Xiangjiang Laboratory and BGI Sign Strategic Cooperation Agreement
2024-07-04
On the afternoon of July 3, the signing ceremony for the strategic cooperation agreement between Xiangjiang Laboratory and BGI was held in the Zhiyuan Lecture Hall of Xiangjiang Building. Attendees included Chen Xiaohong, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Director of Xiangjiang Laboratory, and Secretary of CPC HUTB Commerce, Wang Jian, Chairman and Co-founder of BGI, Li Bin, Director and Vice President of BGI, Liu Guoquan, Executive Deputy Director of Xiangjiang Laboratory and Vice President of HUTB, Yi Mianyang, Deputy Director of Xiangjiang Laboratory and Deputy Secretary of the CPC HUTB Committee, and Kou Gang and Hu Chunhua, Deputy Directors of Xiangjiang Laboratory. Also present were Peng Huanhuan, Deputy Director of BGI Regional Development Center and Vice President of MGI, and Wang Xigang, General Manager of BGI Hunan Region. Heads of relevant departments of BGI and heads of relevant departments of Xiangjiang Laboratory participated in the event. The ceremony was hosted by Deputy Director Kou Gang.
At the ceremony, Academician Chen Xiaohong delivered a welcoming speech. She warmly welcomed Chairman Wang Jian and his delegation, and introduced the basic overview and construction progress of Xiangjiang Laboratory. Xiangjiang Laboratory is a strategic plan to deeply implement General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speech on Hunan, and serves as a key support for Hunan Province's enhancement of its “integration of computing power, algorithms, data, and networks” major technology innovation platform. It focuses on advanced computing and artificial intelligence, conducting "AI+" actions around core elements such as computing power, algorithms, data, and networks. The laboratory continually gathers outstanding scientific talent, high-end professionals, and innovative resources to build a globally competitive digital industry cluster and new advantages in future industries. The laboratory is being constructed with an overall framework of "1456." It has currently established deep collaborations with dozens of universities, research institutions, and leading enterprises. The focus is on the "4×4" modern industrial system, and research is being conducted on demonstration applications in fields such as smart manufacturing, smart transportation, and smart healthcare. More than 50 innovative achievements have been publicly released to society. She stated that BGI, adhering to its mission of "benefiting humanity through gene technology," has achieved remarkable success by promoting the deep integration of biotechnology and digital intelligence technology. Xiangjiang Laboratory will fully utilize the advantages of the “computing power, algorithms, data, and networks” to provide strong technical support for the innovative development of BGI genomics. She believes that the collaboration between the two parties will yield fruitful results and make a greater contribution to building a technologically strong and talent-rich nation.
Chairman Wang Jian pointed out in his speech that the strategic cooperation between BGI and Xiangjiang Laboratory is both timely and highly promising. He introduced BGI's entrepreneurial history, development vision, and research progress. The group leads the innovation in genomics through an integrated "industry-university-research" development model, providing advanced equipment, technical support, and solutions that are independently controllable for national needs such as precision medicine and precision health. They are committed to a new development path of "self-practice, addressing public needs, expanding research, scaling up industries, and nurturing talent," and are dedicated to driving the translation of genomic technology achievements to benefit humanity. He also shared his research experiences and achievements from leading teams to the Mariana Trench and summiting Mount Everest, expressing his lifelong commitment to serving the nation through science and technology. He hopes for close cooperation between the two parties to implement General Secretary Xi Jinping's directive for scientific research to "expand to extreme macro perspectives, delve into extreme micro details, advance into extreme conditions, and exert efforts in extreme interdisciplinary intersections," and to jointly drive the country toward high-level self-reliance and self-improvement in science and technology.
In the presence of Academician Chen Xiaohong and Chairman Wang Jian, Executive Deputy Director Liu Guoquan and Vice President Peng Huanhuan signed a strategic cooperation agreement on behalf of both parties. The two sides will engage in long-term, stable, and in-depth technological innovation and collaborative efforts in areas such as scientific research, platform development, and technology transfer, actively serving national strategic needs and working towards the strategic goal of building a strong technological nation by 2035.
Previously, at the exchange and discussion meeting on July 1, the two parties had an in-depth discussion about the strategic cooperation framework and reached a consensus on cooperation. Chairman Wang Jian and his delegation also visited Xiangjiang Laboratory and HUTB, viewed the laboratory's promotional video, and toured the Research Achievement Exhibition Hall, Intelligent Logistics Laboratory, Cultural and Technological Integration Innovation Laboratory, as well as the university's facilities and environment. They expressed that they were greatly inspired and highly praised the achievements of Xiangjiang Laboratory and the development of HUTB.
It is reported that BGI, established in 1999, is a leading global institution in life sciences with branches in over 100 countries and regions. The group has made notable contributions to the advancement of genomics in China and around the world, establishing China's leading position in international genomics science. (Written by Zhang Gaoyang and photos by Ling Haotian and Yang Lei)
