From April 25 to 27, FANG Yunting, deputy director of the Institute of Applied Ecology (IAE) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) led a delegation on a working visit to Shandong province for Academy-Locality Cooperation. Members of the delegation include WANG Dongsheng, deputy chief of the Science and Technology (S&T) Division of CAS Shenyang branch, JING Hongshuang, deputy chief of the S&T Division of IAE, and several leading scientists of IAE (CHEN Xin, XU Hui, and REN Wanxia, etc.).

On the morning of April 26, SUN Shanjun and LEI Hao, deputy mayors of Zouping city, and officials of relevant bureaus of Zouping city were invited to visit Shouguang Facility Agricultural Research Center, which is affiliated to IAE. At the center, officials of Zouping city and the delegation of IAE held a symposium to deliberate on the details to jointly establish the Zouping Agricultural and Rural Development Big Data Research Center (hereinafter referred to as the Big Data Center). At the symposium, CHEN Xin, researcher of IAE and director of Shouguang Facility Agricultural Research Center introduced how the center was organized and operated, and the development of related programs. FANG Yunting positively affirmed the work had been done at the Shouguang Center and expected Zouping municipal government to fully support establish the Big Data Center in order to let it serve Zouping's agricultural and rural development as soon as possible. SUN Shanjun and LEI Hao spoke highly of Shouguang Facility Agricultural Research Center as a good model for Government-Industry-Institute Collaboration. WANG Dongsheng, who is also the executive deputy director of Shandong Comprehensive Technology Transformation Center of CAS, suggested that the scientists should better use Shandong’s S&T policies and talent policies.

MA Huanjun, member of the Standing Committee of the Shouguang Municipal Committee, attended the symposium as well and stated that Shouguang government would further support the development of Shouguang Facility Agricultural Research Center.

At the symposium, ZHANG Kerong, secretary of the party Committee and director of Zouping Agricultural and Rural Development Bureau introduced the tentative plan to collaborate with IAE in establishing the Big Data Center. He hoped that Prof. XUE Bing’s research team would follow the example of Shouguang Facility Agricultural Research Center, set up a cross-discipline innovation team and propose a specific implementation plan to promote the establishment of the Big Data Center. The two parties conducted in-depth discussions on issues related to agricultural and rural big data, such as data collection and analysis methods. The two parties discussed the work to do in the next phase as well.

On the afternoon of April 26, FANG Yunting and the IAE delegation went to Qingzhou City to negotiate about the collaboration terms with Shandong Zhongke-Jiayi Biological Engineering Co., Ltd. At the meeting, PAN Yulin, general manager of Zhongke-Jiayi introduced the company's development history, running situation and corporate culture. FANG Yunting encouraged the relevant scientists to contribute towards the needs of the enterprise, and provide S&T services to help the enterprise establish an integrated industry-chain. A researcher from the Environmental Microbiology Group of IAE, reported the details and the future prospects of the cooperation project 'Functional Probiotics Screening and Micro-ecological Preparation R&D’. Prof. XU Hui and general manager PAN Yulin then signed a cooperation agreement. The project will provide Zhongke-Jiayi with solutions for producing functional probiotic preparation. JIANG Mengdong, director of Shandong Comprehensive Technology Transformation Center of CAS, and LIU Zhimin from Qingzhou Science and Technology Bureau expressed their congratulations on the cooperation between the two sides.

On April 27, FANG Yunting and the IAE delegation conducted a discussion with officials of Weifang Municipal Science and Technology Bureau on the progress of establishment of Weifang Modern Agriculture and Environment Academy.