China’s first grassland ecology industry alliance began operation on Tuesday in Hohhot, capital of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region and home to the country’s biggest grasslands.

The Strategic Alliance for Technology Innovation in Grasslands Ecology Restoration Industry includes 28 enterprises relevant to grassland ecology, academic institutions, universities and social organizations.

The association will unite efforts in different sectors to share resources, improve lukewarm business in the field and form a healthy and sustainable industry chain on grassland ecology, said Wang Zhaoming, founder of the alliance and the board chairman of Hohhot-based Monsod Drought-Resistance, one of the country’s biggest listed companies for gardening and grassland restoration.

The company established a gene bank with BGI, China’s leading genome sequencing center, this year to better develop grass varieties which are both of high economic value and suitable to the arid environment of Inner Mongolia.

“Each one in the alliance will do and only do what they are good at,” Wang said. “We don’t want too much business crossover within individual companies, but the results can be win-win if we share resources and save costs.”

The major cooperation among the parties in the near future also includes large-scale plantations of herbal medicines, processing of high-quality livestock produce and application of new energies.

“This organization will gather innovation and creativity and build a stable link between enterprises and academic institutions,” says Li Bingrong, head of Inner Mongolia’s department of science and technology.

“We expect it will involve more capable people who may be concerned with grassland restoration all over the country and set up a good example for its technology and business model.”