Through the IUC programme, cities and regions across Europe have entered into partnerships on sustainable development with counterparts from around the globe. For a full list of city pairings so far, see the table below:
In May 2017, Mannheim was selected to participate in the EU-funded International Urban Cooperation programme. The German city was paired with Chongqing, one of the largest cities in the world and a highly influential and active partner. As a result of their IUC cooperation, Mannheim and Chongqing have decided to establish a direct railway connection between their cities. Major companies have regularly expressed the need for such a railway, which would strengthen Mannheim as a logistics hub and contribute to sustainable development.
A series of reciprocal visits have taken place, which included political meetings and discussions with business representatives. From the beginning, concrete needs and common challenges were expressed by both parties at the China Round Table meeting, which gave a general direction for further cooperation. Both parties have agreed to establish representative offices in each other’s cities, which will last far beyond the scope of the IUC cooperation period.
Through the continuous support of the IUC team, the European Commission and the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) of the People’s Republic of China, quick progress has been achieved, aided by efficient exchange and reciprocal visits.
The IUC programme has also generated greater recognition of Mannheim’s China-related activities, leading to greater media coverage on the topic. As a result, Mannheim has received wide-spread international attention.
*Note: IUC Asia pioneered a 'cluster' approach to city-to-city cooperation. As a result, Urban Cooperation Action Plans (UCAPs) for those cities may refer to a group of cooperating cities, as opposed to merely a pairing.
On the morning of 25th October 2018, the direct connection for freight trains from Mannheim (Germany) to Chongqing in China was officially put into operation. This is one of the key pilot projects of the Mannheim – Chongqing cooperation within the International Urban Cooperation (IUC) project.Establishing a direct cargo railway line between Mannheim and Chongqing is an example of how local governments c ...
The 9 of July saw a significant development in the IUC pairing between the City of Mannheim (Germany) and the city of Chongqing (China), with Mannheim signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Chongqing-based Yuxinou Logistics Company for the creation of a direct cargo railway line between the two cities. The signing took place during an official visit by a delegation from Chongqing to the German cit ...