Robert Howard Grubbs is an American chemist and the co-recipient of the 2005 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work on olefin metathesis. He is a co-founder of Materia, a University spin-off startup that produces catalysts.  

In 2016, at the invitation of the Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), Professor Grubbs established the Grubbs Institute in Shenzhen, the first research institution named after a Nobel Prize winner on the Chinese mainland. 

This is the first time Professor Grubbs has attended the China Hi-Tech Fair in Shenzhen. He said there are two reasons for his participation: one is the Grubbs Institute he set up with SUSTech to develop catalysts for new materials and the second is his eagerness to learn more about Shenzhen, showcase Chinese research technology to the world and promote communication through the fair.  

Professor Grubbs started his research in catalysts at the age of 27 and the most immediate influence that his research may bring to people's lives lies in that his work could help develop drugs to treat hepatitis C. In addition, he said that his research developments can be widely used in other research into new materials, new drugs and new energy sources.