ISU Chairman Meeting & International Think Tanks Forum on Silk Sustainable Development was Held in Hangzhou.

In order to implement the purpose of "Communication & Cooperation, Development with Concerted Efforts", close the exchanges and cooperation between the members, discuss the current situation and the future of the silk industry under the current situation, and promote the sustainable and healthy development of the silk industry, On June 10, the "2021 International Silk Union Chairman Meeting & International Think Tanks Forum on Silk Sustainable Development" was grandly held in Hangzhou, China. The meeting reviewed the report of ISU and ISU professional committees, passed the amendment to the constitution of ISU, the working mechanism of ISU, the proposal for the comprehensive and objective life cycle assessment of silk products, etc., Signed the MoU between ISU and ISC, and held the "International Think Tanks Forum on Silk Sustainable Development".

Zhu Jun, Chief Economist of Department of Commerce of Zhejiang Province; Tang Lin, President of China Silk Association; Shi Huiping, second-level investigator of Consumer Goods Division, Economy and Information Technology Department of Zhejiang; Wang Zhenfeng, Deputy Director of Hangzhou Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology; Chu Kongduo, second-level investigator of the Convention and Exhibition Office of Hangzhou Municipal Bureau of Commerce; Zhang Guoqiang, Chairman of ISU, Chairman of the Board of Zhejiang Cathaya International Co., Ltd.; Chen Wenxing, Vice Chairman of ISU, Academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering, and President of Zhejiang Sci-Tech University; Zhao Feng, Vice Chairman of ISU, Curator of China National Silk Museum; Chen Xiangping, Vice Chairman of ISU, Honorary Dean of Sichuan Academy of Silk Science; Shen Minghong, Vice Chairman of ISU, Director of Shanghai Pudong Technology Entrepreneurship Promotion Center; Fei Jianming, Honorary Secretary General of ISU; and the online guests Rajit Ranjan Okhandiar, Secretary General of ISC, Chief of Central Silk Board; Elioda Tumwesigye, Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation in the Cabinet of Uganda; Xavier Lepingle, Vice Chairman of ISU, President of INTERSOIE France, General Manager of Holding Textile Hermes; Stefano Vitali, Vice Chairman of ISU, President of Ufficio Italiano Seta; Guido Tettamanti, Secretary General of Ufficio Italiano Seta; Renata Amano, Vice Chairman of ISU, President of Brazilian Silk Association attend the meeting.

Guider: China National Textile and Apparel Council

Organizer: International Silk Union

Sponsor: College of Textile Science and Engineering(International Institute of Silk ), Zhejiang Sci-Tech University

Co-organizers: International Sericultural Commission, Ufficio Italiano Seta, Intersoie France, Brazilian Silk Association

Supporter: Academic Committee of “Silk Road Week”, Zhejiang TV International Channel, Hangzhou Textile Engineering Society

The meeting took the form of online and offline integration, more than 100 leaders and guests, ISU members, committee members and silk experts from Beijing, Shanghai, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Chongqing, Shandong, Sichuan, Henan attended the offline meeting. More than 60 guests of ISU members, ISC members and IASSRT researchers from 22 countries and regions including China, Italy, France, Switzerland, Brazil, Japan, India, Thailand, Uzbekistan, Cambodia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Iran, Romania, Bangladesh, Ghana, Uganda, Egypt, Kenya, Madagascar, Paraguay, China Taiwan attended the video conference. 3,000+ viewers watched the live video.

Sun Ruizhe, President of China National Textile and Apparel Council, and President of International Textile Manufacturers Federation, gave a video address for the "International Think Tanks Forum on Silk Sustainable Development". He expressed, Global climate change is affecting human society in a speed and a scale we have never seen before. It changes the ecology of industries and the landscape of economy and trade. Sustainability and carbon neutrality have become a general consensus and focus of coopetition of global industries. The main purpose of the Forum is to seek for a scientific solution to achieve carbon neutrality, and an objective methodology to evaluate the life cycle of silk products to protect the image as well as interests of global silk industry. He put forward three suggestions to all the colleagues and friends in the world silk industry: First, we need to set goals by seeking truth from facts. Second, we need to tackle the most pressing issues first to enhance overall capability. Third, we need to work globally to meet challenges.

During the International Silk Union Chairman Meeting, Zhu Jun and Tang Lin delivered speeches separately.

Zhu Jun expressed that the Zhejiang Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial Government attaches great importance to the inheritance and development of the silk industry and strongly supports entrepreneurs to "go out and bring in." Last year, Zhejiang’s GDP achieved a breakthrough of US$1 trillion, an increase of 3.6% year-on-year; the total value of imports and exports for the year was US$528 billion, an increase of 9.6% over the previous year. Among them, exports were 390 billion U.S. dollars, an increase of 9.1%. Department of Commerce of Zhejiang Province will fully support the business development of the ISU, and at the same time put forward two hopes: one is to build a bridge between enterprises and the government, and the other is to actively participate in economic and trade activities.

Tang Lin expressed that this year is the first year for China to implement the 14th five year plan. In this five years, Chinese silk will focus on deepening the supply-side structural reform as the main line, adhere to the drive of scientific and technological innovation, accelerate the pace of applying modern technology to transform traditional industries, and strive to comprehensively promote the development of cocoon and silk industry towards high quality. Today, the economies of all countries in the world are becoming more and more integrated and interdependent. We hope that through this forum, we will continue to deepen all-round exchanges and cooperation with the silk industry at home and abroad, and promote new and greater development of the world's silk industry.

Zhang Guoqiang, Chairman of ISU, and Chairman of the Board of Zhejiang Cathaya International Co., Ltd., made the 2020 ISU report, and pointed out the direction of work in 2021. Under the influence of COVID-19, the international silk industry and consumer market were severely impacted, ISU has actively carried out relevant work and has been recognized by the international silk industry, which is enhancing the international influence of the union.

Work of ISU in 2020:

1.Assist Member Units in Purchasing Anti-epidemic Materials.

2.Carry out the Survey of Impact of COVID-19 on International Silk Industry and Consumer Market Trends.

3.ISU is Included in the Yearbook of International Organizations of UIA.

4.Establish Contact with International Sericultural Commission and Strengthen Cooperation.

5.Assist China National Silk Museum for 2020 Silk Road Week.

6.Cooperate with NSM to Set up the International Silk Art Exhibition Hall.

7.Discuss the Characterization of the Quality Grade of Raw Silk and the Promotion of the Carbon Neutrality Application.

8.Create Silk City Lounge and International Silk Boutique Store.

9.Attend the Video Conference of International Network of Silk Cities and Metropoles in Conjunction with Many Countries.

Work Plan of ISU in 2021:

1.Launch 2021 ISU Chairman Meeting & International Think T ank Forum on Silk Sustainable Development.

2.Organize the main ISU members to participate in the the annual meeting of International Network of Silk Cities and Metropoles.

3.To continue with the academic discussion and standard setting work on the characterization of the quality grade of raw silk.

4.Support the exchange activities in the international silk industry.

5.Optimize the working mechanism of ISU, develop and replace ISU member units.

6.To strengthen the construction of ISU secretariat and upgrade the influence of media matrix of ISU.

7.Play the role of bridge, strengthen the communication and interaction with international silk textile industry organizations and government departments.

8.Visit and report ISU members, and serve the industry development.

Rajit Ranjan Okhandiar, Secretary General of International Sericultural Commission (ISC) expressed, albeit its structural differences, both ISC and ISU have the common objectives for the global development of sericulture and silk industry and to maintain the rich heritage of silk, hope to strengthen exchanges and develop cooperation on a global scale, and promote the sustainable development of the silk industry.

Stefano Vitali, Vice Chairman of ISU, and President of Ufficio Italiano Seta, introduced the basic situation of the Italian silk industry since COVID-19 outbreak, and provided constructive comments on the actions that the silk industry can take in response to Higg MSI.

At the meeting, director of Technical Innovation, Education Research, History Culture, Fashion Design Profession Committee of ISU made reports on the work of each special committee.

Giuseppe Bianchi, Director of Technical Innovation Professional Committee, introduced the production and trade situation of the Italian silk industry since COVID-19, and pointed out the current achievements of the committee in terms of sustainability, innovation, quality and price, as well as technologies that can be breakthroughs in the next step.

Chen Wenxing, Vice Chairman of ISU, and Director of the Education Research Professional Committee, expressed that in recent years, China attached great importance to scientific and technological innovation, and closely integrated production, education and research. Silk industry focus on the new processes, new technologies, new products design & research and the bottleneck of transformation & upgrading, all this works have accelerated the speed of R&D and marketisation, improved the competitiveness of silk products. He introduced the work of the committee in the areas of silk education, scientific research, and cultural exchange.

Zhao Feng, Vice Chairman of ISU, and Director of the History Culture Professional Committee, introduced the work carried out with the committee member units in 2020, such as Silk Road Week, International Silk Boutique Exhibition -- Silk Road Splendid, World Map of Silk Project, the 1st International Symposium on Silk and Silk Road, the second Conservation and Inheritance Symposium of Sericulture and Silk Craftsmanship of China, etc.

Xavier Lepingle, Vice Chairman of ISU, and Director of Fashion Design Professional Committee, expressed that people are becoming more and more interested in a sustainable textile and fashion industry, a new grading standard for electronic inspection of raw silk should also take into account traceability, as well as social and sustainable requirements., in order to better promote silk from a sustainable level.

The meeting reviewed and passed the amendment to the constitution of ISU, the working mechanism of ISU, the MoU between ISU and ISC and the proposal for the comprehensive and objective life cycle assessment of silk products, and hoped that under the guidance of the new constitution and working mechanism, the operation of the ISU will be more standardized, and the rights and obligations of the ISU secretariat and ISU members will be clarified.

At the meeting, ISU and ISC signed the memorandum. ISU deputy secretary Bian Xinger hosted the ceremony. Based on the original intention of serving the sericulture and silk industry, the two parties aim to promote in-depth exchanges and cooperation in the cultivation of sericulture and silk talents, information exchange and resource sharing, project cooperation research, and exchange visits in related fields, so as to jointly make positive contributions to the healthy, stable and sustainable development of the international sericulture and silk industry.

At International Think Tanks Forum on Silk Sustainable Development, experts in the field of silk sustainability from China, Italy, France, India, Brazil made a keynote report, and shared professional interpretations on silk green production, carbon footprint accounting, Higg MSI Index improving, life cycle assessment, etc. In 2015, nearly 200 countries jointly adopted the Paris Agreement at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris., this forum focuses on the topic of the times, around green manufacturing, green consumption and circular economy in the silk industry to advocate carbon emission reduction, carbon neutrality, actively promote the healthy and sustainable development of the silk industry.

Chairman Zhang Guoqiang expressed the thanks to the participated leader, guests and experts. The meeting contacts the silk loves, establishes the exchange platform for the silk enterprises and organizations, strengthen the contact and exchange between ISU members, enhance the international communication and cooperation, promoting the comprehensive, healthy and sustainable development of silk industry.

Last bust not least, ISU joined hands with International Sericultural Commission (ISC), Ufficio Italiano Seta (UIS), INTERSOIE France and Brazilian Silk Association (ABRASEDA), released the Proposal for the Comprehensive and Objective Assessment of Life Cycle of Silk Products.

The first half of the "International Silk Union Chairman Meeting" was presided over by ISU Secretary General Li Qizheng; the second half of the "International Think Tanks Forum on Silk Sustainable Development" was presided over by the ISU Vice chairmen Zhao Feng and Chen Xiangping.

During the meeting, the participate guests went to Zhejiang Sci-Tech University (ZSTU ) together and visited the silk museum, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Advanced Textile Materials and Preparation Technology, Exhibition Hall of School of Fashion Design & Engineering, Fashion Engineering Laboratory, Fashion design studio and Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Silk Culture and Tourism, etc. They also visited the “Red Romance—Costume Image Exhibition for the 100th Anniversary of the Founding of the Communist Party of China” and “Ambilight—Naxi Costume Culture Exhibition” held by the school. Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, the precursor is Silkworm School, was founded in 1897 by Lin Qi, governor of Hangzhou prefecture then, with the noble ambition to save the nation by engaging in industry and education, and was one of the earliest new-learning educational institutions ever founded in China. ZSTU now is a provincial university focusing on engineering, with distinct characteristics and advantages as well as the coordinated development of the various disciplines of sciences, engineering, arts, economics, management, law, fine art, education, etc.