China and Israel sign multi-million dollar research deal
Joint scientific research to focus on areas ranging from nanotechnology to aging populations
Israel and China’s science ministers signed a joint research declaration on Monday, the latest in a string of Sino-Israel accords.
The document, inked in Beijing by Israel’s Ofir Akunis and his Chinese counterpart Wan Gang, resolved that China would invest some $5 million and Israel more than $1 million in joint scientific studies.
Research fields will include the human brain, nano-technology, 3D printing, bio-medicine, renewable energy, computer science, smart cities and aging populations.
China seeks to tap into Israeli technical know-how to help it upgrade from an increasingly high-cost manufacturing nation to a lean and innovative, high-tech producer of advanced products and services.
September saw the signing of a deal to create the Sino-Israeli Robotics Institute, which will form the centerpiece of a new $2 billion industrial park in China’s Guangzhou region.
In May last year, Tel Aviv University announced a partnership with China’s Tsinghua University to invest $300 million for the creation of the XIN Research Center, intended to research early-stage and mature technologies in biotech, solar energy, water and environmental technologies.
Earlier this month, Israel hosted 25 entrepreneurs and executives from 23 Chinese companies, covering industries such as sustainable construction and design, IT and software, healthcare and medical technology, agribusiness, biotechnology, finance and investment, among others.
The Times of Israel Community.