The Chinese Online Writing Lab

Common elements in correspondence that involves technical cooperation include:

Stating your organization’s intention of seeking cooperation

Simply stating the motivation behind your organization’s desire to form a cooperative relationship with another organization helps avoid future confusion. Examples are provided below:

“I’d like to propose a technological information exchange between our two organizations regarding environmental pollution prevention-waste minimization.”

“We are seeking potential licensors of the Autoclaved Lightweight Concrete (ALC) product technology on behalf of local manufacturers in Taiwan, R.O.C.”

“In addition to our in-house R&D, we are also considering the possibility of technology transfer, from a foreign company, of a technology that is ready for (or close to) commercialization and that is already under patent protection.”

“We are currently involved in a gear box development program and are seeking foreign partners who are capable of developing gear boxes or who can engage in a cooperative technical program with automotive manufacturers in the R.O.C.”

“We are anxious to develop long-lasting cooperative relationships with manufacturers such as yours.”

“We recognize that the continued sucess of our work depends on our sharing and exchanging experience with similar organizations.”

Giving background information about your organization (e.g., mission ,major activities, and achievements)

Providing background information about your organization allows the other party to know whether your interests and expertise are compatible with theirs:

“Our organization, Mechanical Industry Research Laboratories (MIRL), is a subsidiary of the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) established by the government of the Republic of China(R.O.C).”

“One of our missions is to aid the local industrial sector by upgrading technology levels. One of our strategies is to license technology from abroad.”

“The experimental results generated so far in this project have already been most helpful in Taiwan’s environmental protection work.”

Providing suggestions on how to initiate cooperation

“I am looking forward to hearing your ideas or suggestions regarding this information exchange opportunity. I would also like to arrange for a ten-day technical visit to your organization this upcoming May as the initial step of our cooperation.”

“If you are interested in licensing this technology, please send the above mentioned information to the above address for evaluation.”

“Further discussion, or a possible visit by members of ITRI to your production facility, would seem to be the appropriate next step.”

“I suggest that ABC Corporation send a technical expert to UCL before the end of July and give a presentation, regarding the product development of this technology, to our scientists and technical staff.”

“Please let me know if there are any areas of common interest you would like to discuss.”

Commending the achievements and reputation of an organization

Sincerely acknowledging or commending the other party’s success in a particular technology expresses your intention to contribute toward as well as learn from the collaborative relationship:

“Your corporation has a long tradition of providing outstanding engineering TP (e.g., Noryl) that has various properties and excellent quality.”

“ABC Corporation is recognized as the global leader in developing, producing and marketing transdermal drug delivery systems.”

“ABC’s Biotechnology Group has developed some interesting products that we would like to understand in more detail before reaching the licensing stage.”

“Stat-Rite 2300 is an excellent anti-static polymer that blends well with other thermoplastics and can be used in ESD applications. We believe that this permanent anti-static plastic has a strong market potential, especially in light of the emerging electronics industry in Taiwan.”

Describing the reason(s) for technical cooperation

More than merely attempting to describe your company’s interest, try to outline specific plans or describe what has been achieved so far:

“A new facility is to be established in Taiwan to design, develop and produce auto transmission parts. Therefore, we are seeking partners for technical cooperation through licensing and joint venture agreements.”

“We are currently involved in a gear box development program and are seeking foreign partners who are capable of developing gear boxes or who can engage in a cooperative technical program with automotive manufacturers in the R.O.C.

Additional instruction can be found in the accompanying Power Point presentation.

Further practice can be found in A Correspondence Manual for Chinese Technical Writers by Ted Knoy.