More than 10,000 kilometers lie between Barcelona and Shenzhen. Science, however, has a way of bringing distant places together. The foundations of this partnership were laid in the autumn of 2024, when a delegation from the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) visited Shenzhen. Discussions on the frontiers of genome structure and function quickly revealed shared scientific interests and complementary strengths, turning an initial meeting into the beginning of a deeper scientific dialogue.

On June 18, 2026, a scientific partnership spanning Europe and Asia was formally brought to life. Prof. Nieng Yan, Founding President of Shenzhen Medical Academy of Research and Translation (SMART) and Director of Shenzhen Bay Laboratory (SZBL), and Prof. Monica Bettencourt-Dias, Director of the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), signed a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen collaboration among SMART, SZBL, and the CRG. Under the agreement, the three institutions will collaborate across researcher exchanges, joint research projects, academic events, and talent development. Together, these initiatives will foster both scientific innovation and the training of future scientific leaders.

Founded in 2000, the CRG is a world-leading biomedical research institute based in Barcelona, Spain. As one of Europe's premier life sciences research centers, CRG brings together nearly 500 researchers and support staff from 47 countries. The institute is dedicated to understanding the complexity of life, from the genome to the organism and its interactions with the environment, and to predicting and engineering dynamic biological systems across scales and environments.

SMART and SZBL are emerging as major drivers of biomedical innovation in the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area. Together, the two institutions aim to accelerate discoveries from fundamental science to translational and clinical applications. The partnership with the CRG represents another important milestone in their efforts to strengthen international scientific collaboration.

The seeds of this partnership were planted well before the signing ceremony. On October 22, 2024, Prof. Maria Pia Cosma of the Centre for Genomic Regulation led a delegation to SZBL for academic exchanges, where scientists from both sides engaged in in-depth discussions on frontier topics in genome regulation. The exchange sparked new ideas and laid a solid foundation for future collaboration. One of the major outcomes of the partnership will be the SMART Symposium: Genome Symposium – From Structure to Function, to be held in Shenzhen from October 15 to 18, 2026. The symposium will bring together leading researchers from around the world to explore how 3D genome architecture shapes gene regulation, cellular function, and disease, serving as a tangible example of the growing collaboration among the three institutions.

From Barcelona to Shenzhen, this MoU represents more than an agreement. It reflects a shared commitment to openness, scientific excellence, and international collaboration. Through researcher exchanges, collaborative projects, and academic engagement, SMART, SZBL, and the CRG aim to advance both fundamental and translational research, contributing to scientific progress and human health worldwide.

As scientific discovery becomes increasingly global, partnerships like this are essential for tackling complex challenges that transcend borders and disciplines. With Shenzhen set to host the 2026 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting, new opportunities for international scientific dialogue and collaboration are emerging. Building on this momentum, SMART and SZBL will continue to expand their global partnerships, advance collaborative research, and nurture the next generation of scientific leaders, contributing to scientific innovation and improvements in human health worldwide.