International recruitment of highly qualified foreign experts has strengthened the economy of inland cities, including East China's Anhui province, and officials say the need for outside brainpower is still strong.

Hefei Hengxin Automotive Engine Component Manufacturing Co based in Anhui's capital provides an example. The automaker recruited Italian Roberto Verdi as its quality director after failing an evaluation by a world-leading automaker and being rejected as a parts supplier.

"We urgently needed to find an expert who was familiar with the quality systems of the world's best automakers, in order to help the firm improve", said Chen Yangfan, Hengxin's deputy CEO.

Hengxin, which had been experiencing fast growth, sought help in identifying someone for the key role. It turned to the municipal and provincial foreign experts administrations, which in turn reached out to the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs, known as SAFEA.

"What we want the expert to do was very specific and far beyond the regular management scope," Chen said.

Verdi, 68, was recommended through an Italy-based professional organization that is part of SAFEA's access to large global talent banks.

"Verdi has been working with multiple world-leading automakers and component suppliers for over 40 years. He is a highly-qualified engineer and also enjoys advanced management experience in multiple international auto-related companies," Chen said.

Verdi said the initial offer to work in China came "totally as a surprise". He considered it for a while and accepted the position in 2013.

He identified problems in almost every sector of the company, reported his findings to the top leadership and provided practical advice on needed fixes. He said a lack of quality training for workers on the production line is a common problem for many Chinese manufacturers.

In 2014, Hengxin succeeded in becoming a supplier to Volvo, the Swedish automaker, providing engine intake manifolds and other products used in Volvo's China-based plant and its Swedish engine plant in Gothenburg. The company also passed an evaluation by Mercedes-Benz, the only one of 13 competitors to earn the recognition that year.

Verdi, who was pleased his years of experience at western manufacturers also worked in China, said Hengxin's achievements are a reflection of the company's teamwork.

"I never told my colleagues that they must do something. Instead, I told them how they can improve their work and that we will try together", Verdi said. His advice for Hengxin has since been adopted by the company's own suppliers.

Pan Yaqun, head of Anhui's provincial administration of foreign experts affairs, said Hengxin was lucky to find such a qualified candidate. "Such experts as Verdi have been playing important roles in helping upgrade the local economy," Pan said.

As an inland province, Anhui is less competitive in overall economic strength when compared to the country's more developed coastal areas, but "their needs for economic upgrading are probably equal".

The needs for foreign experts in such second-tier and third-tier cities as those in Anhui have also been long underestimated, he said.

Anhui is one of seven pilot provinces and cities chosen to conduct comprehensive innovation and reforms. As part of its plan, it intends to recruit more foreign experts and talent.

In addition to regular recruitment projects, the province launched the Recruitment Project for One Hundred Foreign Experts in 2012, a top level project that aims to attract highly qualified foreigners to assist in multiple technology-intensive industries over the next five to 10 years. The province has already recruited 45 such experts.

In 2014, 3,000 foreign experts were recruited for both long-term and short-term work, and 800 of them were granted foreign expert certificates that provide more benefits for overseas workers.

Apart from the regular channels through SAFEA, the province also established nine networks abroad, through cooperation with international human resource organizations.

Although the province has worked hard to recruit the experts, Pan said the numbers are just a fraction of what is needed. He said he hopes the top authorities can provide more financial support and favorable policies for the recruitment of foreign experts.

As for Verdi, he said he is getting older and may not stay in China for long. "Maybe in the future I will continue to serve the company by short-term visits", he said.