On April 19-20, the first International Science and Technology Open Cooperation Conference (Zhejiang) was held in Jinhua. Over 300 distinguished scholars, experts, and entrepreneurs from 14 countries and regions attended the event, engaging in various activities such as delivering keynote speeches, exchanging ideas, and signing project agreements.

The Jinhua Engineering Society was established in 1999 and has held 20 sessions since. It is the earliest and longest-running science and technology cooperation event in Zhejiang. Over the years, it has facilitated more than 2,500 industry-academia-research technology cooperation projects for nearly 2,000 local enterprises. Additionally, it has collaborated with universities and research institutes to establish over 50 technology transfer centers and jointly build over 30 new research and development institutions. Through these efforts, the Jinhua Engineering Society has nurtured numerous key players in the city’s industrial economy, providing an innovative driving force for Jinhua’s sustained economic development.

The event has attracted Nobel laureates, renowned scientists, and representatives from innovative institutions, as well as foreign ambassadors to China and leaders of international organizations. A representative from Finland expressed their enthusiasm for discussing innovation development with the participants, highlighting Finland’s globally leading companies and its early achievement of digitization in the local healthcare system 40 years ago. This demonstrates the spirit of open cooperation and collaborative innovation that underpins the conference.

The conference included the Open Cooperation for Win-Win Results: China-Japan-ROK Science, the Health and Intelligent Manufacturing High-tech Achievement Exhibition, and business negotiation activities. These events provided opportunities for concept collisions and product displays, leaving many corporate representatives from Jinhua feeling invigorated and inspired towards their work.

The first National Cooperation Conference has left Jinhua with a significant achievement: the signing of 42 international scientific and technological cooperation projects. Among them, Yiwu Jiaqi Foodstuff Co., Ltd. signed a candy research and development and sales cooperation agreement with a renowned laboratory in Germany. Chen Qi, the company’s representative, explained that they had a long-standing relationship with the German laboratory, having previously collaborated to develop a series of leading candy formulas. This collaboration significantly enhanced the company’s international competitiveness. The recent agreement is expected to further promote the company’s development, with foreign trade performance projected to double this year.

Jinhua will prioritize the construction of the ‘Three Centers and Three High Grounds’ and the talent innovation center for central and western Zhejiang, using it as a new starting point. The city will expand foreign scientific and technological cooperation, attract high-level talents from various fields both domestically and internationally, and gather more international innovation resources. These efforts will strengthen technological support for building an international hub city and advancing modern urban areas in Jinhua. This will enable the city to achieve its vision and strategic objectives. (By Zhang Yixiao)