The Bearing Industry Industry-University-Research Innovation Development Seminar was successfully held in the Western China Science and Technology Innovation Port

On April 27-28,2025 the "Seminar on Industry-University-Research Collaborative Innovation Development in the Bearing Industry" was successfully held at the China Western Science and Technology Innovation Harbor in Xi'an.

The event was hosted by the China Bearing Industry Association and organized by the Key Laboratory of Modern Design and Rotor-Bearing System of the Ministry of Education at Xi'an Jiaotong University. More than 50 expert representatives from 30 leading enterprises, universities, and research institutes gathered in Xi'an to engage in in-depth discussions on key technological breakthroughs and collaborative innovation in the bearing industry, injecting new momentum into the sector's high-quality development.

The seminar was chaired by Liu Qiaofang, Deputy Secretary-General of the China Bearing Industry Association. At the opening ceremony, Professor Hong Jun, Standing Committee Member of the Party Committee and Vice President of Xi'an Jiaotong University, as well as Director of the Key Laboratory, extended a warm welcome to the attending experts. Professor Hong emphasized that China's bearing industry is currently in a critical phase of transitioning toward high-end and intelligent manufacturing, urgently requiring deep integration of industry-university-research collaboration to overcome bottlenecks in materials, design, and manufacturing technologies. He stated that the laboratory would fully leverage its strengths in fundamental research to collaborate with enterprises in solving key industry challenges.

The conference featured multiple sessions, including questionnaire surveys, panel discussions, expert committee appointments, and on-site lab visits. Professor Yan Ke from the Key Laboratory presented the findings of a questionnaire survey on industry-university-research collaboration in the bearing sector. He elaborated on the design rationale, core content, and overall survey results, highlighting key "industry pain points" and "technological demands" while analyzing specific shortcomings in existing technologies.

During the open discussion session, over 30 chief engineers from leading industry players such as C&U Group, TMB, LYC Bearing, Wafangdian Bearing, ZYS, and ZYTC, along with renowned scholars from Henan University of Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, and Taiyuan University of Technology, actively contributed insights. Discussions revolved around industry trends and real-world product challenges, covering cutting-edge topics like high-performance bearing materials, intelligent inspection technologies, and green manufacturing processes. Experts unanimously agreed that bearings, as core components of the equipment manufacturing industry, require collaborative efforts across the entire supply chain for technological breakthroughs. In-depth exchanges took place on critical areas such as ultra-precision machining, digital simulation, fundamental theoretical frameworks, and experimental techniques.

Chairman Zhou Yu highly commended the outcomes of the seminar, particularly noting the practical value of the proposed innovation strategies and industry-university-research collaboration models. He further analyzed the current opportunities and challenges facing the bearing industry, stressing the need to align with national strategic demands. Expressing high expectations for the industry's future, he called for enhanced collaborative innovation to propel China's bearing sector toward high-end development.

Subsequently, a grand appointment ceremony was held for the Expert Committee Members. Chairman Zhou Yu presented certificates to 32 distinguished experts from universities, research institutes, and leading enterprises, officially appointing them as members of the "Bearing Industry Technology Advisory Committee" under the Ministry of Education’s Key Laboratory. This move signifies that industry-university-research collaboration in the bearing sector has entered an institutionalized and regularized phase, laying a solid foundation for a high-level industry think tank.

Following the technical discussions, attendees visited the Key Laboratory of Modern Design and Rotor-Bearing System. Associate Professor Wan Shaoke provided a detailed introduction to the laboratory’s advanced equipment and cutting-edge research achievements. Industry representatives highly praised Xi'an Jiaotong University's research capabilities and breakthroughs in the bearing field, while offering valuable suggestions for the lab’s future development.