A tech fair showcasing new technologies and achievements by Chinese higher education institutions (HEIs) was held in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province from Dec. 26 to 28. Minister of Education Huai Jinpeng and Secretary of the Jiangsu Provincial CPC Committee Xin Changxing attended the opening ceremony and delivered speeches. Jiangsu Province Governor Xu Kunlin and Nanjing Mayor Zhou Hongbo also participated, with Vice Minister of Education Wu Yan serving as moderator.
Huai said that the Ministry of Education (MOE) places high priority on the effective application of HEI research results and scientific breakthroughs in advancing national educational reform, with a special emphasis on fostering creativity and improving quality in technological and industrial innovation. He noted that HEIs have played a role in promoting industrial development by driving technological innovation and nurturing innovative talent amid revolutions in technology and industry. As part of this process, HEIs have developed distinctive expertise in maximizing the efficiency of industry-academic collaboration through the joint efforts of teachers and students and synergistic coordination among multiple stakeholders. Huai also expressed hope that the fair would connect HEIs with various resources, facilitating cooperation between enterprises and academic institutions and encouraging the effective integration of industry, education, government, funding agencies, and talent.
Xin noted that Jiangsu Province has been entrusted with the mission of “taking the lead and setting an example” in advancing national modernization, with the aim of creating a globally influential industrial and technological innovation hub as well as a key base for the development of new productive forces in China. He said that Jiangsu boasts a complete industrial system, robust infrastructure, dynamic clusters of innovative enterprises, a wealth of HEIs and research institutions, and a business-friendly environment. These strengths have enabled the province to make significant progress in the application and commercialization of research results and scientific breakthroughs. In addition, Xin said the province is committed to the growth of the Regional University–Industry Technology Transfer Center (Jiangsu)—China’s first regional center for university-industry technology transfer—which was launched during the opening ceremony with the participation of nearly 60 leading domestic HEIs. He emphasized that commitment to the center’s growth would help the province better align with the nation’s industrial development strategy. Xin also welcomed HEIs to generate more technological achievements and invited enterprises and relevant institutions to invest in Jiangsu, transforming scientific innovations into new-quality productive forces.
The tech fair was cohosted by MOE’s Center for Scientific Research and Development in HEIs and the newly launched technology transfer center. The fair featured a thematic conference, project matchmaking sessions, seminars, and other cooperative activities, bringing together over 240 HEIs and displaying 2700+ technological achievements. As a platform for the aggregation and application of HEI innovations, the fair helped promote industrial innovation by harnessing the research and talent advantages of HEIs. It also utilized the market advantages of enterprises and leveraged major innovation factors such as technology managers and sci-tech finance.
