The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) is promoting the internationalization of Italian research and scientific diplomacy as essential tools for developing cooperation between Italy and the rest of the world.
Cooperation in science and technology is an essential part of the China-Italy comprehensive strategic partnership and it is cemented in the bilateral cooperation agreement in culture, science and technology signed between the two countries in 1998 in Beijing and implemented via three-year executive programs.
Scientific and technological cooperation between Italy and China is currently been carried out according to two executive protocols:
MAECI-NSFC (National Natural Science Foundation of China) 2023-2025, in Food quality and safety, Analysis of risk factors for health, Remediation of environmental pollution, Renewable energies, Interdisciplinary projects in large infrastructures.
MAECI-MOST (Ministry of Science and Technology) 2024-2025, in agriculture and food sciences; artificial intelligence applied to cultural heritage; physics and astrophysics; green energy; biomedicine.