On the morning of 23rd August, the New Polymer Polymerization Process Innovation and Application Joint Laboratory jointly established by the Nottingham Ningbo China Beacons of Excellence and Innovation Institute (hereinafter referred to as "China Beacons Institute") and Zhejiang Amerisource New Material Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Amerisource New Material ") was officially unveiled and established at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC), Dr. Lionel Ouyang, Visiting Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering at UNNC, will serve as the first director of the joint laboratory.
Amerisource New Material is a local manufacturing enterprise located in the Sino-Italian Ecological Park of Qianwan New Area, Ningbo. The company has been focusing on the production of PBT engineering plastics and officially put into production at the end of year 2019, which operation has played a great role in promoting the development of resin synthesis industry in Zhejiang Province
It is understood that in the next two years, both two sides will fully leverage their respective advantages in talent, research resources, and innovation platforms, and conduct in-depth cooperation in promoting relevant research, applying for cooperative projects, and cultivating and exchanging talents, to make the joint-lab could become a platform for China Beacons Institute to strengthen and develop the theories and knowledge of new polymer ad composite materials, and provide technical innovation for new materials at the same time. Meanwhile, the scholars from China Beacons Institute will also make the cooperation with the research team from Amerisource New Material to development the new technologies and products, and Amerisource New Material will also provide the internship opportunities for the students from University of Nottingham.
Professor Tao Wu, Vice President of the UNNC and Dean of the FOSE, gave a detailed introduction to the education and research training systems of the UNNC and China Beacons Institute at the unveiling ceremony. He expressed that the establishment of China Beacons Institute is another cooperation between the University of Nottingham and Ningbo government based on the University’s International Science and Innovation resources. China Beacons Institute has been committed to promoting the deep integration of scientific innovation and industrial development, adhering to the mission of promoting scientific innovation and industry development, carrying out the innovation of many aspects like scientific research, knowledge exchange, technology transfer and talent training, and introduce the excellent scientific research system of University of Nottingham, with the development goal of building a world-class scientific research institute and needs and strategies of locals. The establishment of this joint laboratory will bring more opportunities for development and innovation for both parties, jointly focusing on the research and application of new polymer polymerization processes, and establishing a new type of joint laboratory with an international leading level. China Beacons Institute will also continue to introduce more excellent research resources, provide enterprises with actual optimization plans for production capacity, to help enterprise could truly benefits from the scientific research.
Mr. Xiaodong Zhang, Chairman of Amerisource New Material, attended the unveiling ceremony and unveiled the joint laboratory with Professor Tao Wu. Mr. Zhang graduated from the UNNC at the year of 2016 and joined Amerisource New Material in 2017. As an outstanding alumnus of UNNC and second-generation private entrepreneur, he deeply realized the importance of technology innovation and core competitiveness for the development to an enterprise. Therefore, he led the only dozens of Meiyuan employees to make the improvement and innovation of an old set of devices and technology, and completed the domestics single production capacity with almost the lowest global price in 2017, and now Amerisource New Material has ranked third of the same domestic industry. Building this joint laboratory with China Beacons Institute can better address Meiyuan's technological needs and enhance the company's technological innovation capabilities, which is also very in line with the company's future strategic direction.
Subsequently, Kangben Xia, Deputy Director of the Qianwan New Area Management Committee, Member of the Party Working Committee, Member of the Party Group and Deputy Commander in Chief of the Sino-Italian Ningbo Ecological Park Development and Construction Command, delivered a speech. He affirmed this cooperation, and emphasized the significant support and guarantee provided by the Ningbo Municipal Government to the industrial development of the new materials field. Simultaneously, he also highly recognized the research team and capabilities of the China Beacons Institute.
Kangben Xia believes that the cooperation between the two sides will jointly promote the development of Ningbo and domestic chemical industry. He hopes that both parties can fully utilize the opportunity of this cooperation, demonstrate greater responsibility, and use scientific research to drive industry development. He also hopes that more enterprises in the park and China Beacons Institute to conduct more discussions and cooperation in the future.
The establishment of the Joint Laboratory for Innovation and Application of New Polymer Polymerization Processes marks a new step in the technology empowerment industry of China Beacons Institute. This cooperation is also an important measure for Ningbo Qianwan New Area to promote the development of high-tech industries, which will bring new opportunities and impetus to scientific and technological innovation in Qianwan New Area.