On May 30, Luo Dajin, chairman of the Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality (STCSM),met with Melanie Saville, chief representative of the Shanghai Representative Office of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations(CEPI).

Luo Dajin welcomed Melanie Saville and affirmed CEPI’s practical and effective cooperation with Chinese scientific research institutes.He also affirmed its support for vaccine companies with their research and development. Luo talked about Shanghai’s effort in basic research, talent fostering, and international cooperation for building the city into an S&T innovation center. He highlighted biomedicine as an advantage and a key direction of development.

He noted that in building itself into a globally influential center for sci-tech innovation, Shanghai takes a global perspective and pursues open cooperation with the international community with a view to building the community with a shared future for mankind.

The chairman said that STCSM will further deepen innovation cooperation with international sci-tech organizations, and accelerate efforts to build Shanghai into an S&T innovation center through high-level opening-up.He looked forward to seeing CEPI in close cooperation with Shanghai-based enterprises and research institutes in developing broad-spectrum vaccines and building commercialization platforms.

Melanie Saville also extended her gratitude to STCSM for its support of CEPI. She said Shanghai’s quick actions in helping CEPI set up its Shanghai Representative Office during the COVID-19 pandemic and the two sides’ close cooperation in the past three years have fully demonstrated the city’s close attention and support to her organization.

Saville introduced CEPI’s 100 Days Mission to prepare the world for the next Disease X with an innovative vaccine in 100 days. He also introduced its “library of prototype vaccines” against representative pathogens from critical viral families. She expressed her wish for deeper cooperation with Shanghai in vaccine research, lab networks, and other areas.

CEPI’s founders and initial investors are the governments of Norway, Germany, Japan, and India, the World Economic Forum, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and other non-profit organizations.The organization, by accelerating vaccine R&D, aims to produce vaccines against new infectious diseases in less time.It also aims to deliver these vaccines in time, particularly to the impoverished populations in low-income countries.CEPI dedicates itself to the prevention and control of epidemic diseases by funding research projects in public health. It conducts R&D of vaccines and related products, and promotes international sci-tech cooperation and exchange.CEPI Shanghai Representative Office was established in April 2020.