At the signing ceremony
Recently, the Eastern Institute of Technology, Ningbo (EIT) and Jiangsu Sinonic Precision Alloy Technology Co., Ltd. held a signing ceremony at EIT. The two parties formally signed a cooperation agreement. Under the agreement, they will engage in comprehensive collaboration to tackle key R&D challenges, advance pilot-plant scale-up, and promote the industrial application of nickel-based catalytic materials. They will also jointly train high-caliber innovative talent and establish an end-to-end pathway from basic research to engineering deployment.
Professor Wenjun Zeng, Vice President of EIT and International Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering; Professor Zhangxing Chen, Chair Professor of EIT and Foreign Member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering; Dr. Jianjun Liu, Director of the Institute of Future Technologies; and Mr. Linfeng Zhou, Chairman of Sinonic Precision, attended the ceremony. Professor Zhaojun Han and Deputy Director of the Office of Academic Affairs of EIT, and Dr. Jinming Ru, Vice President of Sinonic Precision and Director of the Research Institute, signed on behalf of the two parties, with Professor Zhang, Mr. Zhou, and Dr. Liu witnessing the signing.
Address by Professor Zeng
Water electrolysis is a core technological route for the scalable production of green hydrogen, while high-performance, low-cost nickel-based catalytic materials remain a bottleneck for commercialization.
Professor Zeng noted that Sinonic Precision has long been engaged in the precision alloy and advanced materials sectors and possesses mature engineering capabilities and industrial resources. This is naturally complementary to EIT’s positioning in addressing major national needs and serving industrial development through research and innovation.
He said the agreement marked a shift from preliminary discussions to substantive cooperation. He expressed the hope that it would enable the joint laboratory to become a leading hub for collaborative innovation in nickel-based materials, bringing together industry, academia, and research institutes, and thereby helping to build a self-reliant and secure hydrogen energy value chain in China.
Address by Mr. Zhou
Mr. Zhou expressed his appreciation for EIT's strong support. He noted that Sinonic Precision has always regarded technological innovation as a key driver of its growth and has continued to strengthen its R&D efforts in new energy materials in recent years. The joint laboratory combines the company's experience in technology scale-up and commercialization with the university's strengths in basic research. Through this platform, the two sides will explore cutting-edge technologies, unlock the potential applications of nickel-based materials in the new energy sector, and jointly advance technology development and the commercialization of research results.
Address by Professor Chen
Under the agreement, the joint laboratory will draw on Professor Chen's team as its core research force and bring together Sinonic Precision's engineering team and scale-up platform to pursue original innovation and commercialization of key technologies across the entire technology chain for nickel-based catalytic materials.
Professor Chen said the establishmeSnt of the joint laboratory reflects the shared vision and coordinated efforts of EIT's leadership and Sinonic Precision's management. It is a landmark initiative by the university to advance organized research and accelerate the translation of research outcomes and technological advances into real-world productivity. He emphasized that the team will use the joint laboratory as a platform to continue to make breakthroughs in catalyst formulations, preparation processes, and evaluation criteria, aiming to produce a series of original results with clear pathways to implementation.
At the signing ceremony
Mr. Zhou and his delegation also visited relevant research platforms at EIT. The research teams from both sides held technical exchanges and in-depth discussions on topics such as preparation processes for nickel-based materials and catalyst evaluation methods.
The signing ceremony was moderated by Assistant Professor Heng Zhao. Ms. Xinyue Qian, board member of Jiangsu Sinonic Precision Alloy Technology Co., Ltd.; Mr. Yijie Pan, Director of the Office of Research of EIT; and members of Professor Chen's research team, among others, attended the ceremony and related activities.
