The award was received by Oscar Groet, Iveco Vice President, Business Development & New Markets, in the splendid rooms of Palazzo Mezzanotte, in Milan, as part of an evening in aid of charity, whose proceeds will be donated to Lifeline Express.

The Fondazione Italia Cina (Italy China Foundation) and Milano Finanza have conferred to Iveco the Top Investor in China award, a prestigious honour that is awarded to companies that have seized the opportunities offered by the relations between Italy and China.

The award was received by Oscar Groet, Iveco Vice President, Business Development & New Markets, in the splendid rooms of Palazzo Mezzanotte, in Milan, as part of an evening in aid of charity, whose proceeds will be donated to Lifeline Express, a non-profit organisation providing free care and surgery for people suffering with cataracts by means of hospital trains that travel in the more remote regions of China.

Iveco was among the first Western companies to invest in China. The first collaboration dates back to 1985 when it signed a licensing agreement with NAC for the production of Iveco Daily light commercial vehicle. In 1996, the agreement was transformed into a 50 – 50 partnership with the birth of Naveco. In 2006 Iveco became a partner of NAC for the production of medium vehicles and at the same time began a partnership with Saic for the production of heavy-duty vehicles and engines. Saic, a leader in the Chinese automotive sector, acquired NAC at the end of 2007 and became the sole partner with Iveco.

China is already today the largest market in the world for Commercial vehicles, with an estimated volume of 3.2 million units for 2009. The Iveco strategy in China is based on three fundamental pillars : the objectives of the Iveco Joint Ventures are to grow in the domestic market , to increase volumes for Export Markets and to develop a high quality Chinese suppliers’ base; a crucially important scenario in which Iveco intends to continue to work and to play a leading role.