The Asia-Pacific Center of the European Academy of Sciences (EURASC) was recently inaugurated in the Hefei National High-tech Industry Development Zone, marking its first and only branch beyond Belgium.

Roderick Martins, president of the EURASC, emphasized that Hefei's exceptional achievements in scientific innovation make it the ideal location for the Asia-Pacific center.

The center will leverage the EURASC's top-tier academic resources and global network to advance strategic emerging industries, including new energy, advanced materials, and electronic information. It will also establish joint EU-China laboratories with Hefei's universities, research institutes, and leading enterprises, creating a high-level sci-tech cooperation hub for the Asia-Pacific region and injecting new momentum into Hefei's Comprehensive National Science Center.

An official from the Hefei Municipal Science and Technology Bureau said that the Center will serve as a platform for deepening cooperation with Europe across five key areas: academic exchange, research collaboration, technology transfer, talent development, and strategic consultation. This initiative will help attract more international high-end talent and innovation resources, promoting the application of cutting-edge technologies in Hefei.

The Center will also host regular high-level international conferences, scientific exchanges, and industry-matchmaking events, establishing sustained dialogue channels between Hefei and global innovation stakeholders.

"It serves as an academic bridge connecting East and West, providing a vital platform for scientific collaboration," said Elvira Fortunato, an EURASC member and materials science expert. Fortunato also expressed hope for advancing cooperation with Chinese scientists in advanced materials to benefit humanity through technological progress.

Established in 2003 in Brussels as a non-profit, non-governmental international academic organization, the EURASC has elected over 800 distinguished scholars to its membership, including 46 Nobel laureates and 17 Fields medalists.

The Asia-Pacific center was established through an agreement between the China-Europe Electronic Materials International Innovation Center, a new-type R&D institution in the Hefei National High-tech Industry Development Zone, and the EURASC. It will operate out of the China-Europe Electronic Materials International Innovation Center facilities.