PRESS RELEASE
26 June 2026
The Solomon Islands National University (SINU) yesterday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences (JAAS) of China and the Research Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development (RD-MALD), Solomon Islands, to establish a Smart Agriculture Joint Laboratory.
The agreement was signed in Honiara on 25 June 2026 by SINU Vice-Chancellor Professor Transform Aqorau, together with representatives from JAAS and RD-MALD.
The MoU establishes a collaborative framework for research, technological innovation, capacity building, and knowledge exchange in smart agriculture, with a strong focus on developing technologies suited to the conditions of Solomon Islands and the wider Pacific region.
Under the agreement, the Joint Laboratory will serve as a platform for collaborative scientific research, staff and student exchanges, academic conferences, training programmes, and the sharing of research data and technical resources. Priority areas include smart production systems for vegetables, fruits, field crops, livestock and poultry, tailored to local agricultural conditions.
The partnership will also support practical capacity-building initiatives, including student training farms, demonstration plots, greenhouse facilities, nursery management, irrigation demonstrations, climate-resilient crop trials, composting and soil improvement programmes, farmer outreach activities, and applied research projects.
A Joint Management Committee (JMC), comprising representatives from all three parties, will provide strategic oversight of the partnership, coordinate implementation activities, identify funding opportunities, and monitor progress. The parties have also committed to developing an initial implementation work plan within three to six months of signing the agreement.
The MoU will remain in effect for five years and may be renewed by mutual written agreement. The partnership represents a significant step in strengthening research collaboration, innovation, and capacity building in smart agriculture, supporting sustainable agricultural development in Solomon Islands and contributing to regional food security and agricultural resilience.
ENDS//