The Steering Committee on Sino-British Engineering Technology Cooperation held its 2023 annual meeting online on April 21, 2023.

As co-chairmen of the Steering Committee, Li Xiaohong, President of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), and Sir Jim McDonald, President of the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng), delivered speeches the meeting, which was presided over by CAE Vice President Wang Chen.

In his speech, Li acknowledged the achievements in offshore wind power and other fields since the establishment of the committee, and put forward three suggestions for this year's cooperation focusing on Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS). Firstly, to establish a mechanism for mutual visits, carry out two-way field studies, leverage the strengths of each other on this basis, and build consensus while creating a new landscape of S&T cooperation. Secondly, to promote collaborative research and exchanges to address key common problems and pain points, demonstrate large-scale application of offshore CCUS, and usher in a new pattern of S&T innovation. Thirdly, to further strengthen talent exchange and cultivation between China and the UK, and jointly develop a blueprint for engineering science and technology undertakings in the future.

McDonald said in his speech that the two countries take leading roles in finding solutions, and can collaboratively integrate existing knowledge and expertise to set an example for the rest of the world. The Steering Committee has become an effective platform for the UK and China to strengthen engineering cooperation and address the climate challenge. Under this framework, there is great potential to further advance partnership in areas such as offshore wind, CCUS, the built environment, power grid and hydrogen energy. He also mentioned that one of the highlights of the cooperation framework is to build bridges between research institutes as well as outstanding engineers and researchers from both sides. He expected the cooperation to make new and important contributions to addressing the climate challenge.

In the meeting, CAE member Rao Hong, chief scientist of China Southern Power Grid, and Professor Deborah Greaves in Ocean Engineering at School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics, the University of Plymouth, reviewed the Sino-British Engineering Technology Cooperation-Decarbonisation Workshop on Offshore Wind Power held last year, and they also offered suggestions for future cooperation.

In addition, Chen Jianfeng, Secretary-General of the CAE, introduced the current development of CCUS in China and the UK, the existing problems, the foundation for cooperation, and ideas for future cooperation. Professor Jon Gibbins of the University of Sheffield, also Director of the UK Carbon Capture and Storage Research Centre, talked about the CCUS policy measures, the bilateral cooperation, and potential areas of collaboration in the next step.

During the meeting, experts reached a consensus on strengthening the exchanges and training of engineers from the two countries under the framework of the Steering Committee, especially young engineers.