Southeast Asia Information Port News (www.dnyxxg.com) – On March 26, the Ningxia Research Institute of Northwest A&F University was officially established in Yinchuan, marking a new stage of comprehensive, regular, and in-depth cooperation between the two sides in the field of agricultural science and technology. This institute provides a crucial platform for addressing bottlenecks in the development of Ningxia's distinctive agriculture and strengthening technological support.
Ningxia is rich in distinctive agricultural resources, with industries such as wine, dairy, beef cattle, and Tan sheep already achieving economies of scale. However, in core areas such as seed innovation, green farming, intensive processing of agricultural products, and smart agriculture applications, it still faces technological bottlenecks, a shortage of high-end agricultural science and technology talent, and an urgent need to improve the efficiency of local transformation of scientific and technological achievements. As a key area for agricultural development in the Yellow River Basin, Ningxia urgently needs a professional and intensive platform to integrate high-quality scientific and educational resources, promote technological breakthroughs and the implementation of research results, and inject continuous momentum into high-quality agricultural development. The establishment of the research institute is a precise response to this practical need.
Northwest A&F University has a long-standing cooperative relationship with Ningxia. Focusing on local characteristic industries and ecological protection needs, the university has established a number of experimental demonstration stations (bases) in Ningxia. A group of faculty and students have long been rooted in the front lines, leading or participating in numerous scientific research and成果转化 projects. They have achieved a series of innovative results in areas such as the breeding of new plant and animal varieties, efficient water-saving dryland farming, green production, intensive processing of agricultural products, and ecological protection and restoration, effectively supporting the development of agriculture, rural areas, and farmers in Ningxia and laying a solid foundation for the establishment of the research institute.
In recent years, Ningxia has deepened its innovation-driven strategy and East-West science and technology cooperation, establishing stable cooperative relationships with 12 provinces and municipalities and 22 well-known universities and research institutes. More than 1,000 innovation entities and over 10,000 scientific and technological personnel from outside the region have participated in these collaborations. The region has established science and technology innovation centers and new productivity innovation centers in Shanghai and Shenzhen, and supported 11 enterprises in establishing off-site R&D centers in the eastern region. In 2024, Ningxia's total social R&D expenditure intensity reached 1.73%, ranking among the top in western China, providing a favorable innovation environment for the establishment and operation of the research institute. According to reports, the newly established research institute will focus on key technological needs such as seed industry revitalization, efficient water conservation, green planting and breeding, smart agriculture, and intensive processing of agricultural products. It will strengthen collaborative research to solve technical problems hindering the development of specialty agriculture. Simultaneously, the institute will act as a bridge for technology transfer, selecting a number of scientific and technological achievements from Northwest A&F University each year for commercialization and application in Ningxia. The institute will also collaborate with relevant units in Ningxia to cultivate agricultural science and technology innovation talents, striving to become a first-class agricultural science and technology innovation platform, achievement transformation platform, and talent training platform in Northwest China and with national influence within 3 to 5 years, providing solid scientific and technological support for the high-quality development of agriculture in Ningxia. (End)
