"Most Globally Competitive Chinese Companies" award

• "Most Globally Competitive Chinese Companies" award recognizes the achievements of Chinese companies doing business in Europe and the US
• Special prizes will also be awarded for "Best Chinese Companies in Europe", "Best Chinese Companies in the US" and "Best Chinese Companies in Emerging Markets"
• The awards ceremony will take place by the end of June in Beijing
• Three online academic forums with Chinese and international experts lead up to final ceremony
• Chinese business magazine "Global Entrepreneur" is the media partner for this initiative

For the first time, Roland Berger Strategy Consultants is honoring the exceptional performance of Chinese companies abroad with the "Most Globally Competitive Chinese Companies" award. By launching this competition in China, the international consultancy aims to spur a discussion on how companies can prepare their global expansion strategically and highlight best practice examples. Based on publicly available data on 200 companies doing business abroad, a high-ranking jury from China and Europe has already short-listed 50 companies. At end of June, the top 20 will be presented at the "Most Globally Competitive Chinese Companies" awards ceremony. Special prizes will also be given in the following three categories: "Best Chinese Companies in Europe", "Best Chinese Companies in the US" and "Best Chinese Companies in Emerging Markets". The Chinese business magazine "Global Entrepreneur" will cover the competition.

"We initiated this competition to raise awareness on the best practice strategies of Chinese companies in the global market and to honor their achievements," said Burkhard Schwenker, CEO of Roland Berger Strategy Consultants.

For this initiative, the consultancy has partnered with "Global Entrepreneur," a leading Chinese business publication. In 2006, the magazine published a ranking of the most competitive global companies in China that was widely discussed by business leaders. Building on this interest, Roland Berger Strategy Consultants has analyzed publicly available data on 200 companies doing business overseas, in Europe and the United States. In a first step, analysts looked at overall business performance, sustainable competitiveness and corporate culture. Next, they rated factors such as overseas business development, investment performance, R&D capability and social responsibility. A short list of 50 companies was then identified and presented to the media at a press conference.

The jury for the competition is composed of both Chinese and European experts, business professors and senior management figures. To make jury decisions easier, Roland Berger Strategy Consultants has partnered with Sina.com, the Chinese equivalent of Yahoo!, to allow jurors to engage in an online chat and make their decisions at their convenience.

The consultancy also employs this online platform to organize three academic forums via Internet with well-known Chinese and international scholars and experts leading up to the award ceremony in June. The first forum focused on the future of "made in China", the second one discussed about how Chinese companies can better compete in global market. The final online forum will take place on June 8. Zhang Weijiong, Deputy Director of the China Europe Business School (Shanghai), and Meng Fanchen, Vice President of Siemens China, will talk about globalization and global responsibility.

The awards ceremony will take place by end of June in Beijing. In addition to the "Most Globally Competitive Chinese Companies" awards, special prizes will also be presented for "Best Chinese Companies in Europe," "Best Chinese Companies in America" and "Best Chinese Companies in Emerging Markets."

Results of the competition will be featured in the June edition of "Global Entrepreneur."