UK-China IP Symposium
On Thursday 8 December, the week following our launch of the Asia Business Centre, University experts took part in the first ever UK-China IP Symposium at the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel in London.
The Symposium was originally announced by Premier Wen Jiabao and Prime Minister David Cameron at the UK-China Summit in London last June.
The aim of this important event was to improve and update UK and Chinese business understanding of the UK and China Intellectual Property environments. It was organised by the UK Government's Intellectual Property Office (IPO), the State Intellectual Property Office of the People’s Republic of China (SIPO), UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) and China-Britain Business Council (CBBC).
VIP speakers Baroness Wilcox, UK Minister for Intellectual Property, and Commissioner Tian Lipu of SIPO opened the event and Dr Susan Huxtable, Director of Technology Transfer at The University of Nottingham (pictured right), and Jason Feehily, Head of the Asia Business Centre, both presented to delegates.
The following week, from 12-16 December, Asia Business Centre coordinated a multi-disciplinary, week-long visit to China.The delegation visited key contacts in Beijing, Chongqing and Ningbo, where opportunities were followed up and developed. Here are some of the highlights.
Beijing
This visit to China formed part of developing business engagement opportunities in line with the University’s priority research areas. A joint workshop was held with AVIC and the University of Nottingham in Beijing where innovative and exciting collaborations are being developed in the aerospace sector.
This was followed by the launch of the new Sino-UK Geospatial Engineering Centre . The Centre will develop geospatial information research to solve key scientific issues for both countries. It will be run jointly by NASG, China’s National Administration for Survey, Mapping and Geoinformation, through its academic, arm the Chinese Academy of Survey & Mapping (CASM), and The University of Nottingham. The main base is at the China Surveying and Mapping Innovation Base in Beijing. A UK presence is being prepared at the Nottingham Geospatial Building in the UK.
The Centre will provide a platform for promoting innovation and technology transfer, leadership training, and staff and student exchange. It will explore funding opportunities and new project work, integrating resources to support long-term collaboration, and it will act as a world-leading incubation centre to realise fruitful combinations of R&D, production and commercialisation for both parties.
At the launch, Professor Chris Rudd, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Business Engagement and Knowledge Transfer at The University of Nottingham, said: “The University’s relationship with the Chinese Academy of Survey and Mapping (CASM) and the recently re-named National Administration for Survey, Mapping and Geoinformation (NASG) dates back eight years.
“We have a shared ambition – to create a Sino-UK centre of excellence that will accelerate the delivery of our vision. It represents the collaboration between China and UK in areas of leading research and development. We aim to benefit both parties and strengthen the ties between UK and China’s high technology industries.”
Following on from the launch, a University of Nottingham team, from both the UK and University of Nottingham Ningbo China campus, comprising specialists in urban planning, architecture, agriculture, business and economics met with a leading Beijing based development company exploring opportunities in urban agriculture. These opportunities are in line with the University of Nottingham’s Global Food Security priority research area.
Chongqing
The delegation also made calls on the British Consulate, Chongqing and the British Council. The Consul General Simon Lever has been very supportive of the University’s activities in South West China in the past. Simon provided an excellent regional update and linked the University into upcoming projects, including those run by the Science and Innovation Network (SIN). The Asia Business Centre is committed to working closely with Simon and his team in developing the enormously exciting opportunities in Chongqing and South west China.
The meeting with the British Council focused upon the technology transfer calls that are current in Chongqing and how best to develop these opportunities.
The University of Nottingham representatives were warmly hosted by Liya RONG PhD, Special Assistant to the President of Chongqing University. An excellent meeting was held exploring collaborative opportunities in Entrepreneurship amongst other opportunities.
On Thursday 15 December the delegation visited Changan Automotive in Chongqing Municipality. The University has a strong and warm relationship with Changan stretching back over a number of years. Changan’s UK R&D Centre is located at Nottingham Science Park, adjacent to the University of Nottingham University Park Campus.
Ningbo
Finally, Jason Feehily, Head of the Asia Business Centre, met with Professor Nick Miles, Provost of
The University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC). It was agreed that a 12 month visit and events schedule be jointly developed with the Asia Business Centre supporting and working with UNNC across a range of significant projects and opportunities both locally and across China.
The Asia Business Centre is deeply committed to working closely with Nick Miles and UNNC, providing support on projects and also developing links with Ningbo based staff. The next 12 months represents a huge opportunity for the University of Nottingham and the Asia Business Centre’s work with UNNC is extremely important to achieve its strategic objectives.