The third Sino-Italian Conference on Biodiversity concluded in Naples on 28 March. The three-day event, which brought together the National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC) and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), confirmed that cooperation between Italy and China in the field of biodiversity has now moved beyond the exploratory phase and entered a much more structured phase.
This view is supported not only by the level of participation – with a delegation of around forty scientists from China – but also by the very nature of the topics addressed and the direction set by the two partners. The conference brought together marine, terrestrial and urban biodiversity, technological innovation, artificial intelligence, decarbonisation, ecosystem restoration and new environmental regulations. A wide-ranging agenda, which clearly illustrates how biodiversity is no longer considered a subject confined to nature conservation, but a crossroads where applied research, monitoring capabilities, advanced training and the transfer of innovation intersect.
The collaboration between NBFC and CAS, which began in late 2023 and was subsequently formalised through operational agreements, has gradually taken shape through joint working groups, exchanges of expertise and shared projects.
