Recently, Professor Gadi Rothenberg of the University of Amsterdam (UvA) visited Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Shanghai Institute of CleanTech Innovation (ICT innovation, Shanghai Curui Low-Carbon Energy Technology Co., Ltd.). Earlier this year, a delegation from SARI visited the UvA, and Prof. Sun gave a lecture as a guest of the John van Geuns Foundation and the RPA Sustainable Chemistry. During those mutual visits, the three parties discussed and exchanged ideas on the collaboration on the transition to a Circular Economy and low-carbon conversion technologies.

      Research into catalytic biomass conversion, new materials and processes for low-carbon technologies, and the transition towards a circular economy is high on the agenda of all three parties. With the view of promoting collaboration, the Van ’t Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Amsterdam and the Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and ICT innovation signed an international collaboration agreement. Within this agreement, the parties will conduct in-depth cooperation in academic research, basic research, and applied research. The collaboration may concern any chemistry-related field or subject upon which the three parties agree. The three parties will organize joint projects, lectures and symposia, exchange information, researchers and graduate students in various fields, and strive for an effective progress in the application of low-carbon conversion technologies.

      The three parties will set up a special plan for the cooperation, and jointly improve the basic research in the field of low carbon conversion. Furthermore, by combining the strengths of all three institutes the parties hope to realise more scientific ideas into bona fide applications.