The collaboration will include establishing a space lab for future dairy, which will aim to leverage space technology to bring new transformative innovations to the health sector.
Yu Dengyun, deputy director of the science and technology committee of CASC and academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said the two sides will focus on boosting the dairy industry through space technology. He said research on space biology and new space materials will introduce new solutions to upgrade the dairy industry.
“Yili will strive to develop more healthy dairy products that fulfill consumers’ nutritional demands and meet strict quality standards. We will drive and contribute to the upgrading of the dairy industry through space technology,” said Zhang Jianqiu, CEO of Yili Group.
The two sides will work with related space institutes on scientific research, technology transfers and product development. Through joint efforts in packaging using new space materials, bacterial strains in space, TanSat-based pasture monitoring, and health and nutritional care, Yili said they are committed to taking dairy products to a higher level.
The lab marks a step forward towards further empowering industries with space technology and improving consumers’ health and nutritional status. Dr Situ Wenyou, a scientific researcher at Yili’s Innovation Center, said he hoped the inter-disciplinary cooperation will bring about lighter, safer and more environmentally friendly food packaging materials, as well as nutrition and health products tailored for special segments of the population, with the aim of enabling consumers to enjoy advanced technologies and products in their daily lives.
Yili said it aspires to participate in future space experiments by applying research to dairy products under special conditions such as long-term microgravity, strong radiation and extreme temperatures.
To date, the company has built 15 innovation centers globally, and actively engages in innovation-focused collaborations across its supply chain.
Yili is also stepping up its efforts to build the Future Intelligence and Health Valley in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The Valley includes a $785m demonstration program focused on the 5G- and AI-based green production of liquid milk, the largest and most highly automated such initiative of its kind.