Along with sci-tech achievements unveiled at the 2023 Zhongguancun Forum, a growing number of international sci-tech organizations are setting up headquarters in Beijing, helping shape the megacity into a global sci-tech innovation center.

Organizations adopting this trend include the International Hydrogen Fuel Cell Association (IHFCA), the World Robot Cooperation Organization (WRCO) and the International Coalition of Intelligent Manufacturing (ICIM).

Themed "Open Cooperation for a Shared Future," the forum which began on Thursday in Beijing's Zhongguancun, attracted guests from more than 80 countries and regions, as well as almost 200 international organizations, institutions and foreign government departments.

Promoting worldwide hydrogen collaboration

The International Hydrogen Fuel Cell Association (IHFCA), an international non-profit organization, was officially established in July 2022 with its headquarters in Beijing, according to Zhu Yafei, director of the academic exchange department and general management department, IHFCA.

It was jointly launched by Tsinghua University, China Society of Automotive Engineers, FORVIA, Sinopec, Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation, Toyota, Hyundai, AngloAmerican and other leading companies and organizations. 

With Ouyang Minggao, professor at Tsinghua University and academician at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, serving as its first chairman, the association's member units cover more than 80 companies and institutions in the hydrogen energy and fuel cell field from 11 countries in Europe, Asia, the Americas and other regions.

Since 2016, the IHFCA has been committed to promoting worldwide hydrogen collaboration and Fuel Cell Vehicle (FCV) rollout and commercialization, contributing to global climate change governance to achieve the goal of global carbon neutrality. It has successfully held six rounds of the International Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicle Congress (FCVC).

Boosting robotics technology, applications

According to Wang Huan, secretary-general of the WRCO, in order to build an innovative ecosystem of global cooperation in the field of robotics, the Chinese Institute of Electronics and the Israel Robotics Association initiated the establishment of the WRCO.

The international, academic and non-profit social organization was formed by universities, scientific research institutions, companies and international organizations engaged in robot research and development, design, production, as well as applications.

The WRCO was officially established in November 2022, and it was then chaired by Qiao Hong, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and a researcher of the Institute of Automation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The organization will build an international academic exchange and cooperation platform, promote research and formulation of related standards, rules and policies. It will also promote robotics technology and applications, establishing an international cooperation mechanism for the research and development of robotic technologies.

World Intelligent Manufacturing Conference

Yang Huayong, academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering, is the current chair of ICIM, according to Liang Ying, secretary-general of ICIM.

At present, the alliance, which has more than 40 member units from 14 countries and regions, is promoting high-level and high-quality international conferences in the field of intelligent manufacturing.

Events including the International Intelligent Manufacturing Conference and the World Intelligent Manufacturing Conference are being promoted to build a professional platform for international exchanges and cooperation.

In the future, the alliance plans to hold conferences and events in Japan and Germany to exchange ideas on the development and application of intelligent manufacturing technologies and standards for talent training. 

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