GUANGZHOU, China, April 9, 2021 — A high-level "science-centered" conference was held lately in Nansha District, Guangzhou, aiming to discuss policies recently introduced by the district government in the report the 16 scientific and technological innovation policies on supporting the transformation of Nansha Science City into the main comprehensive national science center of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (the 16 scientific and technological innovation policies for short), according to the People’s Government of Nansha District. The conference was also an invitation to the global science and technology innovation (STI) professionals and enterprises, whose cooperation with Nansha will inject impetus to the progress of human civilization.
Planned to cover an area of 99 square kilometers, Nansha Science City is jointly established by Guangzhou Municipal Government and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), integrating science and education. It is expected to serve as an important platform for the frontier research, basic research and high-tech innovation in the Greater Bay Area. The City is built upon the objective to establish a "Centenary Science City" set by Guangzhou Municipal Government in early 2021.
According to Lu Yixian, secretary of Nansha District, Guangzhou, Nansha Science City should guarantee innovation development in all aspects: scientific discovery, technological invention, industrial development, professional support and ecological optimization, while fostering an ideal environment with concentrated innovation resources, active innovation subjects and efficient innovation mechanism.
"The Nansha Science City built by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Guangzhou Municipal Government aims to become an international first-class science city and an important source of original innovation. With original innovation as the new blood, Nansha witnesses an increasing number of emerging industries with strategic importance such as aerospace industry and marine economy," said Xie Ming, standing committee member and executive vice mayor of Nansha District.
The 16 scientific and technological innovation policies will facilitate the gathering and building of major technology infrastructures in Nanhai District, and will foster the establishment of scientific research platforms not only consistent with the industrial development orientation of the region, but also essential to the STI.
Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou) is an important scientific research platform jointly established by Nansha District Government, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), and Guangzhou Municipal Government. It focuses on major scientific and technological tasks such as sustainable exploitation of marine islands and reefs, sustainable use of resources and ecologically sustainable development. Zhang Si, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and the director of the Laboratory, said in the conference that the Laboratory will work on the major scientific facilities of the cold seep ecosystem, which will support the natural gas hydrate exploitation with long-term observation and real-time early warning throughout the process, so as to ensure a safe, clean, economic and sustainable utilization of hydrate resources.
Three major science and technology infrastructure pre-research projects, including the cold spring ecosystem research device and dynamic wide area hypersonic wind tunnel, are reported to have started in August last year. Soft foundation treatment and foundation pit are expected to be completed by the first half of the year.
While enterprises are home to STI, high-end professionals are the key to these innovations. According to Xie Jiasheng, CEO of Guangdong Medical Valley Investment Management Co., Ltd. (GDMV), Nanshan government provides substantial support for the STI enterprises and professionals, incentivizing companies to bring in talents. It is reported that the 16 scientific and technological innovation policies have stepped up the talent attraction effort by providing high-quality education for the children of the introduced professionals, granting them qualification to apply for Guangzhou Talent Green Card and equal civic rights as locals without changing their place of origin.
The transformation of technological achievements was also the focus in the conference. The 16 scientific and technological innovation policies will provide financial support for the local enterprises as they procure and industrialize scientific achievement from universities and scientific research institutes, which will accelerate the transformation of the sci-tech achievements from sample to product. The CAS Academician, Professor Chen Xinzi from Sun Yat-sen University stated that Nansha Research Institute of Sun Yat-Sen University has cultivated a group of enterprises with core competitiveness since its establishment in Nansha nine years ago. It has promoted the development of related industries, and formed a service system for the transformation of sci-tech achievements in drug industry featured by small-scale R&D, test, sample production and industrialization.
Companies have been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic since its outbreak, and those from Nansha District are no exception. Dr. Xiao Guowei, leader and founder of APT Electronics Co., Ltd., said that after the short but severe impact, APT has resolutely scaled up its input in R&D and accelerated product and industrial upgrade, so as to reverse the adverse market situation brought by the Trade War and the pandemic. So far, the company’s orders have been scheduled till the third quarter of 2021. The development of APT also demonstrates the advantage of the Greater Bay Area in the high-end manufacturing industry chain. Looking back at the company’s achievements, Xiao Guowei was grateful for Nansha Government for its support. He said that the key competitiveness of Nansha’s business environment lies in the enterprise-centered government-business relationship, together with the flexible and efficient government services.
According to Lu Yixian, Nansha will further strengthen the core position of innovation in the future of the district, promote the high-quality development of Nansha Science City, create a new blueprint for growth, contributing to the construction of an international scientific innovation center, and the innovation development of the Greater Bay Area.
