The 2023 China-Africa Innovation Cooperation and Development Forum and Hubei International Technology Exchange Conference kicked off on Thursday in Wuhan, Hubei province.

Co-sponsored by the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Hubei provincial government, the event aims to promote the construction of a China-Africa community with a shared future in the new era via building bridges of science and technology cooperation, gathering international innovation resources, expanding channels of external communication, constructing a platform for enterprise project docking and forming a domestic and international open cooperation and innovation network.

During the three-day event, a series of activities will be held, including forums and seminars on different fields, introduction and marketing meetings as well as a China-Africa Innovation Cooperation Technology and Achievements Exhibition, which will present the exchange and integration of science and technology, talents and industries between Hubei and African countries, and the new pattern of Hubei's international science and technology opening and cooperation.

Representatives from both sides signed contracts for 20 projects at the opening ceremony.

China Railway Major Bridge Reconnaissance and Design Institute Co Ltd, a Wuhan-based state-owned enterprise, signed two project items with the Republic of Ghana.

"As I know, the company has been working in Ghana for over 15 years and has done a lot of excellent projects for us, including bridges, interchanges, roads and schools," said Nana Akua Owusu Afriyieh of the embassy of the Republic of Ghana. "More importantly, they are also launching a young engineer seeds program for training Ghanaian young engineers and promoting the technology transfer and development in our country. It is even more important for us, we do appreciate that."