Dairy experts and industry leaders from around the world gathered at Yili Future Intelligence & Health Valley in Hohhot for the third Annual Conference of the National Dairy Technology Innovation Center on Sept 27.

Led by Yili Group, the center has aligned with the needs of the entire dairy industrial chain, providing solid and precise support through full-chain innovation over the past three years.

A delegation of experts from universities, associations, and medical institutions also toured the valley, gaining first-hand insights into how cutting-edge technologies are transformed from laboratory breakthroughs into large-scale industrial applications.

Anchoring frontier research to strengthen innovation foundations

The center's R&D personnel test the relevant indicators of dairy cows. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The center spearheaded the creation of the world's first Mongolian Plateau Livestock Germplasm Resource Bank and Regional Dairy Cattle Breeding Database, which has preserved 175 breeds and 75,262 genetic resources, achieving 100 percent coverage of the Mongolian Plateau. With more than one million core dairy cattle data entries, it is now the largest regional dairy cattle breeding database in China.

Breaking foreign monopolies in deep processing technologies

The center's R&D personnel exchange views on deep processing technology and procedures. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Lactoferrin, often referred to as "gold in milk", supports immune balance. Extracting just 1 kilogram requires around 10 metric tons of raw milk, and related processing technologies had long been monopolized by foreign enterprises. Together with Yili, the center developed advanced separation and preparation techniques, which boosted lactoferrin retention in UHT (Ultra-High Temperature) milk from 10 percent to over 90 percent.

Highlighting this achievement, the prestigious international journal Nature has published a special issue, Focus on Dairy Research in China, showcasing the synergy between Chinese scientific research and industrial practice.

Yili Modern Intelligent Health Valley: Translating innovation into consumer benefits

The Natural Cheese Manufacturing Benchmark Base in Yili Future Intelligence & Health Valley. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Among the ten key innovations recently released in the valley, several have already achieved large-scale commercialization.

The valley houses China's largest and most comprehensive intelligent deep-processing factory – the Phase III Natural Cheese Plant. Equipped with multiple cutting-edge processing technologies, it serves as a production hub for high-value dairy products, including lactoferrin and demineralized whey, bringing innovation-driven health benefits to millions of consumers.