After six months of preparation, the Zhejiang Wanli University Yuyao Innovation Research Institute officially opened on 12 January, marking a new chapter in technological innovation and talent cultivation between the university and the city. The institute aims to promote the coordinated development of ZWU’s high-level scientific research and Yuyao’s local industrial innovation, contributing to industrial upgrading and high-quality economic growth in Yuyao and the Yangtze River Delta region.
Distinguished guests attending the opening ceremony included Professor Chen Zhongwei, Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and the Canadian Academy of Engineering, as well as Director of the National Energy Catalysis and Conversion Key Laboratory at the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Wo Yongte, Mayor of Yuyao and Deputy Secretary of the Yuyao Municipal Party Committee; Ying Xiong, Chairman of the Board of Zhejiang Wanli University; Ma Jianjiang, Deputy Director of the General Office of the Ningbo Municipal People’s Government; Lü Jie, Party Secretary and Chairman of Zhejiang Wanli Education Group, along with Lin Liangfu, President of the Group; Wang Fei, Member of the Ningbo Municipal Education Working Committee and Deputy Director of the Ningbo Education Bureau; Chen Shanfeng, Deputy Director of the Ningbo Science and Technology Bureau; Lin Zhihua, President of Zhejiang Wanli University; Wang Weizhong, Party Secretary of Zhejiang Wanli University; and Mao Pixian, Standing Committee Member and Deputy Mayor of Yuyao. Other attendees included leaders from relevant Yuyao government departments, university representatives, and business and industry leaders. The ceremony was hosted by Wang Weizhong.
In his speech, Mayor Wo Yongte emphasised that Zhejiang Wanli University’s strengths in artificial intelligence, digital technology, and new materials align well with Yuyao’s economic and social development. The newly established Yuyao Innovation Research Institute, supported by a “5+1+X” system, will focus on intelligent manufacturing, smart energy, life sciences, and big data. This collaboration is expected to cultivate new productive forces, drive the integration of research, industry, and education, and support high-quality regional economic development. He expressed hope that the university would actively advance the institute’s growth by attracting innovative resources, research projects, and top talents. The Yuyao Municipal Party Committee and Government pledged comprehensive support to make the institute a powerhouse of technological innovation and a model for university-city collaboration.
President Lin Zhihua highlighted the institute’s goal of fostering high-level talent, conducting advanced scientific research, and ensuring the effective application of research findings. As a key initiative for ZWU’s Yuyao campus, the institute carries a significant mission of nurturing new productive forces and enhancing the university’s applied education. Looking ahead, the institute will focus on global cutting-edge research, talent development, and international collaboration, integrating education, science, talent, and industry to create a new model of cooperation and innovation.
Ma Jianjiang expressed hopes that the institute would leverage university-government collaboration to enhance research and industrial applications, contributing to the transformation and upgrading of industries in Yuyao, Ningbo, and Zhejiang. He stated that Ningbo would provide policy support and resources to facilitate the institute’s role in advancing local technology and industrial development.
To strengthen collaboration between the institute and local industries, strategic cooperation agreements were signed with five leading enterprises: Anhui Zhongding Group, Sunny Optical Technology Group, Zhejiang Dafeng Industrial, Ningbo Konfoong Materials International Co., Ltd., and Ningbo Yangming Industrial Technology Research Institute Co., Ltd. These partnerships will accelerate the transformation of scientific achievements into industrial technologies, bridging the gap from laboratory research to market applications.
During the ceremony, the first batch of postdoctoral researchers signed agreements to join the institute, marking the establishment of a postdoctoral research station. This initiative will attract top-tier talent and enhance the institute’s research capabilities, reinforcing its strategy of talent-driven development.
Several key platforms were also unveiled, including Ningbo Xinzhichanrong Technology Co., the High-Energy-Density Electrode Materials Joint Pilot Centre, the Advanced Additive Manufacturing Technology and Equipment Joint Laboratory, and the Green Circular Economy Concept Verification Centre. In addition, Yuyao Branch of the ZWU Ningbo Alumni Association, a Party-building alliance, an integrated ideological and political education community, the “Wanfeng Qingyin” Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Base, and a provincial graduate training base were inaugurated. These initiatives aim to enhance the integration of talent, technology, and industry, facilitating the rapid transformation of research findings into commercial applications.
During the event, Ying Xiong presented an appointment certificate to Professor Chen Zhongwei, appointing him as the first chairman of the institute’s academic committee. Professor Chen, an esteemed academic, holds key positions at the University of Waterloo and Zhejiang Wanli University, where he leads the university’s academic committee and serves as the honorary dean of the Carbon Neutrality Research Institute.
At the launch ceremony, Wo Yongte, Ying Xiong, Ma Jianjiang, Lü Jie, Wang Fei, Chen Shanfeng, Lin Zhihua, and Mao Pixian jointly initiated the opening of the Zhejiang Wanli University Yuyao Innovation Research Institute.
The establishment of the institute reflects Zhejiang Wanli University and the Yuyao government’s commitment to supporting the national strategy of regional integration in the Yangtze River Delta. By aligning scientific research with industrial needs, the institute will drive innovation, enhance collaboration between academia and industry, and explore new models for the integration of education, science, and talent.
As a key initiative, the institute will focus on tackling technological bottlenecks, fostering regional industry-education integration, and supporting Yuyao’s development into an innovation hub. It aims to advance high-tech industrialisation and contribute to Zhejiang Wanli University’s vision of becoming a distinctive, high-level applied university with national and international influence.
Notably, Zhejiang Wanli University’s Carbon Neutrality Research Institute has already moved into the new facility. The institute aligns its research with Zhejiang’s major technological innovation needs, leveraging Ningbo’s advantages in new energy development. It focuses on large-capacity power battery development and related material production technologies. The research team comprises over 20 full-time researchers, including national and provincial talents and PhDs from top universities worldwide. The institute has been approved as a postdoctoral research station, with 10 postdoctoral researchers and over 50 master’s and doctoral students currently engaged in research.