The visit of the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food of the Catalonia Government, Òscar Ordeig, to China has helped highlight, among other aspects, the international dimension of IRTA’s scientific strategy. During this mission, the minister was accompanied by Rosa Cubel, Secretary for Food; Josep Usall, Director General of IRTA; and the Institute’s Scientific Director, Jordi Garcia-Mas. Beyond promoting the agri-food sector, this agenda strengthens IRTA’s international presence and helps advance alliances and opportunities for scientific cooperation.
The visit to Hainan represents the first stage of a broader institutional mission to China and is fully aligned with the partnership challenge set out in the IRTA Strategic Plan 2024-2027, which aims to strengthen collaboration with internationally renowned institutions in order to increase the impact of research, create new scientific opportunities and accelerate knowledge transfer to the agri-food sector.
During their stay in Hainan, the IRTA delegation held institutional meetings with the Hainan Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and with provincial authorities. These meetings helped identify areas for collaboration in agri-food innovation.
One of the central elements of the mission was the visit to the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences (CATAS), China’s leading institution dedicated to tropical agriculture research. The Catalan delegation was welcomed by Lu Yanhui, President of CATAS, accompanied, among others, by Liu Kui, Director of the Department of International Cooperation, and experts from institutes specialising in tropical biology and germplasm resources. The meeting included a visit to the academy’s exhibition area and several presentations on scientific and technological innovation in tropical agriculture, international cooperation, and technologies for processing tropical agricultural products. The visit provided first-hand insight into the capabilities of one of the world’s leading centres in this field and offered an opportunity to explore potential synergies with IRTA’s research lines.
Another key event of the mission was the visit to the Hainan Academy of Agricultural Sciences (HNAAS), the province’s leading public agricultural research centre. The programme began with a visit to the institution’s exhibition area and research laboratories, providing an overview of its facilities, infrastructure and scientific projects. The delegation then took part in a working meeting with the academy’s Vice President, Cao Zongxi, as well as presidents and researchers from eight specialised research institutes. The meeting brought together experts in animal production, horticulture (fruit crops, vegetables and floriculture), food crops, agri-food processing and plant protection, among other fields. During the session, both institutions presented their main areas of work and identified potential avenues for collaboration in research, innovation and technology transfer.
This first stage of the mission to China has enabled IRTA to strengthen ties with some of Hainan’s leading scientific and agricultural institutions and to consolidate new opportunities for international cooperation.
