Source: China Science Daily
"Search the term 'innovation alliance' on a search engine and you get 250 million results. China is awash with all kinds of innovation alliances, but in establishing this innovation alliance today we are not acting in self-interest, nor only for a small field — we are working for the country and for all humanity." On 10 September, the inaugural meeting of the National Stem Cell Resource Bank Innovation Alliance was held in Beijing. The remarks above were delivered by the Alliance's Chairperson, Zhou Qi, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Director of the Institute of Zoology, CAS. Initiated by the National Stem Cell Resource Bank, the Alliance was jointly established with three other national-level resource platforms and five highly influential representative cell resource banks. The National Stem Cell Resource Bank Innovation Alliance is a professional, open, and shared social organization formed voluntarily on the principles of "equality and mutual benefit, complementary strengths, collaborative innovation, and cooperative sharing". Its scope of activities includes building a platform for the aggregation and sharing of cell resources; encouraging academic exchange; promoting technical cooperation and industrial translation; strengthening intellectual property protection and the development of a standards system; and ensuring biosafety and ethical compliance. "The Alliance will vigorously promote integration of industry, academia, research, and end use, while also strengthening industry self-discipline, advancing the standardization, professionalization, and scaling of the stem cell industry, and raising the overall development level and competitiveness of China's biopharmaceutical industry," Zhou Qi said. He noted that the collection of cell resources, especially human cell resources, must be carried out on the basis of national regulations, and that research and application require greater standardization and discipline. The Alliance will therefore proceed with greater responsibility and commitment, working hand in hand to fulfil its mission and to build a stem cell resource bank that serves the world and all humanity. At the inaugural meeting, representatives of member organizations signed an agreement and issued a joint declaration, solemnly pledging to abide by laws and regulations, maintain ethical conduct, uphold the charter, work in concert, and jointly promote the healthy development of the stem cell field. As a member organization and one of the earliest witnesses of the Beijing Stem Cell Bank, Qiao Jie, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and Director of Peking University Third Hospital, expressed her hope that, through the joint efforts of Alliance members, stem cells will make a significant impact in health and contribute meaningfully to a Healthy China. Anchored in the country's strategic needs, the Alliance — facing national security and future competition — will build and strengthen capabilities in strategic resource allocation, top-level design, collaborative research, and integrated coordination in the stem cell field; facing population health and social development, it will achieve the collection, storage, development, utilization, and sharing of stem cell resources, advance translational application, and safeguard public health; and facing scientific, industrial, and economic development, it will coordinate resources, talents, innovation, and industry, address major scientific challenges, break through key common core technologies, and serve industrial and economic development.
Annex: The 9 founding member organizations of the Alliance (in no particular order):
National Stem Cell Resource Bank (Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences)
National Stem Cell Translational Resource Bank (Tongji University)
National Biomedical Experimental Cell Resource Bank (Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences)
National Resource Bank of Model and Specialty Experimental Cells (Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences)
South China Stem Cell Translational Bank (Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences)
South China Cell and Stem Cell Bank (Academy of Military Medical Sciences)
Tumor Stem Cell Bank (First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University)
Reproductive Stem Cell Bank (Peking University Third Hospital)
Stem Cell Bank of the National Engineering Research Center for Human Stem Cells (Hunan Guangxiu Hi-Tech Life Technology Co., Ltd.)
