Joint laboratories drive collaborative innovation

Collaborative scientific and technological innovation has been a driving force behind the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative, enhancing connectivity and addressing global challenges. Beijing, leveraging its status as an innovation powerhouse and a hub for China's high-level opening-up, is at the forefront of this effort.

One example of this endeavor is the establishment of more than 70 Belt and Road Joint Laboratories by the end of 2024. Beijing-based universities, companies and scientific institutions have forged partnerships with countries involved in the BRI, yielding outcomes such as the Belt and Road Joint Laboratories.

The China-Cuba Belt and Road Joint Laboratory on molecular immunology, co-established by Beijing's Biotech Pharma and Cuba's Center for Molecular Immunology, focuses on research and clinical projects. Notable achievements include the construction of two 4,000-liter antibody production lines in 2020 and 2022, employing advanced equipment and technology.

The joint lab has created platforms for tumor therapeutic antibody research and preclinical studies, focusing on molecular immunology mechanisms, pharmaceutical molecule candidates and innovative tumor antibody drugs.

Biotech Pharma has begun exporting its Nimotuzumab antibody to Cuba's Center for Molecular Immunology to support local clinical research and product manufacturing. This not only boosts trade but also exemplifies the successful application of Sino-Cuban cooperation outcomes in Cuba.

Similarly, the China-Russia Belt and Road Joint Laboratory on mathematics and its applications, co-founded by Peking University and Moscow State University, has organized more than 100 academic events and invited Russian mathematicians to deliver 20 online courses. The lab's team has published high-quality papers on subjects such as geometry, algebra and dynamic systems.

Furthermore, the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences has partnered with Leiden University in the Netherlands and the Medical University of Graz in Austria to establish a Belt and Road Joint Laboratory for the prevention and treatment of major infectious diseases using traditional Chinese medicine. This partnership has led to the creation of an EU-recognized research platform for TCM quality standards.

Beijing has revealed an action plan for Belt and Road scientific and technological innovation for 2025-27, with a focus on fostering innovations and industrial applications in areas such as new-generation information technology, healthcare, advanced manufacturing, new energy and modern agriculture. Key initiatives include promoting cross-sector collaboration, strengthening international science park cooperation and building innovation platforms.

By 2027, under the action plan, Beijing seeks to cement its position as a center for international scientific innovation within the BRI framework, aiming to establish 100 technological innovation platforms, conduct 100 joint research projects and support 100 innovation entities.

In the next step, Beijing plans to promote the China-Serbia laboratory on architectural heritage for designation as a Belt and Road Joint Laboratory.