On April 21^st, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) hosted the UNIDO Theme Day at the 5^th Shanghai Fair. W&B Managing Partner, Ms. Jean Yang, was invited to attend and deliver a speech at the Pudong Sub-Forum on Theme Day.

Experts from various fields conducted research and held discussions centering on the topic Technological Innovation and Capacity Cooperation in Promoting the Joint Development of the Belt and Road Countries. The Pudong Sub-Forum was held in the Zhangjiang Kangqiao Innovation Park in Pudong New District. Ms. Jun Fu, Shanghai. Deputy Director of the Shanghai Zhangjiang Administration, presided over the opening ceremony for the Sub-Forum. Ms. Fu emphasized that Zhangjiang High-Tech Park, as Shanghai’s largest science and technology park, is endeavoring to build a demonstration zone for business linkage reform that radiates from China to the rest of the world.

Based on discussions and conclusions on this UNIDO Theme Day, it appears that Zhangjiang is looking forward to an in-depth exploration of the path to innovation. Honored guests representing dignitaries from various industries included Mr. Yuguang Li, CPPCC (Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference) Standing Committee Member; Mr. Shengwu Qu, Executive Vice President of the CPSSC (Council for Promoting South-South Cooperation); Mr. Yongqing Hong, former Deputy Director of the Shanghai Intellectual Property Office; Ms. Ye Yang, Director of the Zhangjiang High-Tech Park Administrative Committee; and Mr. Min He, Vice Chairman of CLAST (China Law Association on Science and Technology),.

The Pudong Sub-Forum was further divided into two topics, namely, Cooperation between High-Tech Parks and Industrial Parks in Belt and Road Countries and Industry-University-Research Cooperation between High-Tech Parks and Industrial Parks in Belt and Road Countries. W&B Managing Partner Jean Yang delivered a lecture entitled The Current Status of the Industry-University-Research Cooperation Model and Recommendations for Enhancing the Conversion Ratio for Technological Achievements. Ms. Yang first explained the industry-university-research cooperation model and outlined its current status. In view of the insufficient conversion ratio for technological achievements under the current industry-university-research cooperation model, Ms. Yang proposed her ideas on the following three matters: the law, the government and the participants in the industry-university-research cooperation model. Finally, Ms. Yang provided recommendations on how to enhance the conversion ratio of technological achievements from the perspective of the legal industry. Ms. Yang’s practical, novel and on-point lecture was well-received by the audience. After the meeting, Ms. Yang further discussed focus issues such as the Belt and Road Initiative with the participants.

Over 500 distinguished domestic and foreign guests from governments, enterprises and institutions participated in the UNIDO Theme Day activities, with an audience of over 700 watching. W&B seized the opportunity of the UNIDO Theme Day to showcase its abilities, by promotig and assisting various industries in Shanghai in exploiting the international markets along the Belt and Road and carrying out close and interdependent economic and trade cooperation.