China’s winter sports industry update

This country outlook is part of a short series of introducing priority sectors that Team Finland China has chosen for 2022. Team Finland China is a network of public actors and Finnish business chambers in China. The network promotes Finland and its interests abroad: the internationalization of Finnish enterprises, investments in Finland, and the country brand. In total, there are nine focus areas, in which Team Finland actors proactively plan their activities, to help Finnish companies to enter China and grow in Chinese market. Team Finland China priority sectors for 2022 are 1) ICT, 2) food and agro, 3) health technology, 4) energy, 5) bio economy, chemicals and built environment, 6) metal and machinery, 7) maritime, 8) education (incl. research and talent boost) and 9) winter sports.

 

Winter sports remains an important focus area for Team Finland China. China’s winter sports industry has grown (excluding 2020) and Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games gave a particular impetus for the sector. According to the Chinese government, 346 million Chinese people participated in winter sports by October 2021. However, to maintain this outcome sustainably it requires continuous investment in winter sports development and support from different levels of government authorities in China  

 

Finland and China celebrated China-Finland Year of Winter Sports in 2019. Team Finland China will continue to use this foundation and well-established cooperation in seeking for opportunities for Finnish companies. In addition, Ministry of Education and Culture of Finland and General Administration of Sport of China have a joint Memorandum of Understanding on sports cooperation that provides framework for broad cooperation. 

 

Team Finland China will focus on identified key areas in sports where Finland has a long-standing expertise, notably education and training, building environmentally sound multipurpose sports complexes and smaller sport units, as well as providing innovative, functional, smart and safe products for an active lifestyle. Finland has also unique sports related technological offering and event management expertise.

 

Winter sports continues to be an essential part of promoting Finland’s country image in China. Team Finland is in the process of expanding focus from winter sports to broader sports sector.

 

Jesse Wang

Senior Advisor (Winter sports, General Market Advice)

Business Finland in Beijing, China

jesse.wang@businessfinland.fi

tel. +86 138 1067 1290