British manufacturing companies are seeking partners in China, with a focus on the new materials sector.

A delegation of 13 UK technology companies, led by the Technology Strategy Board, a business-led UK government body, paid a six-day visit to Changsha in Hunan province, Guangzhou in Guangdong province as well as Shanghai.

They were seeking business opportunities from their Chinese counterparts in sectors ranging from vehicles, textiles, metallurgical and machine building to electronics and pharmaceuticals, said Simon Rushworth, technology manager from TSB, at the China-UK new material industry matchmaking event in Shanghai's Jinshan district on Thursday.

The board has organized three overseas missions to the US and India in the past year, achieving more than $321 million in funding, with over 70 percent of participating companies winning investment, he said.

"The mission to China this time encourages collaboration on research, development and innovation between businesses and is the first step towards long-lasting partnerships between the two nations," Rushworth said.

It aims to provide the companies with the necessary know-how, connections and inspiration to help improve and accelerate opportunities with potential customers and partners, he added.

Jinshan, one of Shanghai's new material industrial bases, has worked out a plan to push forward its new material and high-tech industry, said Shen Huadi, deputy director of the district government.

Each of the chosen companies coming to China, Rushworth said, has been selected for excellence in at least one of four key areas – use of alternative and greener substances in manufacturing, recycling and remanufacturing of finite resources, decreasing the amount of material deployed to deliver services, and lower energy consumption over a product lifecycle.

They develop fuel-cell technologies, manufacture filters and sodium batteries for electric vehicles.

"The event will surely stimulate technology transfer and R&D between businesses," said Xia Dongping, president of the Shanghai Technology Transfer & Exchange, adding that several projects are expected to be launched.

Shanghai achieved 55.8 billion yuan ($9 billion) worth of technology transfer and exchange last year, up 10 percent over 2011, Xia said.