SHANGHAI JIAO TONG UNIVERSITY

Their core work

Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) is one of China's top research universities, contributing to EU-funded projects primarily through international staff exchange and collaborative research. In H2020, SJTU brought expertise spanning food safety (mycotoxin detection), advanced manufacturing (aerospace drilling), nuclear reactor technology, circular economy modeling, and applied mathematics. Their role is typically as a non-EU third-party or participant providing specialized research capabilities that complement European consortia, particularly in areas where Chinese research infrastructure and expertise add value.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

SJTU's early H2020 involvement (2016–2018) centered on food safety, responsible trade, and biological sciences — projects like MycoKey (mycotoxin detection), SMART (sustainable trade), and RiceStyle (plant biology). From 2018 onward, their focus shifted markedly toward sustainability engineering and energy: circular economy modeling (ReTraCE), small modular reactor development (ECC-SMART), carbon capture (ConsenCUS), and polar climate research (PolarRES). This evolution reflects a clear pivot from life sciences toward climate, energy, and industrial sustainability topics.

SJTU is increasingly positioning itself as a Chinese partner for European energy transition and carbon neutrality projects, making them relevant for future consortia targeting EU-China clean energy collaboration.

How they like to work

SJTU never coordinated an H2020 project — they joined exclusively as a partner (5 projects) or third party (7 projects), which is typical for non-EU institutions. With 181 unique consortium partners across 40 countries, they are well-connected across large international consortia rather than working in tight clusters. This makes them an accessible entry point into Chinese academic research for European coordinators building globally distributed projects.

SJTU has collaborated with 181 unique partners across 40 countries, indicating a remarkably broad international network for a non-EU institution. Their connections span virtually all of Europe plus key research nations worldwide, built through large multi-partner consortia.

What sets them apart

SJTU is one of China's C9 League universities (the Chinese equivalent of Ivy League), consistently ranked in the global top 50 for engineering. For European consortia, they offer a credible, well-established gateway to Chinese research infrastructure and industrial networks — particularly valuable for projects requiring EU-China cooperation mandates. Their breadth across energy, manufacturing, food safety, and mathematics means they can contribute substantively rather than serving as a token international partner.

Highlights from their portfolio

• ECC-SMART
  Trilateral EU-Canada-China collaboration on small modular reactor technology — reflects SJTU's growing role in international nuclear energy research.
• ReTraCE
  Major circular economy project spanning supply chain modeling, life cycle analysis, and sustainable business models — showcases SJTU's systems-level sustainability expertise.
• MycoKey
  Large-scale food safety project covering mycotoxin detection across multiple crops — demonstrates SJTU's capability in applied agricultural science and ICT-based monitoring.