Chengdu on cutting edge of global scientific cooperation

Focused on tapping the latest expertise on innovation-driven development, the second Belt and Road Conference on Science and Technology Exchange kicked off on Tuesday in Chengdu, making the city once again a hub of global science and technology exchange and cooperation.

As a key player under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, Chengdu is leveraging the city's BRI science and technology innovation action plan at the three-day conference to promote deep interconnection in the western region, aimed at injecting momentum into scientific research and innovation.

Joint laboratories

Under the framework of jointly building the BRI, over the past decade, scientists from the Chengdu Institute of Biology of Chinese Academy of Sciences, have collaborated with a research team from the University of Zagreb in Croatia to explore ecological conservation in Jiuzhaigou scenic area in Sichuan province and Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia. The two sites feature cold-water calcareous landscapes and face ecological conservation and scientific management challenges under the backdrop of climate change and increased tourism.

In June 2019, the China-Croatia Belt and Road Joint Laboratory on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services jointly established by the Chengdu Institute of Biology of Chinese Academy of Sciences and the University of Zagreb was selected as one of the first batch of national-level Belt and Road joint laboratories. It is currently the only national-level BRI joint laboratory with a focus on biodiversity and ecological conservation. Over the years, the two parties have tackled challenges in karst lake exploration and discovered a new species of snake and 41 suspected new species of diatoms. Karst lakes are formed as the result of a collapse of caves, especially in water-soluble rocks such as limestone, gypsum and dolomite. This process is known as karstification. They can cover areas of several hundred square kilometers.

"We hope to make Croatia one of the most important hubs for cooperation between the scientific communities of Sichuan and Europe," said Sun Geng, head of the joint laboratory. The two sides will expand research cooperation in a broader range and fields, such as forest conservation management and smart agriculture with a focus on climate.

In addition to the laboratory, Chengdu hosts the China-New Zealand Belt and Road Joint Laboratory on Kiwifruit and the China-Cuba Belt and Road Joint Laboratory on Neurotechnology and Brain-Apparatus Communication.

The China-New Zealand Belt and Road Joint Laboratory on Kiwifruit is an international innovation platform jointly established by the Sichuan Provincial Academy of Natural Resource Sciences and the New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research. In September 2020, it was officially included in the second batch of national-level Belt and Road joint laboratories by the Ministry of Science and Technology.

The laboratory has achieved encouraging results in new variety breeding and technology commercialization. It has established a red-fleshed kiwifruit germplasm resource nursery, with the preserved resources accounting for 90 percent of global production. It has also pioneered the creation of tetraploid red-fleshed kiwifruit breeding materials resistant to ulcer disease.

Collaborative network

In recent years, Chengdu has leveraged its role as a hub city on the BRI to connect with international innovation resources while building a network of scientific and technological innovation cooperation.

As the network of scientific and technological innovation cooperation continues to expand, Chengdu has established regular mechanisms with more than 10 international technology commercialization platforms, including the China-ASEAN Technology Transfer Center, the International Technology Transfer Network and the Tianfu International Technology Transfer Center.

In late 2024, approved by the Ministry of Science and Technology, a Chengdu-Chongqing BRI international technology transfer center was launched. It collaborates with universities, technology transfer institutions, science and technology parks, research institutes and technology enterprises in the Chengdu and Chongqing regions, aimed at facilitating more than 100 international cooperation projects within three years.

As the first international technology transfer center aimed at the technology transfer work in the countries and regions involved in the BRI approved in China, the center will help Chengdu attract high-end international scientific and technological resources and enhance the city's position in the global science and technology innovation.

To date, Chengdu has established six national parks for cooperation with France, Germany, Singapore, Italy, South Korea and Japan. To further promote international scientific and technological innovation, the city's science and technology bureau issued the management measures for key research and development project funding in Chengdu, focusing on supporting the city's innovation entities in cooperation with countries and regions involved in the BRI.

High-quality development

"Chengdu has a complete ecosystem for scientific and technological innovation, forming a virtuous circle in policy support, scientific research foundation, industrial transformation and talent cultivation," said Li Yao, CEO and founder of Chengdu Borns Medical Robotics. Li noted Chengdu is accelerating its growth into a national-level highland of scientific and technological innovation and a world-renowned gathering place for talents, providing a broad opportunity and cooperation space for high-tech enterprises.

In 2021, focusing on the R&D, manufacturing and clinical application of core technologies in minimally invasive surgical robots and medical artificial intelligence, Borns embarked on cooperation with global partners. Clinical research has been conducted in India, where 60 clinical trials have been completed, and a clinical center has been established in Germany. As well, a training base has been set up in Belgium, and training institutions have been established in the United Arab Emirates.

In April, Borns International added another weighty partner — the OLV Robotic Surgery Institute in Belgium — to deepen integration in AI surgery, clinical training, sharing of educational resources and technology export.

"We will continue to deepen regional coordination, support Chengdu in building up a national-level demonstration zone for new quality productive forces and promote the Chengdu-manufactured surgical robot to the forefront of the global stage through the innovative model of medical, AI and intelligent manufacturing," Li said.

Borns' global journey is a microcosm of Chengdu's efforts in empowering high-quality development on the BRI through scientific and technological innovation. From AI to biomedicine, from new energy to electronic information, in recent years, Chengdu's research institutions and technology enterprises have demonstrated strong innovation vitality and competitiveness, officials said.