On June 22, 2021, sponsored by the Department of International Cooperation of the Ministry of Science and Technology, P. R. China and Business Finland, and organized by Jiangsu Provincial Department of Science and Technology, the Second China-Finland High-tech Field Matchmaking Event and the China-Finland Innovation Cooperation Symposium in the Yangtze River Delta was successfully held in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province. Jiangsu Center of International Technology Transfer has undertaken the related specific conference services. The event includes online and offline sessions, with a main conference venue in Nanjing, Jiangsu, and parallel sessions in Tianjin City, Hebei, Hunan and Guizhou Province. Ms. Zhao Jing, Deputy Director General of Department of International Cooperation, Ministry of Science and Technology, P. R. China, Mr. Guo Liping, Deputy Director General of Jiangsu Science and Technology Department, Mr. Pasi Hellman, Consul General of Consulate General of Finland in Shanghai, and Ms. Nina Kopola, Director General of Business Finland, attended and addressed the event.

Ms. Zhao Jing, Deputy Director General of Department of International Cooperation, said that on June 21, the national leaders of China and Finland talked and reached a consensus to strengthen cooperation in scientific research, science and education, green and low carbon industry, and jointly address the challenge of climate change, which pointed out the direction for expanding bilateral cooperation in scientific and technological innovation between China and Finland. This matchmaking event is an important action for both sides to implement the consensus reached by the national leaders and the outcome of the 19th Joint Committee Meeting on Science and Technology Cooperation between China and Finland, and promote the normalization of bilateral innovation and entrepreneurship cooperation. It is hoped that universities, scientific research institutions and enterprises of both sides will deepen cooperation and jointly push our bilateral scientific and technological cooperation to a new level in the post-epidemic era. Mr. Guo Liping, Deputy Director General of Jiangsu Science and Technology Department, introduced Jiangsu’s cooperation with Finland, and expressed his good will to further strengthen cooperation with Finland under the background of integrated development of scientific and technological innovation in the Yangtze River Delta.

Mr. Pasi Hellman, Consul General of Consulate General of Finland in Shanghai, said that the current global economy continues to recover and the future growth will rely more on low-carbon transformation. China and Finland have broad space for cooperation in fields such as clean energy and circular economy. Ms. Nina Kopola, Director General of Business Finland, said that as the one of the most innovative countries, Finland is willing to maintain long-term good cooperative relations with China, and it is glad to see that the mission of digitalization and low-carbon transformation undertaken by Business Finland is reflected in the agenda of this matchmaking event.

During the event, the two sides focused on four fields: life and health, intelligent manufacturing, energy and environment, smart city and transportation. Representatives from more than 30 institutions in China and Finland conducted roadshows on technical projects and shared successful practices of innovation cooperation between China and Finland in the Yangtze River Delta through typical cases. Dr. Mika Klemettinen, Trade and Innovation Consul of Consulate General of Finland in Shanghai and Head of Shanghai Office of Business Finland, introduced the program call arrangements of three joint funding schemes implemented by Business Finland with the Ministry of Science and Technology, P. R. China, Jiangsu Province and Zhejiang Province respectively in 2021.

About 100 representatives from the Department of International Cooperation of Ministry of Science and Technology, P. R. China, scientific and technological authorities of Shanghai City, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui Province, Chinese enterprises and universities, the Consulate General of Finland in Shanghai, and Business Finland attended the event at the main venue in Nanjing. Other representatives attended the event at parallel sessions or via online livestream. Over 70,000 people watched the live video of the event.

During the event, more than 10 participating institutions from China have expressed clear cooperation intentions to Finland through the i-PIC online matchmaking system and other ways of communication, and Jiangsu Center of International Technology Transfer will continue to follow up the cooperation projects of both parties.

Finland is an important innovation partner of Jiangsu. Since the first call of Jiangsu-Finland Industrial R&D Cooperation Program in 2013, the two sides have completed eight rounds, and jointly supported over 40 cooperation projects. At present, the ninth call is underway.