A ceremony to mark the establishment of the China-Ukraine Joint Innovation and Cooperation Platform is held in Harbin, capital city of Northeast China’s Heilongjiang province, on Jan 7. [Photo/chinanews.com]

The China-Ukraine Joint Innovation and Cooperation Platform -- the first of its kind in Northeast China’s Heilongjiang province -- was established in Harbin, capital city of Heilongjiang on Jan 7, according to local officials.

They said the initiative was a joint effort by Harbin New Zone, Lozovaya City Council of Kharkov Oblast in Ukraine and Heilongjiang Dongfang Dragon Business Management Consulting Co.

The platform will cover seven sectors -- aerospace, shipping and marine, materials sciences, energy and environmental protection, electronic machinery, medical health and agricultural food.

Officials said the platform will displays the scientific research achievements that have been made by China and Ukraine and boost communications and exchanges over talent.

They added that it will aims to enhance bilateral scientific and technological cooperation.

In addition, it will establish a roadshow marketing area to display and help assess Ukraine’s high-tech projects. Russian language and art training courses will also be held there regularly.

Officials said the first move of the platform will be to establish a China-Ukraine Joint Food Laboratory, as well as joint laboratories for super hard materials and electronics.

Ren Hailong, deputy director of the management committee in the Harbin area of the China Heilongjiang Pilot Free Trade Zone, pointed out that with the deepening strategic partnership between China and Ukraine, the cooperation space between Harbin New Zone and Ukraine will be broader.

Ren said he and his colleagues looked forward to working with Ukraine in strategic emerging industries. These include information technology, new materials, high-end equipment and biomedicines, as well as in the modern services industries such as technology, finance, culture and tourism.

The launch ceremony of the platform was witnessed by more than 40 experts from Ukraine. Among them were representatives from the Ukrainian Institute of Superhard Materials, the Institute of Radio Physics and Electronics at the Ukrainian National Academy of Sciences and Samui National University.