Netherlands Innovation Network China

The team of the Netherlands Innovation Network China congratulates Dr. Xinwei Ye from Utrecht University for getting awarded the Embassy Science Fellowship for China in 2024! The Embassy Science Fellowship (ESF) programme, run by NWO (Dutch Research Council) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, gives researchers a unique chance to work in a diplomatic setting and help with Dutch foreign policy. The assignment of the Embassy Science Fellow will focus on sustainable chemistry and dealing with shared societal challenges in energy transition and circular economy. Key topics include circular plastics, biobased chemistry, and Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS). China is the world's largest producer and consumer of both chemical products and plastics. Besides, it is investing in solutions like CCUS to reduce its footprint as the largest emitter of greenhouse gases. Quality of research is increasing rapidly and opportunities for scaling up technologies are present, making collaboration worthwhile to explore. If you want to know more about these topics or the events we organise, like the upcoming innovation mission on green chemistry and circular plastics (https://lnkd.in/gDqqd8bN), please reach out to us. Floris Lantzendörffer | Freek Jan Frerichs | Esmé Cartens | Wielande Li Innovatie Attaché Netwerk / IA (Netherlands Innovation Network) | Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in China | Consulate General of the Netherlands in Guangzhou #Innovation

Last week, the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China organized a field trip to Zhuhai. The first part of the day was spent visiting the Hengqin Free Trade Zone (FTZ) in Zhuhai, one of the three free trade zones in the Greater Bay Area. The other two free trade zones in this area are the Nansha Area of Guangzhou and the Qianhai-Shekou Area of Shenzhen. In the second part of the day, the group visited the Chinese biomedical company Jafron. Our colleague Fons Klein Tuente joined the programme to learn more about Jafron and the innovation infrastructure in Hengqin FTZ. Jenesy Wang, from the Economic and Trade Department at the Consulate General of the Netherlands in Guangzhou, also participated in the programme. She has expertise in Life Sciences and Health domain. Deputy Director General Lei Hua of the Zhuhai Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) welcomed the group and his team gave an introduction into Hengqin FTZ. Hengqing FTZ, near Macau, promotes international trade and investment. It fosters innovation and cross-border cooperation in finance, tourism, healthcare, education, and technology, offering tax benefits and simplified customs to attract foreign investment. Significant infrastructure investments support industry growth, emphasising R&D and high-tech companies. A notable feature is the University of Macau's campus in Hengqin, which offers free internet access not subject to China's Great Firewall. This special arrangement allows students and faculty unrestricted access to global online resources, facilitating academic research, international collaboration, and communication. Jafron Biomedical is unique due to its innovative technology and specialised focus on blood purification. They offer a wide range of products designed to effectively remove toxins and harmful substances from the blood, catering to various medical needs. Jafron has a strong commitment to R&D, with more than 60% of employees working in R&D department. Although based in China, their global reach extends their influence and availability internationally, including the Netherlands, making them a leading player in the medical equipment industry with only a few serious competitors. Floris Lantzendörffer | Freek Jan Frerichs Innovatie Attaché Netwerk / IA (Netherlands Innovation Network) | Netherlands Innovation Network China #Innovation

Day 3: WAIC exhibition 2024 - Robots, AR Glasses, Chips and industrial applications. Robots were a big deal this year. No fewer than 18 companies showcased their advancements in robots of all shapes and sizes. Humanoid robots, often capable of performing simple tasks, and 'dog' robots that can confidently carry out various assignments, were on display. Companies like Unitree and Kepler demonstrated how far they have advanced their technology in recent years. All the major Chinese tech firms, such as Baidu, Tencent, Iflytek, and Alibaba, had impressive booths on the exhibition floor. This year, the focus was more on the applications and integration of AI into their own tech stacks and services. Huawei, occupying the largest space, showcased a range of offerings, from hardware and software to LLMs. They displayed some of their server hardware and provided examples of industrial applications of their PANGU LLM. Many companies showcased hardware designed to support AI and data centres. One notable Chinese chip company is SOPHGO, named after Sophon from the Chinese sci-fi novel 'Three Body Problem.' They are developing TPU processors for AI applications based on the open-source RISC-V architecture. A question that remains for next year is whether the WAIC signaled the gradual return of international (especially American) tech companies. It seemed there was a larger presence of companies like Amazon and Microsoft. Dell Technologies featured a coffee robot inspired by Marvin from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and Tesla's Cybertruck drew crowds. However, compared to the Chinese companies, their presence was still relatively small, occupying just a small corner of the exhibition. Sadly, the shift in focus away from AI-generated art and chatbots meant we lost a bit of Dutch culture on the exhibition floor this year. Last year, Van Gogh, Vermeer, and Mondrian were prominently featured at many booths as inspirations for AI-generated art. The WAIC 2024 was a bustling and productive time for our team, Huub Buise, Sjoerd Dikkerboom, Simon Huysmans and Vincent Vial, who were present at the different forums and the exhibition. You can read here more about day 1 (https://lnkd.in/gN-ZYNCy) and here more about day 2 (https://lnkd.in/gYKXXB2m). We are already looking forward to WAIC 2025 and the exciting advancements in the tech industry. Did you go to WAIC 2024, what did you notice? Floris Lantzendörffer | Freek Jan Frerichs | Jason Jin Innovatie Attaché Netwerk / IA (Netherlands Innovation Network) | Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Shanghai | Netherlands Innovation Network China #Innovation #WAIC2024

Day 2: Engaging discussions at the Frontier AI Safety and Governance Forum at the World AI Conference (WAIC)! At the forums of the 2nd day of the WAIC, international experts addressed together the challenge of understanding and managing complex AI systems within a tangled web of national and international rules and regulations. Experts like Dawn Song, Mark Nitzberg, and Zeng Yi shared techniques such as adversarial fine-tuning and global initiatives like the UN resolution on safe, secure, and trustworthy AI, and RE-AIM for military AI usage, which are proving helpful. There are diverse opinions among experts on how and when General AI will surpass human intelligence, but there is consensus that AI safety research is just beginning. Future dialogues and solutions must include industry, academia, and governments from every corner of the globe. Despite the difficulties and uncertainties, it’s crucial to keep striving. The AI standardisation forum moved full speed ahead, with the industry’s ambition to enhance productivity and create high-quality data sets for AI training clearly stated. Innovations like Kuaishou's KLING for video generation and continuous updates on the numerous LLMs show that the Chinese tech industry shows no signs of slowing down. This underscores the need for increased investment in AI safety research and implementation, as echoed by many researchers. Our colleague Sjoerd Dikkerboom also attended this second day of forums at the WAIC, just as he did for the opening session (https://lnkd.in/gt3DqZtv). He was inspired to see scholars and industry leaders actively engaging in dialogues with governments and sharing their expertise. Stay tuned as we share more insights from the WAIC at the world's second-largest AI market in our next post! Floris Lantzendörffer | Freek Jan Frerichs | Jason Jin | Simon Huysmans | Vincent Vial Innovatie Attaché Netwerk / IA (Netherlands Innovation Network) | Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Shanghai | Netherlands Innovation Network China #AISafety #Innovation #GlobalCollaboration #WAIC2024 #TechForGood

Day 1: The World AI Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai kicked off with a high-level meeting on international AI governance. Premier Li Qiang opened the WAIC, emphasising the importance of global AI governance that includes every country around the world. Tsinghua professor Xue Lan, in his keynote, stressed that AI governance is important, but we must not lose sight of the positive effects. AI technology has a net positive effect in reaching the United Nations' Social Development Goals. The balance between risks and opportunities was further highlighted by the discussion between Turing Award laureates Raj Reddy, Manuel Blum, and Andrew Chi-Chih Yao. In the high-level roundtable meeting with Yin Hejun, the Minister of Science and Technology, Long Teng, Vice Minister of Science and Technology, Ma Zhaoxu, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gong Zheng, Mayor of Shanghai, and several country and United Nations delegates from around the world, the main message was the necessity of global collaboration, managing risks, and ensuring every country can benefit from AI advancements. This reflects the adoption of the UN resolution earlier this week.   Minister-Counsellor for Economy and Trade at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Beijing, Huub Buise, in his speech to the delegates, emphasised the four policy principles in the Netherlands on generative AI: safety, fairness, service to human wellbeing, and sustainability and prosperity, especially in the military domain. This is why the Netherlands is making great efforts to organise the RE-AIM summit on military applications of AI later this year. Our colleague Sjoerd Dikkerboom, who has AI in his portfolio, was present at the conference as well. Sjoerd also spoke in Macau at the 2024 UNU Macau AI Conference two months ago (https://lnkd.in/gbGfGz2M).   From ethical considerations to regulatory frameworks, the insights gained will undoubtedly play a crucial role in guiding AI development in the coming years. The Netherlands ranks highly on responsible AI frameworks, as seen in the recently released Global Index on Responsible AI. However, there is still a lot of work to be done on the ground. The thought-provoking discussions during the day highlighted the importance of collaborative efforts to shape the future of AI responsibly. AI safety and governance are increasingly gaining the world's attention, including China. For these high-level meetings to be successful, it’s important to stay informed on AI developments in China, the world's second-largest AI industry. So stay tuned for day 2!   Floris Lantzendörffer | Freek Jan Frerichs | Simon Huysmans Innovatie Attaché Netwerk / IA (Netherlands Innovation Network) | Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in China | Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Shanghai | Netherlands Innovation Network China   #WorldAIConference #AIGovernance #ArtificialIntelligence #FutureOfAI #Innovation

Recycling and other circularity practices within various sectors of the energy transition are becoming increasingly important. The China Photovoltaic Test Center (CPTV) stands as the largest center for the inspection and testing of solar PV panels in China. CPTV plays a crucial role in providing access to certifications for both international and domestic markets and boasts comprehensive testing capabilities across the entire PV industrial chain, from raw materials to solar farms. Acting as a bridge between the government and industry leaders, CPTV ensures that the solar industry receives accurate and effective policy advice.   Our colleagues Jason Jin and Floor van den Brink, who are based at the Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Shanghai, recently visited CPTV to discuss recycling and other circularity practices within the Chinese solar industry. It was an excellent opportunity to connect and gain valuable insights into China's advancements toward a circular economy! These insights are particularly important to the Netherlands Innovation Network China as our colleague Floor van den Brink is conducting a research project to assess China's current standing in circular energy practices relative to that of the Netherlands. By performing this comparative analysis, we aim to identify areas of potential synergy and collaboration, pinpointing sectors where knowledge exchange and joint ventures could yield mutual benefits. Follow us for more information and to stay updated on the findings of our research once published. Floris Lantzendörffer | Freek Jan Frerichs | Sjoerd Dikkerboom Innovatie Attaché Netwerk / IA (Netherlands Innovation Network) #Innovation #Sustainability #Circularity #Recycling

Last week, the team at the Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Hong Kong and Macau successfully organised the symposium for a Green and Resilient Northern Metropolis (https://lnkd.in/gb9K8wPp) on the beautiful ship Clipper Stad Amsterdam. The event offered many useful perspectives from Hong Kong and Dutch participants for a green way forward for this impressive Hong Kong project: from preserving and managing natural resources, building sustainable communities to the revitalisation of waterways to achieve flood resilience against climate change.   After the event, attendees enjoyed a delightful networking session on the upper deck of the Clipper, taking in the splendid view of Victoria Harbour. Our colleague Fons Klein Tuente of the Netherlands Innovation Network China was present at the event and was impressed by the high-caliber speakers and panelists from government, business, and academia. Their contributions facilitated meaningful dialogue and discussions on policy, business, and research levels. Sustainable topics discussed at last week's symposium, such as preserving natural resources, building sustainable communities, and revitalizing waterways for flood resilience against climate change, are also important to the Netherlands Innovation Network China. Extensive research is being conducted in both China and the Netherlands on these issues. Our network actively promotes collaboration between the two countries, as demonstrated by our recent events, including https://lnkd.in/gbNX6RGf and https://lnkd.in/gWNhme46. Floris Lantzendörffer | Freek Jan Frerichs | Lucille Merks | Tanya Uppal | Katherine Chan | René Hengeveld | Natellie Sun (Natellie Hallahan) 🌈 | Harmen Overdijk | Tom Bakker Innovatie Attaché Netwerk / IA (Netherlands Innovation Network)

🗓️ Webinar Green Chemistry and Circular Plastics in China: Developments and Cooperation | 2 July 9:00 – 10:00 (open Q&A afterwards) Curious about the latest #developments in #greenchemistry and #circularplastics in #China? Want to understand what that means for your field of work? Join our webinar to get an introduction to the latest #trends, hear from peers about their #collaboration with China, and how it works with #intellectualpropertyrights. Sign up for the webinar by sending an email with your name and organization to China-IA@minbuza.nl. The webinar is part of the preparation for the Green Chemistry and Circular Plastics mission to China from 9 – 13 September, which will focus on #CircularPlastics, #BiobasedChemistry and #CarbonCaptureUtilization. More information can be found via: https://lnkd.in/grr8dC7C This webinar and mission are organized by us together with ChemistryNL and Netherlands Enterprise Agency . It is supported by Ministerie van Economische Zaken en Klimaat and Ministerie van Infrastructuur en Waterstaat. Innovatie Attaché Netwerk / IA (Netherlands Innovation Network) | Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in China | Consulate General of the Netherlands in Guangzhou | Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Shanghai

Last week, colleagues Wielande Li, Ma Qing, and Sjoerd Dikkerboom travelled through the Shanghai region for fact-finding and better understanding what happens in China in terms of green chemistry and circular plastics. They established and renewed many valuable connections during their busy schedule of meetings and appointments. The team was pleased with the positive reactions to the appointments from the Chinese side and their willingness to collaborate with the Netherlands Innovation Network China for future events. Among the visited parties were universities, companies, industry parks, and associations, including: • Jiahua Chemicals Inc.: A leading Shanghai-based manufacturer of specialty chemicals, emphasising green chemistry and sustainability. • Shanghai Chemical Industry Park (SCIP): A major petrochemical hub promoting green and low-carbon development, located on Hangzhou Bay. • Shanghai Institute of Cleantech Innovation (ICT): A research institute in Songjiang District focused on clean technology and sustainable materials. • Tongji University: A top public research university in Shanghai, known for engineering and architecture programs. • Donghua University (DHU): A leading public university in Shanghai, specialising in Textile Engineering, Material Science, and Fashion Design. • China Plastics Reuse and Recycling Association (CPRRA): The leading organisation for plastic recycling in China, promoting sustainable practices and organizing the biannual ChinaReplas exhibition to advance industry connections and innovations Connecting to institutes and organisations like these is valuable to understand where the opportunities lie for chemistry collaboration with China. This will be one of the goals of the upcoming innovation mission on green chemistry and circular plastics, planned from September 9 to 13 (https://lnkd.in/gDqqd8bN).   Floris Lantzendörffer | Freek Jan Frerichs   Innovatie Attaché Netwerk / IA (Netherlands Innovation Network) | Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Shanghai | Consulate General of the Netherlands in Guangzhou #Chemistry #Energy #China #Collaboration #Science #Research