Greenwater Project

Here is the first English Summary since our arrival in China. This month was so busy that we can’t explain our whole work in details. We spent one week in Beijing and we have been in Shanghai for 3 weeks. Here are some important events in “Greenwater Project”:

1. Presentation of the project at “Ecole Centrale de Pékin” in Beijing
   
2. Meeting with M. Thivolle from CNRS in Beijing
   
3. Meeting with Peter Head and Roger Wood from ARUP
   
4. Presentation at Tongji University
   
5. One day on Chongming Island with French Languedoc Roussillon Region Delegation
   
6. Signing of partnership between Languedoc-Roussillon and Shanghai’s incubators
   
7. Presentation to CIRAD (French research institute based in Montpellier)
   

1. “Ecole Centrale de Pékin” is a French “Ecole Centrale” based in Beijing, built 3 years ago. This year, students will have to work on a project they choose. This is the reason why we where asked to present “Greenwater” to them. In front of 80 students, we detailed Greenwater for about 2 hours. We think some of them can work to help us penetrating Chinese world thanks to translations or bibliographical researches they could make. It was a great experience and we think some of them can be a good support in China thanks to their bicultural learning.
   
2. Before leaving Beijing, we met M. Thivolle, French manager of CNRS in China. In addition to the network of contacts he opened us (from embassy, economic mission in Beijing etc.) and the advices he gave us for financing and cooperating with Chinese companies, he informed us their would be French CNRS laboratories on Chongming Island (the place where the greenhouse will be built) and we could be scientifically supported for future experimentations.
   
3. ARUP is the British company that has been appeal by Shanghai’s municipality to build Dongtan’s eco-city on Chongming Island. We met the managers of Dongtan’s building: Peter Head and Roger Wood. After the presentation of the project, we contemplated two ways of cooperating with ARUP. The first one could be the greenhouse’s implementation on Dongtan city as a demonstration project for 2010 Universal Exhibition in Shanghai. The main condition for this is that the project be self sufficient in energy by using renewable sources and by minimizing energy losses. Secondly, they told us we could imagine an implantation on a larger scale for next eco-city ARUP will build in Hong-Kong (where Mangrove trees naturally grow). This meeting was very constructive.
   
4. We exposed the project to PHD and Master Students in Tongji University (management of water and sustainable development) so as to find some scientific support for this project. Although we realized that being understood by Chinese students is quite hard, they may give occasional technical help for the project. In addition, Tongji University belongs to ARCUS program within we came.
   
5. Monday 5th November was the day of our first visit of Chongming Island. In fact, we visited this Island with French Delegation from Languedoc Roussillon Region. This region is linked to Shanghai thanks to an economic cooperation: know-how exchanges and Sino-French incubators are two examples. We could keep in touch with those in charge, on Chongming Island, of the ARCUS laboratories that we visited. This day was very fruitful for our communication and our future building of the greenhouse.
   
6. French Delegation from Languedoc Roussillon signed at STIC (Shanghai Technology Innovative Center) agreement for Sino-French incubators. We kept in touch with STIC to settle in Shanghai’s incubators and today, 15th November, are making a presentation to them. This could be an adequate frame to develop Greenwater’s project, and maybe a company after this testing phase.
   
7. Last event is the presentation to CIRAD’s delegation at Tongji University. We already knew some of the researchers attending, but we also met Li Zhen, Chinese permanent of INRA (Agronomy National Research Institute) and CIRAD.

Cet après-midi, les accords entre les incubateurs de la ville de Shanghai et ceux de la ville de Montpellier ont été renouvelés. La délégation française nous avait invités à cette cérémonie qui se déroulait au Shanghai Technologie Innovative Center (STIC). La direction de la région LR, celle du STIC et certains créateurs d’entreprises étaient réunis dans une salle de réunion bien équipée, fauteuil, bureau, micro… Le temps fut trop court pour que nous puissions présenter le projet GreenWater, mais nous avons profité de l’occasion pour discuter avec les responsables du STIC. Nous leur présenterons le projet la semaine prochaine afin de savoir s’il est possible d’intégrer un des 34 incubateurs de Shanghai.

Nous avons dîné dimanche soir avec la délégation 4+4 des écoles Centrale. Ce fut l’occasion de discuter des problèmes d’inscriptions que nous avons en ce moment avec l’université de Tongji. En effet, celle-ci n’étant pas partenaire de Centrale Paris, il est compliqué de nous y inscrire même si nous avons été invités. Barbara Catalano va essayer de voir cette semaine si nous pouvons envisager une solution avec l’université de Jiaotong qui, elle, est partenaire de Centrale Paris.

Ce midi, nous avons mangé avec Leo, Potato, Fairy, Zheqiang et Hongying, 5 des 6 étudiants de l’université de Jiaotong avec qui nous avons présenté le concours Mondialogo Engineering Awards. Yangli, le dernier, n’a pas pu venir car son professeur l’avait chargé d’une mission ce jour-là. Ensuite, ils nous ont fait visiter un campus de Jiaotong qui est proche du centre de Shanghai. Il faut savoir que Jiaotong a plusieurs campus à Shanghai. Un second campus, très éloigné du centre ville, a été créé plus tard. Nous avons passé un très bon moment et nous sommes ravis de connaître les personnes avec qui nous avons travaillé cette année et surtout avec qui nous allons préparer la finale du concours Mondialogo.