On November 6th, the 16th Belt and Road Eco-Agriculture and Food Safety Forum was successfully held in Shanghai as a concurrent event of the 6th China International Import Expo. The forum was hosted by the State Administration for Market Regulation and co-organized by the Shanghai Municipal Administration for Market Regulation, the Development Research Center of the State Administration for Market Regulation, and the Secretariat of the Belt and Road Eco-Agriculture and Food Safety Forum. Li Quang, Chief Executive Officer of TECHLEX Food Co., Ltd, attended the opening ceremony of the forum and delivered a speech.
Li Quang, Chief Executive Officer of TECHLEX Food Co., Ltd, delivered a speech
Over the past few years, Tiekilishi has invested nearly half a billion yuan in its digital transformation, positioning itself at the forefront of digitalization in the agri-food industry. How did TECHLEX’s tailor-made ‘533’ digital project operate, and what achievements were made?
During the outbreak of the pandemic in 2020, we saw an opportunity to enhance our internal capabilities and foster organic growth through digitalization, a trend that is inevitable for all modern enterprises. Although there were few precedents in the agri-food industry for large-scale investment in digitalization, TECHLEX believed it was essential to innovate and take the first step in building our digital ‘highway.’
While many companies approach digital transformation in a modular fashion, tackling one aspect at a time, such as starting with financial systems before moving to supply chain and R&D, TECHLEX’s ‘533’ project was a comprehensive ‘battle’ involving all employees.
The ‘5’ in ‘533’ represents our approach to simultaneously address human resources, supply chain, R&D, marketing, and finance. Our group has five business divisions, each with different operations spanning production, breeding, B2B, B2C, etc., presenting a significant challenge in platform integration across industries.
The first ‘3’ in ‘533’ symbolizes our three goals: one TECHLEX, one dream, and one system. As each division in our group operates like a large, independent company, it was crucial to form a unified language, overcoming barriers in finance, data analysis, and channels to enable cross-analysis. Therefore, our digital project aimed to create ‘one TECHLEX, one dream, one system.’
The second ‘3’ represents our ambition to promote industry chain collaboration, full value chain integration, and transparent management. This ambitious project required significant manpower, involving the most knowledgeable and skilled individuals in each business line. While consultants estimated 3-5 years to complete the project, our determination led us to aim for the simultaneous online operation of all five business divisions within a year, surprising our consulting teams. We completed the project on time and to a high standard.
We have now entered the second phase of development, and with our internal ‘highway’ constructed, we can support various aspects, including marketing and R&D, using a unified language and system. This transformation, fostered by the pandemic, has turned us into a digitally capable company, which is profoundly meaningful.
TECHLEX has always focused on building three golden industry chains: pigs, egg-laying chickens, and ducks, achieving full traceability for each piece of pork and every egg. Why was this done?
Utilizing the pandemic period, we invested nearly half a billion yuan in digital transformation. As a food producer, ensuring farm-to-table consumer safety is paramount, making full traceability a priority. Previously, SUN DAILY had a partial traceability system, but it was not comprehensive. We wanted this digital upgrade to let consumers truly appreciate the high quality of our eggs. SUN DAILY has been meticulously cultivating standards for 21 years, allowing traceability from breeding to final sale codes, representing our promise to consumers and ensuring every product we make has value.
Additionally, as one of the earlier brands in the industry, SUN DAILY has continuously developed high-quality, branded products. We constantly innovate and have observed how internet companies, e-commerce, and new retail businesses, with their data analysis capabilities and consumer insights, significantly advance emerging industries. We bring these creative ideas to our more traditional agri-food company. Collaborating with the Aerospace Foundation, we became a partner in China's space program. We continuously break barriers and diversify, making SUN DAILY the top online egg category and increasing Meiyuzi's sales sixfold. Thank you!
The theme of the forum is, ‘Deepening the Belt and Road Cooperation in Agriculture and Food: Jointly Creating a Better Life for Humanity.’ Leaders from the State Administration for Market Regulation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, National Health Commission, General Administration of Customs, as well as leaders from Shanghai, Henan, Hainan, and other provincial governments, representatives of provincial market supervision departments, representatives of relevant United Nations organizations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and embassies of South Africa, the Netherlands, Colombia, Sri Lanka, Bulgaria, Tanzania, Senegal, among others, along with over 400 delegates from domestic and international enterprises, participated in the forum. Guests collectively deliberated on agricultural cooperation and food industry development, contributing insights and strategies for the high-quality development of agriculture and food industries in the Belt and Road Initiative, highlighting the role of the forum as a platform for policy interpretation.
2023 marks the 10th anniversary of the proposal of the Belt and Road Initiative and the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Eco-Agriculture and Food Safety Forum. Over the past decade, the forum has been successfully held for 15 sessions within the framework of the National Food Safety Publicity Week and the China International Import Expo. The forum has solidly promoted high-quality joint construction of the Belt and Road, extensively conducted exchanges and cooperation in the agricultural and food industries, played a significant role in the development and safety of agricultural food industries in the countries along the route, and facilitated smooth international trade among the Belt and Road countries.
