The second council election meeting of the National Smart Agriculture Technology Innovation Alliance (referred to as "the Alliance"), led by the Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning (IARRP) of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), took place in Kunshan, Jiangsu province, on Oct 18. The meeting aimed to promote exchanges and cooperation among member units of the Alliance, strengthen collaborative innovation in agricultural technology, and facilitate the transformation and application of achievements.

The event was attended by high-ranking officials including Liu Xianwu, Vice President of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Li Shaomin, Deputy Director of the Information Center of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, and Wang Xicheng, cadre of the Industry and Technology Division of the Department of Science and Technology and Education of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

During the meeting, Liu Xianwu commended the Alliance on its achievements since its establishment. He emphasized the importance of the Alliance understanding the scientific laws and industrial characteristics of smart agriculture's development. Furthermore, he highlighted the need for the Alliance to focus on major national needs and industrial development, to set joint goals based on scientific approaches, and make optimum use of the Alliance's leading role in technological innovation for industrial development. Liu Xianwu encouraged the Alliance to further leverage its synergy advantage of "1+1>2," establish a cooperation platform for smart agriculture technology, foster the deep integration of "production, study, research, and application," promote seamless connections between "technology, market, and industry," and address the challenges faced by technology and industry. He also underlined the importance of innovation in the Alliance's operational mechanism and resource sharing mechanism, ensuring continuous high-quality development, and enhancing its influence and leadership.

Wu Wenbin, Deputy Secretary-General of the Alliance and Director of the IARRP, delivered a comprehensive report on the work of the Alliance. The meeting proceeded to elect a new council for the Alliance, deliberate and approve the revised version of the Alliance Charter, and finalize the top ten technology promotion list of the Alliance. Finally, Tang Huajun, Chairman of the Alliance, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and former President of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, outlined the key tasks for the Alliance moving forward. Tang Huajun put forward three proposals: firstly, to concentrate efforts on major tasks and continue exploring a demand-driven joint tackling mode, pooling innovative resources for comprehensive innovation; secondly, to fully utilize the role of the Alliance as a platform bridge, establishing a smart agriculture technology innovation system with a "small core, large network" structure, creating an academic exchange and cooperation platform, and promoting the integration of production, study, and research; thirdly, to primarily involve enterprises in the Alliance, attracting research institutes, academic teams, and social capital to participate, expanding the integration of science, technology, and agricultural production, and exploring new models for achievement transformation.

The meeting saw the participation of representatives from more than 40 units, including the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, provincial agricultural academies, agricultural universities, and agricultural enterprises. The total number of attendees exceeded 60.