From 7 to 9 November, the Oil Crops Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (OCRI-CAAS), together with the American Oil Chemists’ Society (AOCS) China Section and other partners, hosted in Wuhan the 8th International Symposium on Lipid Science and Health and the 5th Annual Meeting of the AOCS China Section. More than 400 experts, scholars, and industry representatives from 12 countries—including China, the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Finland, Japan, and Malaysia—gathered to discuss the theme “New Quality Productive Forces Empowering the Sustainable Development of the Oilseed Lipid Industry.” Leaders from the Bureau of International Cooperation, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), the Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of Hubei Province, the Hubei Provincial Center for International Exchanges, and the Wuhan Science and Technology Innovation Bureau, among others, attended the meeting.

The conference brought together leading experts and industry representatives in lipid science and health research, who delivered more than 180 academic presentations across 12 areas, including lipid resources and evaluation; lipid analysis and characterization; lipid structure and physicochemical properties; lipid biosynthesis and regulation; lipid preparation and utilization; lipid flavor and perception; and lipid nutrition and health. Key speakers included Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) and Professor Li Peiwu (OCRI-CAAS), Academician of the CAE and Professor Xue Changhu (Ocean University of China), Academician of the Finnish Academy and Professor Yang Baoru, and Academician of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia and Professor Tan Chin Ping.

During the meeting, new member institutions were admitted to the International Innovation Alliance, including Cornell University, Ghent University, the University of Saskatchewan, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and the State Key Laboratory of Woody Oil Resources Utilization. A China–New Zealand intergovernmental international cooperation project was launched, and more than 50 newly issued national and industry standards in the oilseed and edible oils sector were introduced and disseminated. Parallel events—including the China–Japan Forum on Lipids and Health and the China–ASEAN Future Lipid Science and Technology Forum—were also held, further advancing regional collaborative innovation under the Belt and Road framework.

Since 2016, OCRI-CAAS has hosted the symposium for eight consecutive editions. The event has become an important international platform for academic exchange in lipid science and nutrition and health, playing a significant role in promoting lipid-related scientific and technological innovation, platform development, talent exchange and training, and the high-quality development of the broader health industry.