By AIT Belt and Road Research Center
From April 21–24, 2025, a seven-member delegation of Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) alumni entrepreneurs from the Philippines, Laos, and Thailand embarked on a five-day green innovation exchange tour in Chongqing, China. Co-organized by the AIT Belt and Road Research Center (BRRC) and Chongqing Renewable Energy Society (CRES), the program focused on advancing sustainable collaboration in sectors such as renewable energy, smart agriculture, green construction, and vocational training. Building on successful 2024 initiatives, the event reinforced BRRC’s role as a bridge for cross-border cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), leveraging Chongqing’s status as a western China innovation hub and AIT’s Southeast Asian alumni network.
The tour commenced with the Green Innovation Development Symposium at Chongqing Tianhua New Energy Co., Ltd., uniting 17 local clean-energy leaders and AIT delegates. Participants – spanning green finance, low-carbon urban planning, photovoltaics, and vocational education—explored synergies between Chongqing’s expertise and Southeast Asia’s sustainability priorities. Discussions yielded preliminary collaboration agreements, including a partnership between a Philippine low-carbon consultancy and a Chongqing tech-transfer firm to drive cross-regional projects. A Laotian green finance institution also agreed to collaborate with CRES on green employment initiatives.
Delegates visited seven Chongqing enterprises to witness cutting-edge innovations, including:
- Chongqing Yuxin Pingrui Electronics: Smart farming machinery
- Qihang Company: Agricultural and environmental drones
- Hairun Energy-Saving Technology: Heat pump systems
- Yuanda Environmental Protection: Waste-to-energy projects
- Energy Vocational College: Green tech education
- Biaoneng Ruiyuan: Energy storage and battery recycling
These visits highlighted Chongqing’s leadership in integrating technology with sustainability, from drone-enabled crop monitoring to vocational training aligned with industry needs.
The program underscored BRRC’s pivotal role in fostering BRI-aligned green partnerships. By connecting Southeast Asian entrepreneurs with Chongqing’s clean-tech ecosystem, the exchange opened avenues for knowledge transfer, investment, and scalable solutions. Both organizers, AIT BRRC and CRES further solidified their commitment to regional decarbonization through green finance and vocational upskilling.
AIT BRRC affirmed plans to deepen its integration into global green development, supporting carbon neutrality goals. The event not only strengthened ties between Chinese industries and Southeast Asia but also showcased Chongqing and China’s emerging green technologies and industries for sustainable innovation. With BRRC at the helm, such initiatives exemplify AIT’s long-term commitment in driving ecological collaboration and green transition in the region.
