On May 25, the 2nd China University Scientific and Technological Achievements Fair (CUSTAF) was opened in Guangdong province. CUSTAF is the largest-scale exhibition in China of university scientific and technological achievements. Several overseas leading experts and 10 academicians from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering attended the ceremony. As the representative of over 350 colleges and universities, Yuan Yingjin, Vice President of Tianjin University, addressed the opening ceremony, and signed an agreement of the Ministry of Education to be one of the first batch of universities entering “Tonghu·Universities Innovation Park”.

Under the theme of “Promoting deep collaboration between industry and education institutions for a win-win development of innovation”, with an exhibition and forum, the Fair aims for cooperation and transactions to transfer university’s’ scientific and technological achievements to productivity; thus, universities are able to make a greater contribution to economic and social development. The Fair focused on intelligent manufacturing, electronic information, new materials, petrochemical industry and other fields.

More than ten scientific and technological achievements of Tianjin University were displayed in the University Scientific and Technological Achievements Exhibition, which were appreciated by companies and other universities. The achievements included synthetic eukaryotic chromosome rearrangements, key technology and engineering applications of high-speed parallel robots, in-orbit brain-computer interaction and mental load, visual function and other functional ergonomic test systems, and hybrid fiber optic sensing technology and its applications in engineering safety monitoring. The iron-based amorphous alloy electromagnetic shielding materials team at the School of Materials Science and Engineering also participated in the "100 key projects" road show.

Du Zhanyuan, Vice Minister of Education, addressed the opening ceremony. He said that with expertise, technology and innovation, colleges and universities have been focusing on basic research and original inventions, supporting the construction of a powerful country in science and technology. As an important platform for universities, local governments, enterprises, and all walks of life to exchange experience and cooperate with each other in scientific and technological innovation, the Fair provides strong support for national innovation-driven development strategy. He hoped that universities, research institutes and enterprises could make full use of this opportunity to strengthen exchange and common development. A win-win result would be achieved by promoting innovation and cooperation between the industry and academia.

Huang Ningsheng, Deputy Governor of Guangdong Province, pointed out that Guangdong is the leader and the pilot area of reform and opening up. With a sound economic system and mature economy, a lot of enterprises have a strong demand for the transfer of scientific and technological achievements from universities. With a good, natural environment, an inclusive social environment and innovation encouragement, Guangdong welcomes more scientific and technological innovation achievements of universities. Guangdong will speed up the construction of industrialization carriers for scientific and technological achievements, perfect the service system for the transfer of scientific and technological achievements, improve the policy system that encourages scientific and technological innovation and achievements transfer, and build a market-oriented regional innovation system with enterprises as the main body to achieve deep integration of industry, universities and research.

Yuan Yingjin said that this Fair promotes the deep integration of industry and education institutions for a win-win development of innovation. As the first modern university in China, Tianjin University has always been committed to the cultivation of high-level talent for a powerful nation and it has always upheld the tradition of patriotism and devotion to the country. Considering the country's major strategic needs, Tianjin University has focused on the forefront of world science and technology development and making contributions to the national economy. In the future, it will further improve its own service capabilities, give full play to the university’s advantages in science and technology and human resources, and promote the transfer of the university’s superior scientific research achievements, so as to contribute to the enhancement of the company’s independent innovation, acceleration of industrial structural adjustment and regional economic development. It’s hoped that all sectors of society will continue to support the development of science and technology in universities.

In recent years, Tianjin University has obtained a number of scientific and technological achievements with various applications. High-end medical and pharmaceutical products refining and crystallization technology have been successfully applied to the large-scale production of products such as losartan potassium, Irbesartan, and erythromycin. The world’s first in-orbit brain-computer interaction and mental load, visual function and other functional ergonomic test system roared into space with Tiangong II, the first in-space brain-machine interaction experiment in human history. The Petrel II underwater glider has set new records in continuous working time, profile measuring and endurance properties. After creating a world record for operating at depth for an underwater glider, it once again achieved a technological breakthrough. Breakthroughs have been made in synthesized designer eukaryotes chromosomes, solving the problem of cell inactivation due to chemically synthesized chromosomes. Tianjin University has made great achievements in biological medicine, artificial intelligence and other fields, and even become a leader in some areas.

In answer to the question of how to promote the integration of industry and education institutions to generate momentum for innovation and win-win result, Yuan Yingjin said: "CUSTAF is of great importance for it is a bridge connecting the achievements of scientific research institutes and market demand". Tianjin University has settled in the “Tonghu·Universities Innovation Park”, a platform for transfer and trade of the scientific and technological achievements of universities and a gathering area for innovative and entrepreneurial talent, to contribute to the construction of an innovative country. At the International Summit for Technology Transfer by Higher Education Institutions, Tianjin University signed contracts with two companies with contracts valued at 6 million yuan.

350 domestic and overseas higher education institutions, with over 10,000 projects, and 3,000 enterprises took part in CUSTAF from May 24 to 27 in Huizhou to achieve cooperation among industry, education institutions and research centers.