On 5 September 2026, Valerian Katamadze, Founder and CEO of Blueberry Valley and Co-founder and Board Member of the Georgian Blueberry Growers Association, visited Shandong Institute of Pomology in Tai'an, China.
The meeting was chaired by Prof. Li Guotian, Deputy Director of the Institute. Prof. Zhang Anning, Deputy Secretary, introduced the Institute's development, research teams, international cooperation and work in transferring research into practice. Prof. Liu Qingzhong presented developments in Shandong's blueberry industry, cultivation techniques and intelligent management of protected production systems.
From research exchange to field validation
Discussions covered modern berry cultivation, smart orchards and opportunities for international research cooperation. According to the Institute's official report, the parties expressed preliminary interest in cooperation on international projects, fruit variety introduction and breeding, and a China–Georgia academic forum.
The Institute's participants also included Dr. Chen Qiming, Deputy Section Chief for Science and Technology Management; Associate Professors Dr. Zhu Dongzi and Dr. Qiao Qian; and Research Assistant Mr. Wang Gang.
Other participants included Dr. Yang Shiying of Hangjingfeng (Nantong) Technology Co., Ltd.; Mr. Yang Xiangling, Chairman, and Mr. Yang Ruiqi, Manager, of Beijing Aohé Soil and Fertilizer Testing Industry Chain Co., Ltd.; and Mr. Hu Zhaolei, Chairman of Shandong Qichen Agricultural Co., Ltd.
Research infrastructure and propagation
The programme included visits to the Institute's laboratories and Jinniushan Experimental and Demonstration Base. The wider visit also included Qichen Blueberry Seedling Base, providing an opportunity to examine propagation infrastructure and seedling production practices.
Follow-up discussions are continuing on varieties, propagation quality, licensing, phytosanitary documentation and the feasibility of a small trial batch for Georgia. These discussions remain exploratory; no formal research partnership or commercial supply agreement is implied at this stage.
