Pascal Coppens

Pascal is a leading China expert, rooted in his deep understanding of the culture and country as a sinologist and tech entrepreneur in China since 1999. He is a thought-provoking speaker and author on innovation, leadership & trends - with a unique China lens - as well as the impact of China on business, technology and world affairs.

Pascal is the author of ‘China’s New Normal’ and ‘Can We Trust China?’. Both widely acclaimed books provide rare insights and valuable lessons into China’s innovation, future, and its potential impact on the rest of the world. Through his YouTube channel and monthly newsletter on Chinese innovation, he engages with a community of over 80,000 subscribers.

Pascal has employed, partnered and competed with hundreds of Chinese innovators. Armed with a degree in Business Engineering from Solvay Business School he started his career with Alcatel in Shanghai, and – after an fascinating period in Silicon Valley at Wind River Systems and Polycore Software (which he co- founded) – he returned to China and founded Letsface to build the first offline digital community platform for premium brands

Pascal has lived and worked in Brussels, San Francisco and Shanghai, giving him a unique East-West view on how to read and deal with China – a country in transition. His China perspective and examples inspire business audiences all over the world to think differently, to become more resilient, to collaborate better and innovate faster, and ultimately, to accept that the future is now very often “made in China”.