Series of Activities for Foreign R&D Institutions - Yangtze River Delta National Innovation Center Global Innovation Partner Open Day Held

Series of Activities for Foreign R&D Institutions - Yangtze River Delta National Innovation Center Global Innovation Partner Open Day Held

May 30th, 2023

On the morning of May 29th, under the guidance of the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Science and Technology, the Yangtze River Delta National Innovation Center and Shanghai Science and Technology Exchange Center jointly organized a series of activities for foreign-funded research and development institutions in Shanghai - the "Yangtze River Delta National Innovation Center Global Innovation Partner Open Day", which was successfully held. Lu Min, Deputy Director of the Shanghai Municipal Science and Technology Commission, Liu Qing, Director of the Yangtze River Delta National Innovation Center and President of the Shanghai Yangtze River Delta Technology Innovation Research Institute, and Tan Ruicong, Deputy Director of the Yangtze River Delta National Innovation Center and Party Secretary of the Shanghai Yangtze River Delta Technology Innovation Research Institute, attended the event and delivered a speech. Representatives of more than 50 foreign-funded R&D centers, nearly 20 research institutes in the Yangtze River Delta National Innovation Center system, enterprise joint innovation centers and relevant personnel participated in the event.

Lu Min pointed out that the Yangtze River Delta is one of the regions with the most active economic development, the highest degree of openness, and the strongest innovation ability in China. The integration of the Yangtze River Delta is not only a national development strategy, but also a mission of the Yangtze River Delta National Innovation Center. It is also a strategic layout that many foreign R&D centers focus on. In 2022, the Science and Technology Departments (Committees) of the three provinces and one city in the Yangtze River Delta jointly formulated the Action Plan for a Science and Technology Innovation Community, encouraging foreign-funded enterprises and internationally renowned universities to establish research and development centers and joint laboratories in the Yangtze River Delta. It is hoped that the foreign R&D center will be deeply integrated with the local innovation ecology, and continue to burst out innovation vitality in the hot land of the Yangtze River Delta.

Liu Qing emphasized that the original mission of the construction of the Yangtze River Delta National Innovation Center is to build an industrial technology innovation system and innovation ecosystem that integrates innovation resources, technological needs, and research and development carriers, with enterprises as the main body, market orientation, and deep integration of industry, academia, research, and application. The Yangtze River Delta National Innovation Center is willing to continuously explore flexible and diverse cooperation models with foreign R&D centers.

Tan Ruicong said that the "Global Innovation Partnership Program" is one of the important measures for the Yangtze River Delta National Innovation Center and Foreign funded R&D Center to cooperate and gather global innovation resources. He looked forward to the cooperation between the Yangtze River Delta National Innovation Center and more excellent foreign funded R&D centers to jointly promote diversified and Open innovation and promote and enable the development of both sides.

During the event, Dr. Luo Benjin, the chief expert of the National Innovation Center, introduced the innovation ecology, overseas resource layout, and cooperation model of the Yangtze River Delta National Innovation Center.

Professor Du Debin of East China Normal University delivered a keynote speech entitled "Strengthening Cooperation and Promoting Spillovers: Current Situation, Problems and Countermeasures of Foreign funded R&D Institutions in Shanghai". As representatives of global innovation partners of the Yangtze River Delta National Innovation Center, National Instruments and Philips shared their Open innovation practices in China and their cooperation progress with the Yangtze River Delta National Innovation Center. The Yangtze River Delta National Innovation Center has signed a "Global Innovation Partner" strategic cooperation agreement with foreign R&D centers such as Sika, Apta, and Zemi Technology.

In order to deepen the interaction and exchange between the foreign-funded R&D center and the research institutes within the Yangtze River Delta National Innovation Center system, the event set up five sub forums, namely, biomedicine, energy and environmental protection, equipment manufacturing, materials, and information technology, led by the five business divisions of the Yangtze River Delta National Innovation Center, to guide the participants to discuss, expand their thinking, and hit sparks on issues such as joint R&D, talent training, and local innovation.

This Open Day event is the second offline exchange activity organized by the Shanghai Municipal Science and Technology Commission for foreign R&D centers after the epidemic, following the "Special Event for Foreign R&D Centers Entering the Shanghai R&D Public Service Platform in March 2023". To support and guide the better integration of foreign R&D centers in Shanghai into the Shanghai science and technology innovation system, the Municipal Science and Technology Commission has been holding quarterly exchange activities for foreign R&D centers in Shanghai since 2017, including policy promotion, enterprise docking, special salons, and inspection and exchange. In 2022, the Municipal Science and Technology Commission initiated and organized the first "Collaborative Innovation Cases of Foreign R&D Centers in Shanghai" selection activity; In 2023, a special "Collaborative Innovation Project for Foreign R&D Centers" was established.

Source: Yangtze River Delta National Innovation Center