The Isle of Man Innovation Centre opens this month in Beijing to provide Manx businesses entering the Chinese market with a dedicated base of operations and technology assistance, provided through an agreement between ACTTAO Group and Manninvest.

Firms from the Isle of Man now can avail of business incubation workspace and facilities free of charge in CBD (Central Business District), Beijing, China, along with preferential contracts for technology consultancy and services. This has been made possible as part of a cross-border agreement between Beijing–headquartered ACTTAO Group and Manninvest.

The ACTTAO- Manninvest cooperation agreement is designed to support bi-lateral flow of trade and investment, and stimulate commercial linkages around innovation and technology, between the Isle of Man and in Beijing, China. The agreement came about as a result of ACTTAO’s decision to grow its overseas business with an international presence on the Isle of Man.

Carlo Crighton, International CEO at ACTTAO Group said: “Having evaluated many locations in Europe, we recognised the competitive advantages offered by the Isle of Man for fully commercialising ACTTAO’s cross-border e-commerce and mobile platforms projects. This cooperative agreement further extends the potential for venture-led and linkage-based tech innovation. As such, we are excited to support it by extending our incubator facilities in CBD, Beijing, and delivering end-to-end accelerator solutions for Isle of Man firms entering the Chinese market.”

Chris Eaton, Manninvest added: "We are pleased to announce out involvement in this unique opportunity for Manx business looking to enter the Chinese market, and can utilise our experience in the region to make the process as smooth as possible.”

Jonathan Mills of the Isle of Man Government Department of Economic Development added: "This is a wonderful facility for Isle of Man based entrepreneurs wishing to access the immense Chinese market and we are sure it will be a very effective addition to our efforts to grow our presence in China."