SUPPLY CHAINS IN TRANSITION: NAVIGATING A CHANGING GLOBAL BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT

1 July 2026 | SFECO Mansion, Shanghai

Global supply chains are undergoing fundamental change. Rising costs, geopolitical uncertainty, new regulatory requirements and shifting sourcing strategies are forcing companies to rethink how products move from factories to customers.

These challenges were at the centre of the second The Network event, “SUPPLY CHAINS IN TRANSITION,” held on 1 July 2026 at SFECO Mansion in Shanghai.

The event brought together professionals from supply chain, logistics, sourcing, manufacturing, cross-border business and international market development for an evening of practical discussion.

Two speakers approached the subject from different but complementary perspectives.

Owen Cheng addressed the increasingly complex journey from factory to door. His contribution looked at issues including sourcing disruptions, inventory management, freight capacity, changing production locations and the growing role of technology and AI in logistics.

Companies today can no longer build their supply chains around cost efficiency alone. Resilience, flexibility and the ability to react quickly to unexpected changes have become equally important.

Stefan Woditsch focused on another major development: the international expansion of Chinese companies.

As more Chinese manufacturers and brands enter overseas markets, their challenges increasingly extend beyond production and export. European regulations, customs requirements, product compliance, VAT, warehousing, last-mile delivery, returns, data protection and sustainability all become part of the equation.

Successful international expansion therefore requires more than competitive products. Companies need the right local structures, partners and operational understanding in their target markets.

This combination of perspectives made the discussion particularly relevant. One side looked at how global supply chains themselves are changing, while the other examined what these changes mean for Chinese companies expanding internationally.

The evening also reflected what The Network is intended to be: a combination of useful business content and meaningful personal connections.

Following the presentations, participants continued the discussion through networking and direct exchanges with other professionals facing similar challenges.

The event confirmed the value of bringing together people from different parts of the business ecosystem around one clearly defined topic.

For The Network, SUPPLY CHAINS IN TRANSITION was another step in building a Shanghai-based platform for practical discussion, international business exchange and trusted connections between East and West.