Shanghai presented its annual Magnolia Silver Award to 50 outstanding foreigners from 15 countries on Nov 23, in recognition of their contributions to the city's development and international exchanges.

Among the awardees was Patrick Berbon, a French venture capital investor and entrepreneur.

Berbon was recognized for his efforts in fostering innovation, advancing sustainable technologies and helping to build strong ties between Shanghai and the global entrepreneurial community.

Berbon's close connection to Shanghai began in 2010, when he co-founded CM Venture Capital, formerly known as China Materialia. The firm specializes in cutting-edge fields such as new materials, energy transformation, carbon neutrality, as well as advanced manufacturing. Under Berbon's leadership, CM Venture Capital experienced rapid growth.

Beyond his work with CM Venture Capital, Berbon has played a key role in several initiatives focusing on fostering innovation and promoting cultural exchanges between China and the rest of the world.

Since 2014, he has been the driving force behind the Shanghai Strategic Emerging Industries Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping bridge the East and the West and to connecting start-ups with venture capital.

Through this foundation, he has organized the Innovation China conference, an annual event that brings together leading global companies, start-ups and venture capitalists to explore the future of technology and industry.

The forum has become a major event on Shanghai's international calendar.

Source: Official WeChat account of Shanghai Yangpu District News Center at "shanghai-yangpu"