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FUTURE CANDY Reisegruppe vor dem Tiananmen-Tor in Beijing China Innovation Tour
← All innovation journeys
Innovation journey · 17–23 April 2027

China
Innovation Tour.

With us you don’t just travel, you get to experience the future.
Beijing. Guangzhou. Shenzhen. Three cities that show what drives the world of tomorrow.

Join the waiting list → Explore the programme
3
Cities
7
Days
7.900€
Per person
17.–23.
April 2027

Why China. Why now.

China has established itself
alongside Silicon Valley as a global hotspot for innovation.

In AI implementation, robotics, urban mobility and foldable displays, China is not just ahead of Europe, it sets the standard.

If you want to understand the future, you have to go where it is being built. Not in slide decks. Live, on site, with the people building it.

China in numbers.

#1
AI patents worldwide

China holds more AI patents than any other country on earth, and is growing faster than ever.

3×
Faster delivery

From idea to market: Chinese companies implement three times faster than European ones.

1.4bn
Test market

The world’s largest single market as a live lab. What works here works anywhere.

The route

Three cities.
Three perspectives.

Each city stands for a different dimension of innovation: political, industrial, technological.

01
Beijing
Capital · AI policy · big tech HQs
Day 1 – 2

Politics, platforms, AI: in Beijing, China’s digital ecosystem meets 3,000 years of history. A culture day is included, from the Great Wall to the hutongs.

Kuaishou

The TikTok rival with more than 30,000 employees: social commerce, livestreaming and the GenAI video model Kling AI.

Zhongguancun Internet Park

China’s answer to Silicon Valley: a startup ecosystem around Tsinghua and Peking University, home to Lenovo and Baidu.

JD Mall

50,000 square metres of phygital retail: real-time data from online commerce meets humanoid robots by Unitree.

Culture & guanxi

The Great Wall, the Forbidden City, Tiananmen and a reception at the Friendship Association: understanding how business in China works.

Stops from our last trip. The final programme may differ.

02
Guangzhou
Manufacturing · robotics · industry 4.0
Day 3 – 4

From manufacturing powerhouse to the mobility of tomorrow: Guangzhou shows how fast China rebuilds entire industries.

EHang

Autonomous air taxis up close: from urban air mobility to rescue and fire service drones, some already in commercial use.

Knowledge City

The China-Singapore Knowledge City: a complete innovation city for hundreds of thousands, built in just a few years.

New mobility

BYD, Zeekr, Xiaomi and others: showrooms and the streetscape show how China’s EV brands are squeezing the world market.

Stops from our last trip. The final programme may differ.

03
Shenzhen
Hardware capital · startups · future cities
Day 5 – 7

The hardware capital of the world feels like one giant test environment: robotaxis, delivery drones and humanoid robotics are everyday sights here.

Pony.ai

Book a robotaxi in an app and ride autonomously through city traffic: everyday life here, not a pilot project.

Phoenix Wings

The drone subsidiary of SF Express: autonomous transport drones on more than 1,500 routes, over a million flights completed.

Ubtech & Co.

Humanoid robotics in productive use: in hotels, factories, logistics centres and public space.

iCarbonX

A health AI unicorn with a reception hosted by the founder himself: Wang Jun on the digital twin of our health.

Stops from our last trip. The final programme may differ.

What to expect

More than a trip.

01
Company visits

Exclusive access to leading tech companies, startups and research centres. Things you don’t get to see otherwise.

02
Networking

Conversations with innovators on site and like-minded people from home. A community that keeps growing after the trip.

03
Workshops & deep dives

This is not a sightseeing tour. We work through what we see together, with methods that turn findings into action.

04
Strategic context

Our experts help you translate what you have seen for your own company. From insight to a concrete option for action.

Trip video

China in motion.

Video: Impressions der China Innovation Tour Playing the video loads it from YouTube

Your trip lead

Travelling with a
real China expert.

Sascha Kurfiss, China-Experte und Delegationsleiter

Sascha Kurfiss leads our China innovation journeys as head of delegation. He worked for many years in Beijing and Shanghai, among other roles as Managing Director of Jung von Matt in China, and knows the tech and innovation scene there first hand.

On the ground he opens doors that otherwise stay shut, translates between the cultures and makes sense of what you see, from super apps and new retail to humanoid robots.

Sascha on LinkedIn ↗
FUTURE CANDY Podcast Folge 131 mit Sascha Kurfiss
FUTURE CANDY podcast · episode 131 · 59 min
Nothing works without China any more.

Sascha on the China innovation journey: what to expect, what fascinates him about China’s pace, and why looking east pays off right now.

All episodes ↗

What’s included

It’s all
in there.

All accommodation (four-star hotels)Double rooms, single rooms on request
Transport vor LocationAll transfers, domestic flights and trains
Meals as per programmeBreakfast daily, selected lunches and dinners
All company visits & workshopsIncl. entrance fees and programme organisation
FUTURE CANDY hostsExperienced trip lead + innovation experts
Good to know
You book your own flights to and from ChinaWe’re happy to recommend suitable connections
You arrange your own visaWe support you through the whole process
Investment
€ 7.900
Per person · excl. VAT
Flights and visa not included.
Travel period 17–23 April 2027
Cities Beijing · Guangzhou · Shenzhen
Duration 7 days
Group size Max. 20 people
Book a call directly