From January 15th to 16th of 2009, China Science and Technology Exchange Center (CSTEC) and Swedish Governmental Agency for Innovation Systems (VINNOVA) jointly held the Workshop on the Promotion of China-EU S&T Cooperation and the Kick-off Meeting of BILAT-SILK. Participants included Sun Hong, Director-General of CSTEC; Georges Papageorgiou, Minister Counselor from EU Delegation to China; Michele Genovese, officer from DG Research of the European Commission; and representatives from WINNOVA, Italian Agency for the Promotion of the European Research (APRE), Greek Foundation for Research and Technology, University of Central Lancashire, Peking University, Tsinghua University, China Agricultural University, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications and Beijing Institute of Technology.

Director-General Sun Hong and Minister Counselor Georges Papageorgiou reviewed the cooperation between China and the EU in S&T fields and described future outlook. Both expressed wishes to further facilitate the involvement of Chinese researchers in the EU Framework Program (FP) through BILAT-SILK and promote substantive cooperation.

Michale Genovese from DG Research of European Commission analyzed the general trend of China’s participation in FP, expressed his wish to enhance EU’s S&T cooperation with China and welcomed Chinese researchers’ role in FP. Representatives and experts from Peking University, Tsinghua University, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications also gave presentations on their participation in FP, difficulties in the way and expectations. In the light of this, foreign representatives aired their views and put forward suggestions.

During the two-day meeting, China-EU Science and Technology Cooperation Promotion Office and foreign BILAT-SILK partners explored how BILAT-SILK could provide better consultancy service to facilitate Chinese researchers’ involvement in FP. To meet this objective, efforts could be made in a number of ways, such as jointly holding FP promotion meetings, defining six priority fields for China-EU cooperation, reviewing and assessing methodologies for the China-EU technology assessment system and their status quo, and setting up FP’s contact points in China. The two sides’ in-depth and fruitful discussions have made clear the goals and tasks for 2009, paving the way for future cooperation.

The meeting was successfully concluded on the afternoon of January 16th. The outcome of the meeting drew positive comments from BILAT-SILK partners who expressed confidence in further collaboration.