There will always be a tendency for politics to push to protect or enhance ‘local innovation’ but it is in the longer-term interests of both the EU and China to encourage innovation collaboration.
Annex: Selected text on innovation cooperation from the EU–China 2020 Strategic Agenda for Cooperation 63
Cooperation in science, technology and innovation (section III.I.1–5)
- Reinforce cooperation on science, technology and innovation, involving industry, universities and research institutes, so as to tackle common challenges; complement mutual strengths and deliver win-win results in the areas of human resources, skills, technology, research infrastructure, financing of innovation, exploitation of research findings, entrepreneurship and framework conditions for innovation within the framework of the EU–China Agreement for Scientific and Technological Cooperation. Employ the EU–China Steering Committee and the EU–China Innovation Cooperation Dialogue to this end.
- Establish an EU–China cluster cooperation initiative to strengthen collaboration in fields of strategic interest such as sustainable growth and urbanisation.
- Joint research and innovation initiatives will be further explored, in particular in the areas of food, agriculture and biotechnology, sustainable urbanisation, aviation, water, health and ICT, by developing joint funding programmes and promoting enhanced mutual participation of Chinese and EU researchers and innovators into respective programmes.
- Continue the implementation of the Joint Statement on cooperation in new and renewable and energy efficient technologies on the basis of common interest and mutual benefit and with special focus on participation of SMEs where appropriate.
- Strengthen cooperation in the multilateral framework of the ITER [International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor] project and build a strategic bilateral partnership on fusion energy research. Strengthen exchanges and cooperation on nuclear safety, nuclear fuel cycle, nuclear emergency response, nuclear waste management and nuclear security.
Cooperation in agriculture (section II.III.3)
- With the view to enhance win-win research and innovation cooperation in the field of food, agriculture and biotechnology, the EU and China will collaborate closely using their respective research and innovation programmes to develop joint initiatives of common interest, including potential joint calls for proposals, twinning activities, joint labs, researchers’ exchanges and seminars.
63 European Union (2013), EU-China 2020 Strategic Agenda for Cooperation, http://eeas.europa.eu/archives/docs/china/docs/eu-china_2020_strategic_agenda_en.pdf (accessed 23 Apr. 2018).