Amber, crystal, and vodka — these were once the defining impressions many people had of Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries. But at the 2026 China-CEE Conference on Innovation Cooperation, the focus was on cutting-edge technologies such as bridge monitoring systems, servo motors, and in-vehicle medical devices.
As partnerships transition from store shelves to laboratories and workshops, how will Jiangsu explore this “new blue ocean” of China-CEE cooperation? Recently, the conference’s closing ceremony was held in Nanjing, offering innovative answers through signed projects and intentions for collaboration.
Mutual Technology Synergy: Connecting Good Projects with Good Partners
This year’s conference, themed “Innovative Decade, Building a Shared Future,” was jointly organized by the Ministry of Science and Technology of China (MOST) and the Ministry of Economy of Slovakia. It was organized by the Department of International Cooperation of MOST, the China Science and Technology Exchange Center (CSTEC), the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Science and Technology, the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Science and Technology, and the Ningbo Municipal People’s Government. Held from September 9 to 11, the conference took place across two cities: Ningbo and Nanjing.
The simultaneous “2026 China-CEEC Conference on Industry-University-Research Cooperation and Exchange”provided a lens into the enthusiasm surrounding this blue ocean. Representatives from 76 institutions across 13 CEE countries, totaling 112 foreign attendees, traveled to Nanjing specifically for the event. Eight institutions issued technical collaboration requests on-site; 34 pairs of “one-on-one” meetings were organized and reaching 20 cooperation intentions. “The conference has built a vital platform for deepening cooperation among the fields of technology, industry, and enterprise. The last three days have been extremely productive,” commented Simoniak, State Secretary, Ministry of Economy of the Slovak Republic.
“We have been collaborating with experts and professors from Hohai University (HHU) on bridge engineering and mainly using digital systems to monitor bridges,” shared Laszlo Dunai, a member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (MTA)) and Chair of Civil Engineering at Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME). He explained how his team, together with Chinese professors, organized international forums to bring together multiple research teams to discuss intelligent systems. Through AI tools, they are integrating and analyzing data and have jointly published papers that have been cited multiple times. For him, technological collaboration is not just about projects — it’s fundamentally a meeting of minds.
“Our school has had a cooperative relationship with China University of Mining and Technology (CUMT) for 12 to 15 years, and we want to continue this tradition,” remarked Krzysztof Pietrusewicz, Vice President of West Pomeranian University of Technology in Poland (ZUT). Invited by Professor Chen Hao from China University of Mining and Technology, Pietrusewicz planned to visit the university campus after the conference. A professor with more than 30 years of experience in control engineering, he brought a clearly defined agenda on this trip, explaining, “This is also a project of our engineering school.” He firmly believes that industries should engage in cross-border collaboration, as both Polish and Chinese enterprises share ample mutual opportunities.
The two medical projects presented by Stanko Gazibaric, founder of Serbia’s Medicorder company, attracted significant attention at the conference. One multi-disciplinary project, still in the concept stage after years of development, needs partners from the automotive, artificial intelligence, and medical fields to complete the team, raise funds, and achieve commercialization. Another project, the “ecgmobile” prototype, is in the final stages of clinical trials, and urgently needs partners to help it transition from prototype to product. “This system is expected to be installed in every vehicle in the future,” said Gazibaric optimistically. He highlighted China’s rapidly developing automotive industry and emphasized China’s collaborative and innovative ecosystem as the ideal soil for his project’s growth.
Overseas Institutions Taking Root in Jiangsu: “Old Trees” Growing “New Branches”
The widespread response to technological exchanges is rooted in Jiangsu’s years of building partnerships. As one of the most vibrant regions for technological innovation in China, Jiangsu adheres to the principle of mutual benefit, collaborating with European countries across multiple levels and fields. Over the past three years, the province has hosted special sessions for technology collaboration with Belgium, the UK, and Finland during the Jiangsu Conference on Industry-University-Research Cooperation. International innovation hubs like the Oxford Suzhou Centre for Advanced Research (OSCAR), Cambridge University – Nanjing Centre of Technology and Innovation (CUNJC), and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) China Branch in Suzhou Industrial Park have all been established.
“CEE countries and Jiangsu are highly complementary when it comes to innovation, industry, and markets. Both sides have solid foundations for cooperation, with broad prospects,” said a representative from the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Science and Technology. The “China-CEE Technology Transfer Center (CCTTC),” built by Jiangsu, has partnered with 133 domestic and foreign institutions and has hosted five consecutive cooperation fairs. The center acts as a “hub,” efficiently connecting scattered technological needs with prospective solutions.
“Our company has been around for 80 years, and this year also marks the 20th anniversary of our factory in Suzhou,” said Bostjan Demsar, China Regional Manager for Slovenia’s Domel company — an example of overseas institutions taking root in Jiangsu. In addition to its renowned manufacturing capabilities, the company is also advancing experimental equipment and school-enterprise collaborations. Its products have long since become an integral part of local industrial chains. After 20 years in China, Demsar is most impressed by the country’s openness and inclusiveness. “You are incredibly supportive of Slovenian enterprises entering China,” he remarked. Nowadays, he frequently offers advice to fledgling Slovenian businesses embarking on their Chinese ventures.
Having benefited from its time in Jiangsu, Domel continues to bring more new technologies to the province. At this year’s conference, the company aimed to connect with distributors and users in the water and ecological sectors as it sought growth opportunities in green transitions. “We can develop cutting-edge technologies in Slovenia and take them to the Chinese market, competing with advanced technology and top-notch quality,” Demsar said. While acknowledging that it takes significant effort to clear certifications and obtain approval for GBT standards in China, he noted, “Finding the right partner can make that process much faster.” Meanwhile, Hungarian doctoral students trained in Jiangsu’s joint programs continue to thrive in local labs each day.
Charting the Next Decade: Turning the “Blue Ocean” into a Thriving Field
This year marks the tenth anniversary of the China-CEE Conference on Innovation Cooperation. At the closing ceremony, six cooperative projects between Jiangsu and CEE countries were signed on-site. Fourteen representatives from both sides jointly cultivated the “tree of the future” with the “water sources” of innovation, expressing hope that the next decade will lead to even greater growth.
“This year’s conference serves as a ‘decade retrospective,’ connecting memories of past collaborations and providing a fitting conclusion to the first decade of cooperation,” remarked Zhu Xuehua, Director of the Department of International Cooperation at MOST, during the closing ceremony. Since its inaugural session in 2016 in Nanjing, the conference has spanned locations such as Bratislava, Sarajevo, Belgrade, and Beijing, successfully convening five editions to become the most prominent and largest branded event in science and technology between China and CEE countries. A decade of accumulated experience provides Jiangsu with significant confidence as it continues to venture into this “blue ocean.”
Clear directions have now emerged for navigating this space. “Looking ahead, Jiangsu is eager to build bridges of cooperation, lay the foundations for innovation, and create a collaborative ecosystem together with all parties,” said a representative from the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Science and Technology. Jiangsu aims to focus on key areas such as artificial intelligence, biotechnology, green and low-carbon, and advanced manufacturing. By integrating technology, talent, capital, and data, the province seeks ways to drive mutual benefits from future collaborations and ensure that the outcomes of cooperation better benefit the people. The shift will be from previous “point-to-point” cooperation to full-scale “face-to-face” ecosystems — ensuring international technologies find their footing, grow, and thrive. Simultaneously, the province aims to develop young talent who can take the lead in bilateral exchanges.
Navigating the “blue ocean” won’t always be smooth sailing. Challenges, such as bridging the “last mile” of Gazibaric’s medical project, lacking partners and funding, or overcoming regulatory hurdles, will persist. However, Jiangsu’s solution lies in using platforms to address bottlenecks: leveraging the technology transfer center as a bridge, facilitating connections through fairs, incubating innovation via international hubs, and creating mechanisms for joint funding. These efforts aim to overcome challenges related to language barriers, standards, funding, and more.
“This year’s conference is a milestone in the history of China-CEE cooperation, laying a solid foundation for closer collaboration in the future,” Simoniak opined. His assessment was echoed by many participants. As Jiangsu reflects on the achievements of this decade-long initiative, the path forward is clear: inviting the best technologies, supporting the establishment of international institutions, and fostering an ecosystem where groundbreaking projects can flourish. At this ten-year juncture, which is not the end but a new beginning, there is hope that with more “sources of innovation” flowing in, the “new blue ocean” will transform into a vast and thriving field ready for harvest.