Luo Songsong

    songsongluo@126.com

    THE European Union has brought Horizon 2020, its largest research and innovation funding program ever worth 80 billion euros (US$100 billion) to Shenzhen, encouraging innovators to move their ideas from the lab to the marketplace.

    As a continuation of the EU’s Seventh Framework Program for Research, Horizon 2020 is fully open to participation from companies, universities, institutes and researchers from the EU and beyond, with a focus on societal challenges like health, clean energy and transportation.

    “Under the platform, Chinese innovators can access Europe’s excellence in research and innovation and companies in the European market,” said Laurent Bochereau, minister counselor and head of the science, technology and environmental delegation of the European Union, at the China Hi-Tech Fair, which opened yesterday.

    Under the program, Chinese researchers are not systematically funded in most cases, meaning Chinese applicants must acquire money on their own.

    Luo Gaoyong, professor and head of the department of electronic information at Guangzhou University, has been conducting research in collaboration with the University of Padova in Italy on fifth- generation mobile networks under the program.

    “Each side has to raise funds separately. The Italian university is in charge of chip research while we will design software,” said Luo. With 5G technology, users will be able to make phone calls through the web instead of needing a device with an SD card. It will also have vastly improved accuracy for indoor positioning.

    The China Hi-Tech Fair, with the theme “Innovation and Green Growth,” will last until Friday.

    (Special reports on P2, 3)

    So far it has attracted more than 100 delegations from over 50 countries and regions. Over 3,000 exhibitors are in attendance and 10,000 projects are being displayed at the fair.

    This year, the fair highlights fast-developing technological trends like wearable devices, intelligent furniture, internet finance, new energy vehicles and more. The fair has also opened areas for innovative projects by university students and has provided a platform for venture capitalists to connect with projects.