EIC × IntelliS Global Shanghai Energy Forum: Bridging China’s Energy Ambitions with Global Supply Chain Opportunities

Shanghai, China — The Energy Industries Council (EIC) and IntelliS Global successfully co-hosted their inaugural joint energy forum in Shanghai, bringing together close to 100 industry professionals from across China, the United Kingdom, and Malaysia for a full day of strategic dialogue, market intelligence sharing, and cross-border networking.

Keynote Speakers

The forum featured four distinguished keynote speakers representing government, finance, industry, and trade associations:

• Prof Guanglian Pang — Deputy Secretary-General, China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation (CPCIF)
• Dr Gianni Di Giovanni — Chairman, ICBC Financial Leasing Co., Ltd. (China)
• Sabrina Cheng — Founder & CEO, IntelliS Global
• Ts. Syed Saggaf Syed Ahmad — Regional Director, EIC Asia-Pacific

China at the Core of the Global Energy Landscape

The forum opened with a strategic overview of China’s position in the global energy landscape. As the world’s largest energy consumer, the core driver of the energy transition, and a global leader in manufacturing, technology, and infrastructure, China occupies a central and strategic position for EIC’s Asia-Pacific expansion.

EIC articulated its strategic rationale for deepening engagement in China:

• Strengthening strategic partnerships with key Chinese energy stakeholders across upstream, midstream, and downstream sectors
• Enhancing market intelligence capabilities to provide EIC members with real-time insights into Chinese energy projects, policies, and procurement opportunities
• Unlocking cross-border opportunities by connecting EIC’s global membership of 950+ companies with Chinese energy project pipelines and supply chain demands

Cross-Border Collaboration in Focus

The keynote addresses highlighted the growing convergence of interests between Chinese and international energy players:

Prof Guanglian Pang provided an authoritative overview of China’s petrochemical and chemical industry trajectory, outlining policy directions, capacity development, and investment priorities under the current Five-Year Plan.

Dr Gianni Di Giovanni shared insights from the financial leasing perspective, discussing how ICBC Financial Leasing is facilitating capital flows into offshore energy infrastructure projects, including FPSO and offshore platform investments.

Sabrina Cheng presented IntelliS Global’s vision for bridging talent and opportunity across the offshore energy sector. Drawing on 17 years of experience spanning FPSO, subsea, and offshore operations — from China to Southeast Asia — she emphasised that talent mobility and localised capability building are critical enablers of cross-border energy partnerships. She highlighted IntelliS Global’s unique positioning at the intersection of Chinese energy demand and Southeast Asian project execution, with operational footprint across Singapore, Malaysia, China (7 cities), and Indonesia.

Ts. Syed Saggaf Syed Ahmad outlined EIC’s Asia-Pacific strategy, emphasising the council’s commitment to serving as a trusted bridge between international supply chain companies and Asian energy markets, with China as a cornerstone of this strategy.

Networking and Deal-Making

The forum facilitated extensive networking among attendees, representing a diverse cross-section of the energy supply chain — from national oil companies and international operators to engineering contractors, equipment manufacturers, and professional service providers. Participants from the UK and Malaysia travelled specifically to Shanghai for the event, underscoring the international significance of the China energy market and the value of the EIC-IntelliS platform.

Strategic Significance

A Milestone for EIC in China

This inaugural Shanghai forum marks a significant milestone in EIC’s China strategy. By partnering with IntelliS Global — a company with deep roots in both the Chinese and Southeast Asian offshore energy markets — EIC has established a credible local platform to connect its 950+ global member companies with Chinese energy opportunities.

The event demonstrated that there is strong appetite among Chinese and international energy professionals for structured, high-quality cross-border dialogue. The near-100 turnout, including international attendees travelling from the UK and Malaysia, validated the demand for a dedicated forum bridging Chinese energy ambitions with global supply chain capabilities.

IntelliS Global: Beyond Talent — A Platform Builder

For IntelliS Global, co-hosting this forum with EIC represents a strategic extension of its core mission. While the company is best known for its offshore energy talent services — spanning FPSO full-lifecycle team mobilisation, subsea commissioning, and offshore market intelligence — this event showcased IntelliS Global’s evolving role as a convenor and platform builder in the Asia-Pacific energy ecosystem.

By leveraging its 17-year industry network and cross-market expertise, IntelliS Global is positioning itself not only as a talent bridge but also as a strategic partner for international organisations seeking to navigate the complexities of the Chinese and Southeast Asian energy markets.

Looking Ahead

The success of the Shanghai forum lays the foundation for an ongoing series of EIC × IntelliS Global events across the Asia-Pacific region. Future editions will continue to focus on aligning ambitions, unlocking synergies, and connecting capabilities with needs across the offshore energy value chain.