From May 22^nd to 23^rd, 2025 China-CEEC Young Science & Technology Talents Exchange was successfully held in Ningbo. This event was supported by the Department of International Cooperation of Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China and the Department of Science and Technology of Zhejiang Province of China, and was organized by the China-CEEC Innovation Cooperation Research Center. It was co-organized by Ningbo University of Technology (China), Albanian Institute for Globalization Studies (Albania), University of National and World Economy (Bulgaria), Zagreb Innovation Centre (Croatia), Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Greece), Bay Zoltan Nonprofit Ltd. for Applied Research (Hungary), University of Donja Gorica (Montenegro), Science and Technology Park Novi Sad (Serbia), University of Zilina (Slovakia). More than 300 participants attended the activity online and offline, including leaders, experts, scholars and young representatives from the embassies and consulates of CEE countries in China, government departments, universities, research institutions and enterprises in China and CEE countries.

With the theme of “Innovative Youth, Share the Future”, the Main Activity of 2025 China-CEEC Young Science & Technology Talents Exchange was successfully held on the afternoon of May 22^nd. Focusing on the topic of “New Opportunities and Pathways for Future-oriented Bilateral and Multilateral Exchanges and Cooperation among Young S&T Talents”, it built a platform for young S&T talents exchange and cooperation between China and CEECs, deepening the understanding and consensus on international science and technology cooperation.

Budimir Aleksi?, Deputy Prime Minister of Montenegro, Xu Yan, Vice Mayor of Ningbo Municipal People’s Government, Chang Jian, Deputy Director General of the Department of European Affairs of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, Wang Xiao, Deputy Director General of the Department of International Cooperation of Ministry of Science and Technology of China and Lou Xuejun, Deputy Director General of Department of Science and Technology of Zhejiang Province attended the activity and delivered speeches.

Budimir Aleksi? indicated that this activity provided a safe and trustworthy opportunity to shape the future cooperation among different stakeholders, once again highlighting the importance of cooperation between China and CEE countries. He emphasized that 2025 China-CEEC Young Science & Technology Talents Exchange is a key mechanism for strengthening cooperation in science, technology and innovation. This mechanism not only builds a cross-border collaboration platform for researchers, innovators and experts from various countries, promotes knowledge sharing and experience exchange, but also advances the intellectual integration and innovative breakthroughs in the field of science and technology through deepening the cooperation network among partner institutions.

Xu Yan mentioned that Ningbo has been actively building a science and technology innovation system and a modern industrial system with local characteristics, constantly promoting the integrated development of education, science, technology and talents, in order to deepen the integration of scientific and technological innovation as well as industrial innovation. It is hoped that all parties will continue to strengthen innovative research in emerging industries and jointly promote exchanges and cooperation in science, technology and culture among young people to form a high-quality innovation ecosystem among regions and continuously promote the construction of youth-friendly cities.

Chang Jian said that China and CEE countries should build consensus on cooperation, jointly seize the development opportunities of emerging technologies, and deepen cooperation in scientific and technological innovation with an open and inclusive attitude. Both sides should give full play to their complementary advantages in fields such as digital economy, green development and bio-medicine. Through practical measures such as technology transfer, project incubation and talent cultivation, they should promote collaborative innovation among industry, academia and research, and accelerate the transformation of scientific and technological achievements.

Wang Xiao pointed out that the youth are not only the vanguard force promoting the development of science and technology, but also the practitioners deepening international scientific and technological exchanges. In recent years, China has been constantly optimizing the open environment for scientific and technological innovation, actively participating in global science and technology governance, and building win-win partnerships. China attaches great importance to strengthening scientific and technological exchanges and cooperation with CEE countries under bilateral and multilateral mechanisms, and is willing to provide greater impetus for promoting the economic and social development of all countries and enhancing bilateral relations and China-EU relations.

Lou Xuejun emphasized that CEE countries have always been close partners of Zhejiang province in scientific and technological innovation development. Zhejiang will continue to encourage and support scientific and technological personnel from both sides, especially young talents, to conduct joint research in areas of common concern, promote cultural and people-to-people exchanges, build a cooperation network, and promote in-depth and solid scientific and technological cooperation with CEE countries to achieve high-level mutual benefit and win-win results.

At the event, Fang Xin, a professor from School of Public Policy and Management, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fellow of the World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) and Honorary President of the Chinese Association of Science of Science and S&T Policy Research delivered a keynote speech entitled “Bolstering International Sci-tech Cooperation and Fostering Mutual Development”. Mr. Andrzej Czulak, President of Polish Cluster of Composite Technologies, Poland and Member of Polish Academy of Sciences Committee on Material Engineering and Metallurgy, delivered a keynote speech entitled “Poland's Practices in Driving Sci-Tech Innovation Collaboration between EU and the Central & Eastern Europe Region”. Their speeches offered in-depth discussions on new models of international S&T cooperation and highlighted the importance of engaging young scientific talents in global governance.

During the youth dialogue session, five young science and technology professionals from China and CEE countries engaged in dialogue on topics including the development of mechanisms for two-way mobility of young innovative and entrepreneurial talents, cultivation of research capabilities for youth talents, and opportunities and pathways for cross-border collaborative innovation in emerging technology fields.

The event featured the Signing Ceremony for the Collaborative Innovation Network of the China - CEEC Innovation Cooperation Research Center. Aiming to build a bridge for collaborative efforts between Chinese and CEEC innovation actors by establishing overseas innovation centers and connecting domestic and international innovation resources. It will provide mutual support for personnel exchanges, scientific research, technology alignment, and industrial incubation between China and CEEC, working together to create an open innovation ecosystem. Additionally, the event also featured the Project Signing Ceremony for Innovation Cooperation Initiatives and released the “2025 China(City)-CEEC Open Innovation Cooperation Index”.

On the afternoon of May 22^nd, the Innovation Cooperation Think Tank Roundtable was held. The discussions centered on current models and mechanisms of international youth science and technology cooperation, analyzing the status and challenges of talent mobility. Participants also shared practical experiences and exemplary international cooperation cases, providing new ideas for deepening bilateral and multilateral innovation collaboration among young researchers, scholars, and technology entrepreneurs from China and CEEC.

At the roundtable, 13 think tank experts and scholars from China and CEEC—including Albania, Greece, and Hungary—shared national practices in youth S&T talent cultivation and international S&T cooperation. Topics included “Case Sharing on China–Romania Facility Agriculture Technology Cooperation”, “International Talent Collaboration with Albanian Perspective”, “Bulgaria’s Practice in Nurturing Young S&T Talents”, “Experiences of the Suzhou Innovation Consortium”, and “Youth in Technological Competition: Risks, Opportunities, and Practices”. These contributors explored new opportunities and pathways for bilateral and multilateral youth S&T exchange and cooperation.

On the morning of May 23^rd, a symposium on think tank development was held under the theme “Building Innovation Think Tanks in the Era of Digital Intelligence”. Three leading Chinese experts delivered keynote speeches, sharing frontier directions and practical experiences in think tank development and policy research in the digital era. Subsequently, three representatives from the Innovation Cooperation Think Tank Alliance and related institutions exchanged insights on topics such as opportunities and challenges in think tank development driven by digital technologies, and the establishment of collaborative mechanisms among think tanks.

From May 21^st to 23^rd, China (Ningbo) Youth Innovation Tour for CEECs was held. Nearly 30 young scientific and technological talents and representatives from innovation parks in CEE countries such as Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, and Poland visited Ningbo in groups based on their specific interests. Their itinerary included on-site visits to institutions such as Ningbo University, Yongjiang Laboratory, and leading enterprises such as Geely Automotive Research Institute. During these visits, they gained insights into Ningbo’s advancements in scientific and technological innovation, industry integration, and commercialization of research outcomes. The event also served to deepen mutual understanding, strengthen friendship, and open up new prospects for international scientific and technological cooperation. Officials from the Ningbo Municipal Science and Technology Bureau and the China-CEEC Innovation Cooperation Research Center accompanied the delegation.