To achieve quality development with innovation, Guangdong Provincial Party Committee and Provincial Government has launched Guangdong Key Laboratory projects in coastal cities. Guangdong Technion-Israel Institute of Technology(GTIIT), aiming to become "an engine of innovation" in Shantou and even Guangdong, grasps the opportunity and promotes industry-university-research cooperation.

Guangdong Provincial Party Committee and Provincial Government launched to construct the first batch of Guangdong Provincial Laboratory, 4 sites in total, on Dec. 22nd, 2017. The estimated investment for each lab will be 4 billion RMB. The one in Shantou, planned to be launched in November 2018, will be the first of the second round in lab establishment.

Shantou has set up a special leading group to do thorough preparation for the projects. After careful calculations, including the edges in universities, pilot zones and industries, as well as advice from experts, Shantou will construct a multi-centered and distributed labs system with advanced chemical manufacturing in its core. The initial sites would be Shantou High-tech Zone, GTIIT, STU, and Shantou East Coast. It is reported that the estimated annual value of production of local industries concerning advanced chemical manufacturing is 60 billion RMB.

As part of the lab system in Shantou, GTIIT will focus on research on advanced chemical manufacturing. According to Eliezer Shalev, the Executive Pro-Vice Chancellor of GTIIT, the Institute now is recruiting undergraduates as well as graduates, both MSc and PhD. The 3 undergraduate programs are Chemical Engineering, Biotechnology and Food Engineering, and Materials Engineering, and Environment Engineering is one of the most important branches of Chemical Engineering as it is to meet the challenges we are facing today. "GTIIT faculty members are nominated in Technion. We already have the best scientists with us. I believe we can do good researches." said Eliezer. He also put forward some suggestions. "First, pick the right people. Second, choose the right challenges of research. Third, it should not destroy the environment – it is the thing that should be stressed for building such a huge project of chemical engineering."

Currently, research building in GTIIT is busily prepared. With 17,000 ㎡floor area, GTIIT research building has 8 floors, 60 labs and over 100 offices in total. GTIIT research building will be equipped with transmission electron microscope, scanning electron microscope, focused ion beam, atomic force microscope, x photoelectron energy spectrum, secondary ion mass spectrometer, and other apparatus for thin film deposition such as vacuum coating and atomic layer deposition.

Dr. Chen Meilian, a research scientist from GTIIT, remarked that Guangdong Key Laboratory project could drive local technological innovation and attract first-tier talents to Shantou, which would make Shantou more prosperous and beautiful. "We are very excited about the project. My research area is environment science and I sincerely hope to engage into it."

Text/Photos: GTIIT News & Public Affairs