Qingpu, Fudan sign agreement to set up future Delta tech research institute

Qingpu District and Fudan University have signed an agreement recently to jointly establish the Shanghai Qingpu-Fudan Future Technology Research Institute, a project aimed at advancing science and technology integration in the Yangtze River Delta region.

The research institute is a key step in implementing Shanghai's strategy to strengthen its position as an international science and technology innovation hub.

Officials called for building a full-cycle innovation chain that connects basic research, applied breakthroughs, commercialization, financial support and talent development.

The institute should serve as a platform to advance the integrated development of education and technology.

It is necessary to align discipline development with industrial demand and establish a talent cultivation model featuring deep integration of industry, academia, research and application, officials said.

It will accelerate the commercialization of scientific and technological achievements, connect the innovation chains of enterprises and universities, and build a full-cycle innovation ecosystem encompassing "basic research, technological breakthroughs, achievement transformation, financial support and talent guarantee."

Efforts will be made to develop the institute into a "strong magnet" for global high-end talents and foster an ecological system that retains professionals through career opportunities and nurtures talents through a favorable environment, officials said.

The university will mobilize cross-disciplinary resources and work with leading companies in Qingpu and focus on frontier technologies, strengthen industry-university collaboration, and cultivate high-level talent to support Shanghai's global science and innovation ambitions.

Qingpu is tasked with developing into a regional innovation hub and seeks to foster a collaborative ecosystem where capital, technology, talent and data flow efficiently across the delta region.

The institute will target frontier research areas, attract global teams and major projects, and cooperate with leading enterprises to drive industrial transformation.

According to the agreement, it will adopt market-oriented operations to accelerate commercialization, build engineering platforms, and become a base for new engineering disciplines at Fudan.

Officials said the project is expected to serve as a model for integrated development of education, science and talent in China.