It didn't start with a business plan. It started with a conviction — that the gap between Europe and China isn't lack of interest, but lack of a trusted bridge.
Tianfu New Area Swiss Investment Promotion & Signing Ceremony
When Jean-Jacques de Dardel completed his tenure as Swiss Ambassador to China, he didn't walk away. He saw something most diplomats miss after leaving post — that the real gap between Europe and China isn't cultural, political, or even economic. It's structural. The interest exists on both sides, but the infrastructure of trust doesn't.
Businesses on each continent want to reach the other. Governments want partnership. Universities want collaboration. But wanting isn't enough — without someone who speaks both languages, understands both systems, and carries credibility in both rooms, nothing moves from intention to execution.
SSIT was founded on that conviction: that a trusted bridge could turn mutual interest into mutual outcomes.
The first step wasn't building a company — it was proving the model worked. In early 2025, SSIT established its office at Tianfu ITTC in Chengdu, provided by the center rather than rented. That distinction matters: it meant the local government saw enough value to invest space before SSIT invested money.
From that foothold, SSIT began connecting European technology to Chinese industry — ETH Zurich's cutting-edge sensors, Robatech's precision bonding systems, Wiesenschwein's smart agriculture platforms. Each partnership wasn't just a deal; it was proof that the bridge could carry weight.
Then came March 2025. The Tianfu Swiss Investment Promotion Conference wasn't just another signing ceremony — it was the moment the bridge held its first real traffic. European capital saw Chinese opportunity. Chinese industry saw European standards. And both sides saw SSIT standing in the middle, translating not just words but intent.
Office established at Tianfu ITTC — bridging cutting-edge research from ETH Zurich to Chinese industry
Robatech industrial adhesives + Wiesenschwein smart agriculture — proving European tech could land in Chinese industry
Co-organized the Swiss Investment Cooperation Conference — the bridge carried its first real traffic
A bridge proves itself not by standing, but by carrying more weight than anyone expected. Through mid-2025, SSIT expanded beyond technology transfer into full-spectrum China-Europe connectivity — supply chain benchmarking, cross-border e-commerce, government partnerships, and industry visits that turned conversations into signed contracts.
The turning point came in September 2025. Two things happened that reshaped SSIT's trajectory: the German National Pavilion partnership, which expanded the platform from Switzerland to the broader European market. And Selene Chen's appointment as Nanjing Hexi CBD Investment Ambassador, which cemented SSIT's credibility at the institutional level.
By the time the CIIE Swiss-China Business Reception convened in November, SSIT wasn't just a bridge — it was becoming the infrastructure others wanted to build on.
Coplax × Rheem matching — helping Chinese enterprises benchmark against global standards
Expanding from Switzerland to the broader European market. Selene appointed Nanjing Hexi CBD Investment Ambassador.
SSIT leveraged the national-level expo to showcase achievements and expand its international network
A bridge without rails isn't safe to cross. By late 2025, SSIT had proven the demand — now it was time to build the permanent infrastructure that makes cross-border business not just possible, but reliable.
Silk entered the picture through Nanchong's century-old heritage mills. This wasn't just another commodity play — it was about elevating Chinese silk from raw material to premium European product, backed by a digital platform that connects factory floors to foreign buyers directly. The partnership with Linjiang Dongfang Group gave it government platform support; the collaboration with Silk Factory Collection gave it a digital storefront.
Compliance came next — Jiuding Tianyuan formalized the legal backbone for IP protection and overseas compliance. Logistics followed with Chengdu Chenyue (URNYUE), covering China-Europe railway, customs, and exhibition logistics. Each piece wasn't just a service; it was a load-bearing section of the bridge, designed to hold weight for decades.
Nanchong heritage silk + Linjiang Dongfang Group — elevating Chinese silk for global premium markets
Jiuding Tianyuan — building long-term overseas compliance and IP protection systems
Chengdu Chenyue (URNYUE) — cross-border logistics, China-Europe railway, customs compliance
China Town, Zurich — 20,000 sqm Asian lifestyle complex, operated by SCBA
In June 2026, SSIT signed a strategic cooperation with the Swiss Federal Association of SMEs and the Swiss-China Business Association (SCBA). This wasn't just another partnership — it gave SSIT direct access to China Town Zurich: 20,000 square meters of commercial real estate, operated by SCBA, adjacent to Zurich Airport.
With this, every piece clicked into place. The diplomatic credibility that started it all. The technology partnerships that proved the model. The compliance and logistics infrastructure that made it reliable. And now, a physical hub in the heart of Europe where Chinese companies can land, operate, and grow — not as visitors, but as residents.
The bridge that started with one diplomat's conviction now spans two continents. And it's open for business.
Signed strategic cooperation — gaining direct access to Switzerland's largest Asian commercial complex (China Town, 20,000 sqm, Zurich) as the physical landing hub for SSIT's full-process market entry services
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