The Unveiling ceremony of Sino-German Environmental Technology Innovation Center (Hainan Branch)

On the morning of November 5, 2023, the Sino-German Environmental Technology Innovation Center (Hainan Branch) was officially unveiled at the sinking-type reclaimed water plant in Dingcun Village, Haikou, operated by the China Water Environment Group.

Unveiling ceremony of the Sino-German Environmental Technology Innovation Center (Hainan Branch)

Group photo of attendees

Dr. Elmar Dorgeloh, General Manager of Germany's PIA GmbH, shared Germany's experience in village sewage treatment and PIA's expertise. He presented the vision of the platform for future exchanges in water environmental governance technology between China and Europe.

Professor Yao Gang, a researcher from RWTH Aachen University in Germany, mentioned that he has been engaged in Sino-German environmental protection exchanges for 30 years. Currently, China and Germany have initiated comprehensive, multi-level, and long-term exchanges and cooperation in the field of water environment. The establishment of the Hainan Branch aims to facilitate technical consultation and equipment trade in environmental protection equipment for both parties in future research.

Vice President Zhang Lujing expressed gratitude to the attendees. She stated that Hainan Province is the largest economic special zone in China and a national-level free trade port. The local governments at all levels in Hainan attach great importance to scientific and technological innovation. The region, she added, boasts abundant potential for scientific and technological innovation. In the future, building on the stable foundation of international scientific and technological cooperation between China and Germany, the establishment of the Hainan Branch is the first step. There are plans to proceed to Beijing to promote the construction of the center and continue to deepen cooperation and exchanges between China and Germany in the field of technological innovation.

Deputy Director Shi Chunli of the Hainan Provincial Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development stated that the distributed sinking reclaimed water ecological system has the characteristics of land and energy conservation, effectively addressing the "NIMBY effect". It is an important exploration for green, low-carbon, and eco-friendly urban renewal initiatives. In the future, it is hoped that China Water Environment Group, using the Hainan project as a foundation and the Hainan Branch as an international window for scientific and technological cooperation, will collaborate with domestic and international industry, academia, and research forces, creating synergy to collectively contribute to the successful construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port.

Wang Zhiqi, Deputy Director of the Haikou Water Affairs Bureau, first congratulated the establishment of the branch center. He expressed the hope for continued and in-depth communication with domestic and foreign experts and encouraged collaboration between China and Germany to boost technological development. He mentioned that the Haikou Water Affairs Bureau, leveraging its unique features and local advantages, will actively support the future work of the center in scientific and technological innovation and cooperative exchanges so as to advance green development in water environmental governance.

Shen Zhongtao, former Deputy Director of the Hainan Provincial Department of Water Resources, recalled being part of the first group of university students admitted after the resumption of the national college entrance examination. He graduated from Tongji University and has been engaged in water environmental governance for a long time, having a deep understanding of German technology. He expressed great expectations for Sino-German scientific research and academic cooperation, hoping to introduce advanced German water treatment technology while applying and disseminating Chinese technological solutions. He also emphasized leveraging the advantages of the Hainan Free Trade Port platform to export Sino-German technology and equipment to more countries and regions.

Roundtable Discussion

Pang Hongtao, Assistant to the Group President and Executive Director of the Engineering Technology Center, reported on the construction of the Sino-German Environmental Technology Innovation Center. The Sino-German Environmental Technology Innovation Center (WATCH e.V.) is established as a joint institution under the framework platform of the Sino-German Centre for Water and Health Research (WATCH) for sustainable development. In China, the "one center, two branches" three-center structure of the Sino-German Environmental Technology Innovation Center will serve as a link in the Sino-German WATCH joint research platform. It aims to build an important international cooperation bridge for technical exchanges, scientific cooperation, and results transformation in the environmental field between Chinese and German partners.

Attendees visited Dingcun Village sunken reclaimed water plant

Daniela Schmitz, Test Engineer from Germany's PIA GmbH, Liu Gang, Researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Research Center for Ecology and Environment, Ma Bin, Researcher at the School of Ecology and Environment at Hainan University, Sun Shuqi, Regional Manager of the Group in Guangxi and Hainan, and leaders, experts, and scholars from the Group's Strategic Development Department, Engineering Technology Center, and Hainan Project Company, participated in the exchange and discussion.