On 14-16 December, 2009, under the supports from National Ministry of Science and Technology, Research Councils UK (RCUK) and Changzhou municipal government, University of Bradford, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences (SIMM) and Bureau of Science and Technology in Changzhou jointly held the UK-China Science Bridges Drug Delivery Open Innovation Workshop in Changzhou. It is under the promotion of SIMM that RCUK UK-China Science Bridges launches its first drug delivery workshop in China.

　　UK-China Science Bridges is hosted by University of Bradford with joint participation of the leading research centers in China such as SIMM, Beijing University, Tsinghua University. As the innovative collaborative platform for scientists of China and UK, the project has won the financial support from RCUK. SIMM’s UK-China Science Bridges project is also supported by China-Euro Inter-governmental Scientific Project of National Ministry of Science and Technology.

　　With the concept of “Open Innovation”, the workshop connects the academic institutes, research centers and industries from China and UK. The workshop focuses on the core technology and trends in drug delivery with the goal of developing innovative technology and new products at international standards. As the main convener of the workshop, SIMM invited more than 30 well-known experts and technologists from industries to exchange the latest progress in cancer, targeting drug delivery system, nanotechnology, polymers in pharmaceutics, and innovation of TCM. Meanwhile, they could search for innovative ideas and opportunities for industrialized R&D collaboration.

　　In view of the technical evaluation and innovative organization by SIMM and the UK partner, a brand new selection process is adopted by Bureau of Science and Technology of Changzhou to select the innovative ideas. Based on 7 rounds of communications, a batch of projects in personal and technical exchanges from the workshop will get financial supports from the Changzhou municipal government. Under the supports from both Changzhou government and the pharmaceutical industries in Changzhou, scientists from both China and UK will work together, aiming at international intellectual property and global market, to discover innovative drug delivery technology to conquer the challenges in the major diseases such as cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and malaria.

　　Mr. Jijun Xing, Director of Office of European Affairs, Department of International Affairs and Cooperation, National Ministry of Science and Technology, and Mr. Chris Godwin, Director of RCUK-China and Dr. Yongning Chen, Deputy Director of State Key Lab of Drug Research, SIMMattended the workshop. There were also officials from UK Consulate in Shanghai and UK Trade and Investment (UKTI).