao’an.

“Shenzhen is an international benchmark, widely recognized for its achievements in new energy, digitalization, AI, and robotics — sectors that align perfectly with Navarra’s regional strategy,” Remírez noted following the Longhua (Shenzhen) – Navarra (Spain) Matchmaking Cooperation Event at Shenzhen Longhua International Cooperation Center (LICC) on Wednesday. “We are here to learn from the best.”

Navarra stands as one of Europe’s most sophisticated industrial hubs, with excellence in automotive engineering, agritech, and renewables. Conversely, Longhua serves as the engine of Shenzhen’s digital economy, spearheading high-end manufacturing and the green energy transition.

At the end of 2025, Longhua and Navarra signed a friendship memorandum.

Miren Ausín, director of the International Promotion Service of Navarra, told Shenzhen Daily that the region is proposing a three-year action plan featuring joint trade missions, business delegations, and academic exchanges.

Luis Campos, executive director of the Polo IRIS Nasertic, said that engagements with Shenzhen robotics companies revealed strong alignment in technology directions. “Access to cutting‑edge R&D outcomes is crucial — it will accelerate practical applications that directly benefit the people of Navarra,” he said.

The groundwork for this partnership was laid in July 2025, when Mikel Irujo, minister for industry and for the ecological and digital business transition of Navarra, first explored the LICC. Months of high-level dialogue followed, advancing projects in the low-altitude economy and energy research — some of which have already moved into trial production.

Remírez expressed his hope that Longhua would serve as Navarra’s gateway to the Shenzhen market, while Navarra stands ready to act as Longhua’s bridgehead for expansion into Spain and the wider EU.