WEDZ Administrative Committee Visits Jianghan University for a Special Study on Agricultural Science and Technology Cooperation
On the afternoon of August 26, Sun Zhibo, Deputy Director of the Administrative Committee of Wuhan Economic & Technological Development Zone (WEDZ), led a delegation to Jianghan University for a special study visit on agricultural science and technology cooperation. The delegation was composed of officials and representatives from relevant departments and enterprises, including the WEDZ Science and Technology Innovation Bureau, the WEDZ Science and Technology Innovation and Talent Service Center, the Modern Sci-Tech Agricultural Industrial Park, the WEDZ Agricultural Development Company, and Wuhan Chuwei Biotechnology Co., Ltd. Xiang Yue, vice president of Jianghan University, and senior representatives from the College of Life Sciences, the Office of Scientific Research, and the Institute of Systems Biology attended the seminar. The two sides held in-depth discussions on the commercialization of agricultural science and technology achievements, the establishment of a provincial-level agricultural high-tech industry demonstration zone, and the development of pilot-scale testing platforms.
The delegation visited the research platform of the Institute of Systems Biology at Jianghan University, where they learned in detail about the university’s platform development and latest achievements in areas such as biological DNA fingerprinting and seed industry innovation.
In her welcome address at the seminar, Xiang Yue gave an overview of the university and its achievements in disciplines related to agriculture and biology. She noted that to serve Wuhan’s urban development, Jianghan University must first take root in WEDZ and serve regional industrial innovation. The university is committed to producing market-oriented research outcomes, cultivating talent through close industry cooperation, and continuously advancing the integration of industry, academia, research, and application. In recent years, Jianghan University has made a series of major breakthroughs in agricultural science and technology and has accumulated substantial research outcomes, particularly in plant variety protection, biological breeding, and microalgae synthetic biology. These achievements have laid a solid foundation for deeper university-local government cooperation.
During the open exchange session, the two sides explored in depth the commercialization and implementation of Jianghan University’s agriculture- and biology-related scientific and technological achievements in WEDZ. As a key host of the “Seed Industry Chip Zone” of the Wuhan National Modern Agricultural Industry Science and Technology Innovation Center, the WEDZ Modern Sci-Tech Agricultural Industrial Park has seen a growing seed industry clustering effect in recent years. It has attracted more than 30 seed enterprises, including Yafei Seed Industry, Chuwei Biotechnology, Wuda Tianyuan, and Hanyan Seed Industry, and has introduced Huazhi Biotechnology to jointly build the Central China Branch of the National Molecular Breeding Innovation Service Platform. It has strong momentum in agricultural science and technology development. Both the university and WEDZ agreed that Jianghan University’s accumulated technical expertise in biological DNA fingerprinting, seed industry innovation, and other areas is highly compatible with WEDZ’s seed industry foundation, offering broad prospects for cooperation.
In his speech, Sun Zhibo proposed directions for joint efforts. First, deepen cooperation to create a provincial agricultural high-tech zone. The WEDZ agricultural sci-tech park and agricultural high-tech zone should cooperate more deeply with the College of Life Sciences of Jianghan University, fully leverage both sides’ strengths, accelerate the application and establishment of a provincial agricultural high-tech industry demonstration zone, and further expand and strengthen regional development. Second, jointly build pilot-testing platforms and strengthen alignment with enterprise needs. Relying on the research strengths of the College of Life Sciences, the two sides should jointly build an agricultural sci-tech pilot-testing platform to bridge the “last mile” from the laboratory to the field. At the same time, they should intensify efforts to align with the needs of enterprises in the park and promote the local commercialization and industrial application of more agricultural sci-tech achievements in WEDZ. Third, facilitate the settlement of biotech enterprises in WEDZ. WEDZ will provide services in investment promotion, site selection, and policy support.
Kong Huili, R&D Manager at Wuhan Chuwei Biotechnology Co., Ltd., presented the enterprise’s technical needs for the breeding, multiplication and promotion of high value vegetable varieties as well as seed industry innovation, and expressed strong interest in pursuing industry university research cooperation with Jianghan University.
According to relevant officials, this research visit is a pivotal initiative for deepening university local cooperation between WEDZ and Jianghan University. Taking this visit as an opportunity, the two sides will establish a sound mechanism for regular communication and coordination, and carry out pragmatic cooperation in building the provincial level agricultural high tech zone, constructing pilot scale testing platforms and commercializing research outputs, so as to collectively drive high quality development of modern urban agriculture in WEDZ.
By Li Tiantian, Huang Yunya, Li Sha and Liu Jin