European students explore Shanghai's delivery drones, traditional crafts

A group of 14 students from German universities explored Shanghai's digital services, startup ecosystem, and traditional crafts on Sept 9 as part of the 2026 BWA China Classroom study program. Their itinerary included visits to Meituan, the Fuxing Island OPC Spark Hub, and the Royal Workshop of Chinese Brush and Ink.

The program was organized by the German Federal Association for Economic Development and Foreign Trade. The Shanghai People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries assisted with the group's itinerary in the city.

Meituan is a Chinese tech-driven retail company whose platform covers services such as food delivery, restaurant reservations, travel, and grocery shopping. At its command center, the students learned about its digital platform, big-data dispatch system, drone delivery, and autonomous delivery vehicles.

The students showed particular interest in Meituan's drone and autonomous delivery services and discussed the technologies with Meituan employees.

Erik Grander, an aerospace engineering student at the Technical University of Munich, visited Beijing a decade ago. He joined the program to see how technology and everyday life had evolved over the past 10 years and to gain a closer look at Chinese companies and universities.

Grander was particularly interested in how Meituan had turned drone delivery from a concept into a practical logistics service. He also noted its continued investment in research and development, even though the drone delivery operation had yet to turn a profit, which he viewed as evidence of a longer-term vision.

Elisabeth Yuanyuan Wolf, a student in the International Business Management bachelor's program at the Berlin School of Economics and Law, is of German and Chinese heritage. She returns to China almost every year, making app-based delivery familiar to her. This time, she was particularly interested in drones, autonomous vehicles, and AI in delivery services.

She noted that Meituan brings multiple services together on a single platform, whereas users in Germany often need separate apps for food delivery, transportation, and other functions.

At the Fuxing Island OPC Spark Hub, an incubator for solo entrepreneurs in fields such as short dramas, motion comics, mini-games, and AI agents, the students gained a closer look at Shanghai's emerging startup community.

The final stop, the Royal Workshop of Chinese Brush and Ink, shifted the focus from new technologies to traditional craftsmanship. Students learned about brush- and ink-making and experienced traditional Chinese calligraphy and painting.

Lin Yetian, assistant to BWA's chief representative for Greater China, said the students had expressed interest in Chinese digital platforms such as Douyin and Meituan, as well as robotics, before the itinerary was prepared.

Lin said the program aimed to provide participants with firsthand insights into China's industries, culture, society, and business environment. It could also encourage them to consider living or working in China or to pursue China-related careers, she added.

Wolf's comments reflected this aim. She said Germany could make greater use of AI, particularly in its automotive industry, while noting China's progress in electric vehicles. She also described young people in China as open to new cultures, providing a strong foundation for closer youth exchanges.

The visit also allowed the students to observe everyday life in Shanghai. Grander said the city's quiet streets, which he partly attributed to its many electric vehicles, and the ease of finding food late at night left a strong first impression.