Italian company to showcase future design at expo

SHANGHAI -- Icona Group, a global design company based in Italy, is preparing for its first exposure at the China International Import Expo (CIIE) slated for Nov 5 to 10 in Shanghai.

Two concept vehicles and a chassis for driverless cars will be presented by Icona, including a concept vehicle specially designed for young people, which drew inspiration from smartphones and modern architectural aesthetics, rather than traditional cars.

Enea Colombo, general manager of Icona Group, said Icona hopes to showcase the company's technological transformation to the world through its futuristic exhibits at the upcoming CIIE.

Colombo said after the COVID-19 epidemic outbreak, some of the company's employees were stranded overseas. With help from the municipal government of Shanghai, the employees have come back in time to prepare for its exhibition at the third CIIE.

The company plans to increase investment in China and expand new business, including integrating Chinese 5G technology into new designs, Colombo said.

"We believe the Chinese market is one of the fastest-growing markets in the world. It is also easy in China to find any technology that we need for our development," said Colombo.

During the two major contracting events in Shanghai in the first half of this year, 32 projects of CIIE exhibitors settled in Shanghai. From January to August this year, the actual amount of foreign direct investment in place in Shanghai reached $13.88 billion, a year-on-year increase of 5.9 percent.