Promoting cooperation between Italy and China on innovation, science and technology, to build technological, productive and commercial partnerships in the innovative contexts research-enterprise while encouraging the internationalization of our production system is one of the priorities of Ministry of Education and Italian government, and it is the core of the China-Italy Science, Technology & Innovation Week. The event in 2015 will be held November 16th to 20th in China and will be divided in four cities:

  • Beijing 16th to 17th November
  • Shanghai 18th November
  • Henan 18th November
  • Chongqing 18th to 19th November
  • Tianjin 20th November

bringing together in one format (according to the “back-to-back” formula) the two main events of the Sino-Italian cooperation, the sixth edition of the China-Italy Innovation Forum and the ninth edition of the Sino-Italian Exchange Event.

The China-Italy Science, Technology & Innovation Week is promoted by the Italian Ministry for the Education, University and Research in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Ministry of Economic Development and the Region of Campania.

The event is organized in partnership with Confindustria, CNR, ITA – Italian Trade Agency, National Association of Italian Municipalities, Agency for Digital Italy, National Institute of Nuclear Physics, Italian Space Agency, ENEA, CIRA and the most important Italian Universities. The event is organized by Città della Scienza, Naples, in collaboration with the National Council of Researches.

From the Chinese side, the initiative is sponsored by the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China and is organized by the Beijing Association for Science and Technology and Beijing Municipal Science & Technology Commission.

The Italian delegation will be led by Minister of Education, University and Research Stefania Giannini and will consist of about 150 organizations, including research centres, universities and companies, and innovative start-up, from all over Italy. The geographical and sectoral breakdowns of Delegation is also interesting, with a large and highly qualified presence from all regions and in almost all core sectors of the Italian National Research Plan.

About 200 delegates will participate in the mission, among them there are the Regional Minister for Internationalization, Innovation and Startup of the Campania Region Valeria Fascione, the President of the Italian Space Agency Roberto Battiston, the Vice President of the National Institute of Nuclear Physics Antonio Zoccoli, the General Director for preventive health care at the Ministry of Health Raniero Guerra, the Rector of the Turin Polytechnic Marco Gilli, the Rector of the University of Salerno Aurelio Tommasetti, the Rector of the Second University of Naples Giuseppe Paolisso, the Vice Rector of the University of Padua Alessandro Paccagnella, the Vice Rector of the University of Rome La Sapienza Teodoro Valente, the Vice Rector of the Milan Polytechnic Giuliano Noci, the Pro Rector of the University of Bologna Alessandra Scagliarini, the Rector of the National College of Rome Paolo Reale, the CEO of Città della Scienza Vincenzo Lipardi, the President of Unitalia Alberto Ortolani, the Manager of Research and Innovation of Confindustria Nicoletta Amodio.

This year’s edition is divided into about 30 seminars and 500 B2B meetings are already scheduled to run. The China-Italy Science, Technology & Innovation Week 2015 focuses on the frontiers of science and technology in key areas, identified in accordance with the guidelines of the new Italian National Research Programme and the ones of the twelfth Chinese Five-Year Plan, which put research and innovation as strategic factors for development: Aerospace; Agribusiness; Green Chemistry; Life Sciences / Health; Clean-Tech; Energy; Sustainable mobility; Maritime Economy; New Generation Ict; Factory Intelligent; Design / Creative Industries; Smart Cities & Communities; Technologies For Cultural Heritage.

Among the topics to be treated, there will be 30 projects on Health and Life Sciences, one of the central themes of the Innovation 2020 program launched in early 2010 by the Chinese Academy of Sciences. 34 projects are presented on the theme of the Smart Cities and New Generation ICT, representing one of the seven strategic industries in China; 16 projects are scheduled in for the Aerospace, for which China is in 5th place for investments among the leading countries after the United States, Russia, Japan and France, with an investment of $ 3.8 billion in 2012.

Great interest for the projects on Design and Creative Industries, a field that is recording in recent years a strong expansion of the activities of exchange and cooperation between the Italian system and the main Chinese universities, and on the Agrifood, a very large market able to develop a volume of expenses of 380 billion euro and in which are growing investments in research and development.

Particular importance in 2015 for the stage of Chongqing, a province that is growing at 13% a year, where Italy has recently opened its 5th consulate and where there is a strong Italian presence.

During the stages of the China-Italy Science, Technology & Innovation Week 2015 will be signed at least 15 important agreements. In particular, the agreements for aerospace industry include:

  • Joint venture between the company Sitael with the Shanghai Academy of Aerospace Technology;
  • Agreement between the Italian Space Agency and the Chinese Earthquake Agency  on CSES Satellite.
  • Agreement between Italian Air Logistic Group and Chongqing.

In the field of green chemistry and biomaterials several agreements will be signed by the CNR. On the ground of technology transfer and strategic cooperation between the two Countries Città della Scienza of Naples will sign an agreement with Bishan Hi-Tech Development Zone of Chongqing; another important agreement on this field, will be signed between Lazio Innova and International Technology Transfer Network. On the tourism sector, it will be signed a Framework Agreement between the Campania Region and the Municipality of Chongqing and the Hechuan District.