Guangxi Furthers Construction of Scientific and Technological Innovation and Cooperation Zone for ASEAN

Recently, the 10th Forum on China-ASEAN Technology Transfer and Collaborative Innovation, an important high-level forum under the framework of China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO), has been held in Nanning, Guangxi. Coinciding with the inaugural year of China-ASEAN comprehensive strategic partnership, the event announces the launch of a special action for technology transfer between China and the ASEAN, involving 1,000 advanced and applicable technologies in sustainable fields selected nationwide and uniformly introduced to ASEAN nations. China-ASEAN Technology Transfer Alliance – the first cooperation mechanism of technology transfer for ASEAN in China – is officially established, which will join hands with China’s provincial and municipal innovation institutions with strong scientific and technological innovation capabilities and pooled resources to more effectively meet the innovation needs of ASEAN nations. The opening ceremony of China-ASEAN Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition & China-ASEAN Innovation and Entrepreneurship Camp is unveiled at the same time, striving to make the Competition the most influential and the most participated with the highest project quality among other ASEAN innovation and entrepreneurship contests as well as an open platform for resources sharing, value enhancement and strength demonstration.

Over the last few years, Guangxi has given full play to its role as an important gateway for China’s opening up and cooperation with ASEAN members, including, for instance, always taking ASEAN as the priority direction of overseas science and technology collaboration, positively building an ASEAN-oriented science and technology innovation and cooperation zone, and thoroughly implementing the China-ASEAN Science and Technology Partnership Program and the “Belt and Road” Science and Technology Innovation Action Plan. The province has carried out fruitful exchange and collaboration activities with the member countries of ASEAN countries in manifold fields, such as exchanges of science and technology and humanity, co-construction of laboratories and science and technology parks, technology transfer, and innovation and entrepreneurship.

Guangxi has currently set up bilateral governmental technology transfer mechanisms with nine ASEAN countries (including Thailand and Cambodia), formed joint working groups on technology transfer with seven ASEAN members, and built a China-ASEAN technology transfer collaboration network of over 2,600 members, covering 10 ASEAN nations and some “Belt and Road” countries, according to Department of Science and Technology of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

In the meantime, with the support of the China-ASEAN Technology Transfer Center and the Forum on China-ASEAN Technology Transfer and Collaborative Innovation, Guangxi has kept the “ASEAN Talented Young Scientists Guangxi Program” running and attracted a group of scientists and technicians from ASEAN member countries. For example, BGI builds a “Huo Yan” laboratory for Brunei to carry out nucleic acid tests; China-ASEAN Information Harbor becomes Indonesia’s smart city solution partner. Both exemplify the profound and extensive collaboration on science and technology between China and ASEAN.

As of May 2022, Guangxi has organized more than 140 science and technology innovation and technology transfer activities for ASEAN at home and abroad, nearly one-third of which were held in ASEAN nations, covering more than 7,800 projects, serving over 9,900 enterprises, and helping enter into 653 cooperation agreements, which has promoted the application of modern agriculture and other advanced and applicable technology achievements in the member states of ASEAN.

Source: Department of Science and Technology of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region