2025-09-27
Where Bohai Bay meets the dawn’s first light, Tianjin University—China’s first modern university, now in its 130th year—comes alive with youthful vigor. Across campus, 45,000 students and faculty pour into classrooms, laboratories, and libraries in their quest for knowledge and truth. From this venerable institution, they also fan out into community engagement and the frontiers of innovation.
Eleven national key laboratories, five national engineering (technology) research centers and 143 provincial-level key research platforms constitute a powerhouse of world-class disciplines and talent. Frontier technologies in synthetic biology, intelligent technology and new energy and materials are moving from laboratories to production lines, giving rise to emerging industries. Tianjin University is also pioneering the Tiankai Higher Education Sci-Tech Innovation Park, where faculty and alumni ventures convert directly into real productive forces. These metrics underscore the University's robust core in driving national strategies and Tianjin's development.
Named for the city and advancing alongside it for over a century, Tianjin University has been inseparable from Tianjin—their missions intertwined, their progress shared. In the new era, the University upholds its founding purpose of strengthening the country through industry and education, moving in lockstep with the city to deepen industry-academia-research collaboration, serve national strategic priorities, and align with urban development needs. The university and municipality jointly build strategic research capacity and innovation platforms, complement each other in talent attraction and cultivation, and accelerate technology transfer and industrial empowerment, together forging a path toward sustainable, high-quality development.
Tianjin University and Tianjin: A Shared Cultural Gene
Late last year, Tianjin University’s School of Chemical Engineering received a meaningful gift: Tianjin Bohua Yongli Chemical Co., Ltd. Presented a replica of the very first invention certificate issued by the People’s Republic of China—awarded to Hou Debang.
Hou Debang, a pioneer of China’s modern chemical industry and professor at the university’s predecessor, National Peiyang University, links the century-long legacy of a Tianjin enterprise with that of this university.
Looking back over history, this renowned engineering university and the historic commercial-industrial city of Tianjin have remained deeply intertwined, sharing the same cultural gene and temperament.
Industry! Both the history of Tianjin and the history of Tianjin University are marked by a clear orientation towards “developing industry”. Tianjin flourished through commerce and manufacturing, emerging as a cradle of China’s modern industry. During the Self-Strengthening Movement, it established heavy industrial enterprises such as the Tianjin Machinery Manufacturing Bureau; by the 1930s, the city had developed comprehensive sectors spanning textiles, chemicals, metallurgy, machinery, printing, and food processing. Founded upon this industrial foundation, Tianjin University initially offered four urgently needed disciplines—law, engineering, mining and metallurgy, and machinery—with the founding mission of “developing education to strengthen the nation”.
Innovation! Modern Tianjin has produced countless national firsts. As China’s trailblazer in modern higher education, Tianjin University has grown alongside the city, bringing glory to the nation. It established China’s first hydraulic laboratory and pioneered advanced engineering education. The University developed the nation’s first aircraft engine, laying the foundation for Chinese aviation; it created China’s first color film and built its first highway-railway bridge. These achievements underscore Tianjin University’s pivotal contributions to mechanical, petroleum, hydraulic engineering, and aeronautics, and its role in building a relatively complete modern industrial system in China.
During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the university has repeatedly made research headlines. The world’s first on-chip brain-computer interface intelligent interaction system has become a cornerstone for the future development of hybrid intelligence. A synthetic biology team has pioneered DNA storage algorithms, ushering in a new era for information storage technology. The Large-Scale Earthquake Engineering Simulation Research Facility, China’s first national major science and technology infrastructure in seismic engineering, has become operational. Driven by an unwavering determination to scale new heights, researchers continue to notch up landmark “firsts”.
“Our strength lies in mastering theory and revitalizing science and engineering; we value experimentation and disdain empty talk.” For 90 years, this line from the university anthem has epitomized Tianjin University’s pragmatic tradition of applying knowledge to real-world problems, shaping generations of alumni. As the Party’s 20th Congress underscored innovation’s central role in modernization, faculty and students have redoubled their commitment to research that serves national strategies, local development, and public welfare.
“We must shoulder our era’s mission by continuously advancing original and leading-edge research, leveraging our strengths in talent, knowledge and culture to demonstrate our distinctive value in Tianjin’s high-quality development,” said Yang Xianjin, Party Secretary of Tianjin University.
Today, the university-city synergy is reaching new heights.
As a national hub for advanced manufacturing R&D, Tianjin is leveraging technological innovation to upgrade its industries, accelerating development across 12 key industrial chains, including information technology innovation, bio-medicine, and green petrochemicals. In response, Tianjin University launched a three-year action plan (2023-2025) to support Tianjin’s development, spearheading 507 manufacturing-focused partnership projects and facilitating technology transfers worth 300 million yuan in the city.
Tianjin is advancing its “three new” and “three quantity” initiatives by building and operating the Tiankai Higher Education Sci-Tech Innovation Park to high standards, creating a cradle for innovation, an incubator for research outcomes, and an ecosystem for sci-tech services. Seizing this opportunity, Tianjin University has introduced comprehensive reforms to remove institutional barriers to technology transfer, implementing measures such as the Tianjin University Provisional Implementation Measures on the Empowerment of Position-Based Scientific and Technological Achievements and Separate Asset Management and the Tianjin University Technology Transfer Management Measures. To date, Tianjin University faculty, students, and alumni have registered 119 companies in Tiankai Park, with total registered capital of 874 million yuan. Notably, faculty-student ventures account for 54.6% of these enterprises, demonstrating strong momentum in technology commercialization.
Academia and Industry: A Wellspring of Innovation
At the 2025 World Intelligent Industry Expo’s Tianjin pavilion, the city’s first humanoid robot—“Tianbing-1” Atom—captured visitors’ attention with its fluid hand movements. While its appearance seems “cute,” this industrial robot’s real strength lies in “dexterously performing physical labor.” Its waist and neck incorporate parallel mechanisms for greater load capacity and rotational freedom, and it is currently undergoing training for various application scenarios in production workshops.
This robot originated in the laboratory of Tianjin University’s School of Mechanical Engineering. Company founder Liu Songtao commercialized the parallel robot prototype with his advisor’s team during his doctoral studies before launching his venture. To date, the company has served over 800 enterprise clients across more than 20 countries, shipping more than 8,000 units and achieving industry leadership.
Universities fuel urban innovation. Tianjin University, adhering to the “Four Orientations,” continuously strengthens its innovation capacity and advances integration between industry and academia, rapidly translating disciplinary strengths and technological breakthroughs into a powerful engine for industrial growth.
Clearing Industry Bottlenecks:
At a Nankai District gas station, Tianjin’s first 125kW/500kWh vanadium flow battery energy storage system—the “power heart” of an integrated solar-storage-charging facility—is nearing completion. Deeply integrated with the station’s photovoltaic system, it performs multiple functions including peak shaving, load balancing, charging support, and power quality management, serving as both a key enabler of the station’s energy upgrade and a model for efficient urban energy utilization.
This green energy solution was made possible by Professor Jiang Haoran’s team from Tianjin University’s National Energy Storage Technology Innovation Platform and State Key Laboratory of Advanced Internal Combustion Power. Their proprietary technologies—including multi-scale porous electrodes, AI-driven system integration design, and state-monitoring battery management—have been combined to create a Tianjin University model for nationwide commercialization of advanced energy storage.
Conquering Frontier Fields:
Tianjin University’s Haihe Laboratory of Brain-Computer Interaction and Human-Machine Coexistence possesses core non-invasive brain-computer interface technologies, having established a complete innovation chain spanning core electronic components, high-end chips, foundational software, and critical infrastructure systems. Its independently developed “Shen Gong” series of brain-computer interface medical devices are already in clinical use at multiple top-tier hospitals. The laboratory is collaborating with Tianjin Huanhu Hospital to establish the nation’s first integrated brain-computer interface clinical research ward, offering new diagnostic and treatment options for severe patients.
“The lab has also partnered with CEC Cloud Brain, a subsidiary of China Electronics, to develop China’s first domestically-chipped brain-computer interface headband, featuring a proprietary 8-channel sub-microvolt acquisition chip now being commercialized at Tiankai Park,” said Ni Guangjian, Director of Tianjin University Hospital Management and Executive Deputy Director of the Haihe Laboratory. “Tianjin University has established the nation’s first brain-computer interface academic program to systematically cultivate talent, helping China achieve a ‘leapfrog advance’ in this critical field.”
Creating Products, Capturing Markets:
At the 2025 Tiankai Forum, Tianjin Ent Energy Technology—founded by Professor Wang Yifeng from the School of Electrical and Information Engineering—unveiled the world’s first 50-150kW “Blade” series all-silicon-carbide energy storage converter. Meanwhile, Shan Ce (Tianjin) Technology, established by alumnus Ye Dechao from the School of Precision Instruments, launched a globally-leading high-precision blade health monitoring system for industrial safety.
Tianjin Yongxu New Materials, founded by Professor Huang Renliang from the School of Marine Science, introduced a food-grade bamboo cellulose produce preservative that reduces spoilage by 18%. The technology has earned China’s organic certification, with annual production capacity reaching 30,000 tons.
“Perfume production no longer requires flower cultivation!” declared researchers at Tianjin University’s Synthetic Biology Institute, who engineered yeast with rose genes to produce geraniol, revolutionizing traditional manufacturing. The first batch of 20,000 perfume bottles is slated for market release.
Tianjin University and Tianjin: A Co-Evolving Innovation Ecosystem
In economic and social development, talent is the primary resource.
Tianjin’s pursuit of top-tier talent is relentless. The “Haihe Talents” Action Plan has evolved into a signature brand, with its upgraded edition delivering more open, precise, and flexible policies coupled with attentive support services. Through strategic industrial chains, landmark projects, and R&D platform initiatives, the city is forging a world-class innovation talent hub. The newly enacted Tianjin Municipality Talent Development Promotion Regulations now provide comprehensive legal protection for talent building careers here.
Capitalizing on its advantage in attracting and nurturing talent, Tianjin University is cultivating a large pool of young scientific personnel and distinguished engineers capable of solving real-world problems. Through its “Tianjin University Model” for new engineering education, the university addresses critical industrial needs, bottleneck technologies, and weak links in industrial chains. Over the past three years, it has provided customized training for over 20,000 government officials, executives, and technical professionals, while dispatching more than 100 technology envoys to help enterprises overcome technical challenges and strengthen regional industries.
Tiankai Higher Education Sci-Tech Innovation Park has emerged as a vital platform for integrating education, technology, and talent.
“An increasingly systematic innovation ecosystem and abundant real-world applications make Tianjin fertile ground where innovators can both conceive and achieve,” said Sun Changcheng, Executive Director of Tiankai Suishi (Tianjin) Intelligent Technology Co., one of the first ventures to settle in Tiankai Park. “We’ve deployed multiple products for medical, research, and education scenarios, growing from an initial team of three to 36 specialized professionals.”
Through policy promotion and bridge-building, Tianjin University actively draws alumni enterprises to the city.
Xiamen Intretech Co., Ltd., a listed company and Tianjin University alumni enterprise previously focused on southern China, established Tianjin Youxin Intelligent Technology Co. in April 2023 as Tiankai Park’s first registered company and plans to expand its frontier R&D in Tianjin.
As an innovation ecosystem and talent hub, Tianjin University brings together resources to nurture growth.
“We must leverage Tiankai Park’s bridging role to address market needs, accelerate technology transfer in Tianjin, and serve the city’s high-quality development with Tianjin University’s capabilities,” said President Chai Liyuan.
Centered on three pillars—Peiyang Begonia Fund, Tianjin University Science Park, and Xuanhuai College or Chuangye Zhiben Society—the university has built a complete innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem comprising venture capital funds, master lectures, innovation forums, courses, competitions, acceleration camps, an Entrepreneurs Club, technology transfer awards, and incubation facilities.
“Starting from 100 million yuan, Peiyang Begonia Fund has built a venture capital cluster totaling nearly 10 billion yuan,” said Liu Yi, Founding Partner of the fund and Dean of Xuanhuai College. “In the next five years, we aim to develop over 400,000 square meters of innovation facilities, attract 500 sci-tech enterprises to Tiankai Park, and incubate 30 high-growth tech firms.”
From taking root in industrial soil to collaboratively nurturing an innovation ecosystem, Tianjin University serves local development with strong mission-driven purpose. Its innovation engine gains momentum, its capacity to cultivate top-notch talent grows, and its progress toward becoming a world-class university with Chinese characteristics accelerates.
Tianjin: A City of Dreams. Over the past five years, more than 40% of Tianjin University graduates—over 13,000 talented young professionals—have chosen to build their careers in Tianjin, infusing the city with continuous youthful energy.
130 Years of Glory, A New Chapter Unfolds. Tianjin University’s wisdom and Tianjin’s dreams play in concert. As university and metropolis mutually nurture each other’s growth, they will jointly forge an even brighter tomorrow.
(Source: Tianjin Daily)
