Hsu Ping-chuan, a teacher from Taiwan at Minjiang University in Fuzhou, said he hoped to find suitable companies to apply new anti-coronavirus materials to clothing, doorknobs and escalators, so that "people can feel more safe and secure when going out".

Hsu came to the university in 2019. The next year, the COVID-19 pandemic led to a surge in demand for face masks across the country. Hsu was asked by a friend who runs a textile enterprise in Quanzhou, Fujian, to develop masks with good air permeability and antimicrobial properties.

Hsu, who focuses on new materials, was excited. The masks developed by his team are now produced in Quanzhou and exported overseas. He wants to introduce the material in more circumstances.

At the matchmaking event, some apparel enterprises showed interest in Hsu's team. Only through the joint efforts of companies and universities will talent come to better match the demand of industries and promote high-quality development, he said.