Adidas Eyes More Global Launches in Shanghai

Editor's Note:

The annual International Business Leaders' Advisory Council for the Mayor of Shanghai (IBLAC) will convene on October 12, with six new members joining the council. Shanghai Daily speaks with some of the executives about their expectations, the expertise they will contribute to the council, and the topics they hope to discuss with the mayor.

How does it feel to become a new member? What are your expectations from IBLAC?

Over the years, IBLAC has become a great international platform for dialogue and exchanging views. I feel privileged to become part of this prestigious group and be able to contribute to the development of the city of Shanghai.

After last year's meeting I was very impressed by the openness of the leadership in Shanghai. The vision shared with us is both inspiring and encouraging. I am looking forward to hearing more from Mr Chen (Jining) and Mr Gong (Zheng) about their views on the next chapter of the city's development.

What expertise and insights will you bring to IBLAC?

Adidas is a German sports brand with a history of more than 75 years. Sports play a vital role in society, unite people, and have the power to change their lives. I have been part of this industry my whole life, first as a professional football player and now as CEO for many years.

I have seen many times how the sports industry can contribute to opening up and developing communities, cities, and countries. As a vital force, sports can enhance urban resilience, transcend national boundaries, integrate diverse cultures, bridge social divides, and drive economic growth.

I see more and more Chinese doing sports. I see the Chinese government strongly supporting sport. This makes me very optimistic about the Chinese sports market, both for the Chinese athletes and for us at adidas. We have many cooperation projects in sports with Chinese authorities, federations, clubs and athletes. I am convinced that the future of sports in this country is very bright.

As an IBLAC member, I look forward to continuing to support China's promotion of sports in general and Shanghai in its efforts to become a globally renowned sports city.

Are there any particular areas of Shanghai's development that you are interested in further exploring and discussing with other members and the mayor of Shanghai?

Over the summer we have brought top global athletes like Lamin Yamal and Anthony Edwards to Shanghai. The excitement that these events created in the city and the impact these visits generate on the young generation are fantastic. The Shanghai Sports Festival in September, which we also supported, was another great example of how sports can become an integral part of the city.

To build on this momentum, we think it would be helpful to discuss how a robust support system for sports activities in the city can be established. This includes building and activating urban sports spaces, streamlining approval processes for sports events, and providing an efficient visa facilitation procedure for both athletes and fans.

We also advocate for the establishment of the Shanghai Riverside Active Sports Avenue. The project could become an impressive symbol of the city recognized all over the world.

Another area we would like to further explore is how we can build an environment to encourage more global launch moments in Shanghai. Earlier this year, the worldwide introduction of the fourth generation of our successful Adizero Adios Pro running franchise took place on the Bund. The event with former marathon world record holder Haile Gebrselassie, Chinese marathon runner Li Dan, and track and field athlete Xu Shuangshuang attracted attention around the globe.

We have brought several of these global-first product debuts to Shanghai and are very happy and appreciative for the support the Shanghai and Xuhui governments have provided on these occasions. Discovering ways to incentivize even more of these unique events would further strengthen Shanghai as the first choice in China for global innovations.