EU Start-Ups Summit: Expert Voices On Cracking The Chinese Market

The EU-Startups Summit returns to Malta on 7-8 May 2026, welcoming approximately 2,500 founders, investors, and ecosystem leaders for two days of networking.

Among the most compelling sessions on the agenda is a panel titled “From Local to Global: Taking Your Startup into China’s High-Growth Markets” - a timely conversation for any founder with ambitions beyond European borders.

Expanding internationally is a defining milestone for many startups, but China presents a uniquely complex landscape. Regulatory frameworks, market access rules, local partnership dynamics, and go-to-market strategies all differ significantly from those European founders are used to. The panel aims to cut through the complexity, offering grounded, practical guidance for startups seriously considering the move.

Sara Medina brings more than two decades of hands-on experience in EU–China cooperation and SME internationalisation. As a Member of the Board of Advisors of the EU SME Centre - a European Commission initiative supporting European businesses entering China - and a Board Member of SPI, she has spent over 20 years shaping EU partnerships and guiding companies through the realities of operating in China and Southeast Asia.

Paula Kant, Head of Investment Promotion at InvestHK Brussels, helps overseas companies establish and scale their presence in Hong Kong. Her career spans business development and general management across Asia, Europe, North Africa, and New Zealand, giving her a genuinely global lens on cross-border growth.

Together, they will explore the support available to European startups, the opportunities on offer, and the challenges that come with building a cross-border strategy in one of the world's most dynamic markets.