Wei Yang and Partners has begun work on the detailed design and guidance for the Chinese government to move the development in Hunan province forward.
The firm, founded in Milton Keynes two years ago, has an operational base in London and announced the contract win during UKTI’s Export Week – High Growth Markets, a week designed to encourage small and medium firms to export to growing markets.
Dr Wei Yang (pictured), an expert on garden cities and a trustee of the Milton Keynes City Discovery Centre, said: “It is fantastic to have secured this deal. As the birth place of garden cities and new towns, Britain has a great record of success and Milton Keynes is the most successful new town in the world, offering a strong and friendly community which has stood the test of time.
“The Chinese are looking to create cities that offer people somewhere genuinely exciting to live and work, creating opportunities for future generations so the design philosophy of Milton Keynes is an obvious influence.
"Chinese visitors to Milton Keynes are always impressed by the green setting, and see it as a model for building long-term vision for the city and the community in the early days of urban planning, which is one of the reasons why my firm has a base there.”
Dr Yang has extensive experience of master planning new cities and large scale urban expansions in China and the UK, having worked on Wuhan East Lake Innovation Zone in Hubei Province, China, and strategic development locations in the UK.
Wei Yang & Partners Ltd received help from the Sustainable Cities Initiative and UKTI’s Passport for Export Scheme.
International trade adviser Chris Lowsley, UKTI South
East’s China specialist, advised Dr Yang on her travels to China. He said: “Dr Yang is a world leading expert in town planning, who has chosen to have a base in Milton Keynes due to its established reputation.
“Her knowledge and expertise in eco-town planning and garden city planning have rightly paid off and the complex work she has undertaken has led to her clinching fantastic deals from Chinese cities, proving very valuable to this company and its projected growth.”
Backed by UKTI, Dr Yang will be seconded as a UK principal expert advising on China’s eco-city policies and planning guidance. UKTI says her work will help to boost the profile of UK planning expertise in China.
Mr Lowsley said: “I hope that the success of Dr Yang can be an inspiration to other firms looking to boost sales. There are millions of potential new customers in high growth markets and we at UKTI are here to provide any support we can to help firms reach them.”
To get export advice call UKTI South East on 08452 789 600 or visit www.ukti.gov.uk.
