BEIJING - The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), the country's top research institution, on Saturday formed an alliance with 17 provincial academies of sciences to share resources and improve innovation.

Through the alliance, the provincial institutions can take part in nationwide or regional research programs and contribute their expertise, CAS President Bai Chunli said at the founding ceremony.

The state and provincial institutions will pool their resources, such as databases and labs, and improve exchanges among research fellows, which will improve the quality of research and offer benefits in the training of young scientists, he said.

The CAS currently has about 50,000 researchers, including 727 academicians, 12 branches, 100 research institutes and more than 100 state-level labs.

While the CAS mainly focuses on state research programs, provincial academies of sciences, sponsored by provincial governments, concentrate more resources on technology that meets local needs.