Over the past decade, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has emerged as a catalyst for global scientific innovation, and a beacon of hope for those seeking a path towards global scientific cooperation, with a number of patents filed, laboratories launched and talent fostered.

The third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF) will be held from October 17 to 18 in Beijing, marking the 10th anniversary of the BRI. In the past decade, sci-tech cooperation with BRI countries was underpinned, alongside economic ties. 

China, who advocates for innovation-driven development, has shared cutting-edge technological achievements with countries jointly building the Belt and Road.

China has signed intergovernmental agreements on science and technology cooperation with more than 80 BRI participating countries, and established intellectual property cooperation relations with more than 50 countries and international organizations, according to China Media Group reports.

From 2013 to 2022, a total of 67,000 patents have been filed and publicized by China in BRI participating countries, with an average annual growth rate of 26 percent, data released by CMG showed.

It's also highlighted that many of the patent applications were concentrated in the “IP-intensive” manufacturing industries of telecommunications, electronic equipment, software, and information technology services. Among the 67,000 patents, the largest number of patent applications is in telecommunications, accounting for more than one-third of the total.

Chinese companies have turned their technological advantages into a strong driving force for Belt and Road cooperation, said CMG. The number of Chinese companies applying for patents increased from 430 to 2,429, an increase of 4.6 times in ten years.

China has launched 53 joint laboratories with 40 BRI participating countries in sectors such as agriculture, health, and the environment, and carried out cooperation with nine countries in terms of sci-tech parks, said Dai Gang, director-general of the Department of International Cooperation of the Ministry of Science and Technology, adding that China has also trained more than 15,000 researchers from BRI participating countries.

Looking forward, new challenges such as increasing geopolitical volatility and other disruptions in global economy have brought out new demands in achieving global scientific excellence, said Hu Zhijian, chief researcher and former president at the Chinese Academy of Science and Technology for Development at the 2023 Pujiang Innovation Forum last month.

"What we need to explore further is how to absorb more developed countries into our sci-tech cooperation, and make further efforts to address economic recessions, food shortages, and other common headaches for developing countries," Hu added.