In 2016, Lincolnshire County Council signed a friendship agreement with Hunan Province in China, taking advantage of existing business and civic links with the region. Following on from this, a piece of analysis was undertaken by the China Britain Business Council to research the economic landscape in Hunan in order to idetify areas where collaboration might be mutually beneficial. This report can be found at the bottom of the page.
The County Council will be working with colleagues in Lincolnshire and Hunan over the coming months to identify where opportunities can be exploited. There are particular opportunities in agriculture, adult social care and education.
Agri Tech - products and services which not only offer greater yields but also show a reduced impact on water resources. This includes new crop varieties, pesticides, fertilisers, feeds, machinery, methods for husbandry and harvesting and also products and services which improve efficiency in harvesting, storage, processing, packaging and distribution. A specific area of opportunity is in ‘aviation’ technology for agriculture which combines drone and digital technology to inspect and monitor crop development and servicing requirements.
Elderly Care - new design and construction solutions for low-cost, sustainably built, and low-energy housing, be it for care homes, care communities or private residential property for the elderly. ‘Smart’ technologies are required for both monitoring the elderly and giving them access to social services such as transport, healthcare, or cultural activities. There is an over-arching need for better healthcare services and medical equipment specifically for the elderly. Lincolnshire is moving to a management system where Healthcare and Social Care are brought together and this is an area where best practice in management and technology development can be shared between Hunan and Lincolnshire.
Education - supporting Agri-tech and Elderly Care development but also in other areas such as engineering there are possibilities to extend the links between Lincolnshire and Hunan via greater education collaboration. The University of Lincoln and Lincoln College are both well placed to create a platform for Lincolnshire companies to be involved through China-UK bilateral joint research or through the development of study programmes.
If you are interested in finding out more about the friendship agreement with Hunan and the opportunities it might bring, please contact the Business Lincolnshire Growth Hub via our email address - businesslincolnshire@lincolnshire.gov.uk or via our online form.
Additional information
Categories: Exporting
District: Outside Lincolnshire, Greater Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire, North East Lincolnshire, North Kesteven, South Kesteven, East Lindsey, West Lindsey, Boston, South Holland, City of Lincoln
