Ian Spaulding, global president of Lloyd's Register Quality Assurance, is interviewed by Nantong Daily on July 24. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

Ian Spaulding, global president of Lloyd's Register Quality Assurance (LRQA) based in the United Kingdom, recently expressed confidence in LRQA's operations in Nantong, citing strong support from the local government, along with a diverse, open, and inclusive environment and innovative policies.

Spaulding made these remarks during an interview with the local news outlet Nantong Daily on July 24.

During his visit to Nantong, Spaulding gained a deeper understanding of the city's industrial advantages. He emphasized that Nantong's industrial clustering in high-end manufacturing, green energy, and chemicals offers vast application scenarios for the inspection, testing, and certification industry.

"The establishment of the Inspection, Testing, and Certification Industrial Park in Nantong Economic and Technological Development Area (NETDA) demonstrates the local government's forward-looking approach to quality infrastructure, which aligns closely with LRQA's globally promoted concept of 'risk control and sustainable development,'" he said.

LRQA, a prominent global assurance partner, has accumulated extensive professional knowledge in auditing, inspection, consulting, and cybersecurity services over the years. Spaulding highlighted LRQA's core competitive advantages in technical expertise, global networks, localized services, and industry customization, all of which are well-suited to Nantong's strategic positioning and industrial upgrading requirements.

"As a contributor to the development of international standards such as ISO, LRQA can offer cutting-edge certification services for Nantong's key industries, empowering enterprises to influence technological standards, expand globally, and evolve into more internationally-oriented businesses," Spaulding emphasized.

During his stay in the city, Spaulding witnessed the signing of a cooperation agreement between NETDA and LRQA (Shanghai). He noted that Nantong's demand for international compliance capacity building and certification resources in specialized fields, as well as the city's industrial clustering and policy innovation, provide ample opportunities for LRQA. This collaboration model of "global standards-local adaptation" is a key competitive advantage for Nantong in becoming a new hub for inspection and certification in China.

By 2030, local demand for inspection and certification in Nantong is expected to exceed 10 billion yuan ($1.40 billion), with the market size of the Yangtze River Delta region reaching hundreds of billions of yuan, laying a solid foundation and offering extensive collaboration prospects between Nantong and LRQA.

Looking ahead, Spaulding envisions LRQA deepening its involvement in local intelligent manufacturing, shipbuilding, and other strategic industries while expanding its market reach through Nantong to create an ideal testing ground for international institutions' localized innovation, thereby boosting the momentum of Nantong's high-quality development.