Breakthroughs made in technology transfer between Ningxia and Oman

Recently, the contract funding of 110 million yuan for the “Cooperation Agreement for China-Arab States Water-conserving Apparatus Technology Transfer”, signed at the 2017 China-Arab States Technology Transfer and Innovation Cooperation Conference, has been transferred in batches by the Oman side to the bank account of its Chinese counterpart Ningxia University or the third party, marking the success and the comprehensive implementation of the technology transfer project between Ningxia and Oman around water-conserving irrigation technologies.

In 2015, with the support of CASTTC, the research team led by Prof. Sun Zhaojun of Ningxia University and Sultan Qaboos University of Oman jointly established a key laboratory for resource evaluation and environmental regulation in arid regions, and developed new technologies and equipment suitable for the local conditions according to the needs and characteristics of Oman. Significant results have been achieved with the team’s successive building of 150 square meters of laboratory and a 200-mu demonstration base in Oman, promoting Ningxia’s advanced water-conserving technologies and apparatus to 13 farms under the king’s name. During the 2017 China-Arab States Expo, Ningxia University signed a cooperation agreement for China-Arab states water-conserving apparatus technology transfer with the Suwadi Farm in Muscat, Oman, and a contract for water-conserving irrigation technology transfer was signed through further negotiation. In 2018, the Arab side began to implement the signed agreement in stages and provided funding for the projects in batches.

Since the approved establishment of CASTTC by the Ministry of Science and Technology in 2015, and with the support of the dedicated funds for science and technology of Ningxia, a number of universities, research institutes and companies in and outside of Ningxia have been organized to carry out publicity, promotion and demonstration activities in relevant countries. In the meantime, a number of advanced technologies and equipment including pest control for date palms, IoT in agriculture, water-conserving irrigation technology and apparatus, as well as the breeding and standardized planting of potatoes have broken new grounds abroad.