Presenting Hebei's vision of the future

Hebei is Province of Honor at this year’s Pujiang Innovation Forum. Shanghai Daily speaks to officials, researchers and entrepreneurs about its science and technology innovation.

Guo Yuming

Deputy director of Hebei Provincial Department of Science and Technology

Q: What are your expectations from this event? What impact do you think it will have on promoting coordinated regional development, optimizing resource allocation and creating new growth poles?

A: Hebei is the Province of Honor for the event and has the goal of “promoting new image, new ideas, launching new cooperation, expanding new platforms and gathering new momentum.”

At the opening ceremony of the forum, the provincial leaders gave keynote speeches to promote Hebei’s innovation foundation, development opportunities and future prospects as well as the achievements made in recent years amid the implementation of the innovation-driven development strategy. The forum gathers a group of high-ranking officials, academics and business leaders, especially Singapore as the guest of honor to participate in the forum, which brings new ideas and new experiences in coordinated regional development and innovative urban construction.

Hebei sent officials and experts to participate in regional (city) forums, policy forums and youth summits and conduct exchanges and interactions, which is of great significance to the implementation of the national strategy in Hebei.

We form a business delegation with entrepreneurs, professors, research fellows and officials of science and technology management departments to participate in the forum. We conduct exchanges with our sister provinces and cities and Singapore, the Country of Honor this year, in fields of sustainable environmental protection technology and medical and health science.

We will seek cooperation opportunities for business development and industrial innovation, and jointly promote the development of scientific and technological innovation and cooperation.

Based on the platform of the Pujiang Innovation Forum, we will expand cooperation and contacts with the participants of the Shanghai and Singapore forums, particularly in the construction of self-sufficient areas, major scientific research infrastructure and innovative city construction to establish a stable long-term cooperation mechanism.

It is believed that by participating in these activities, Hebei can learn from other provinces and countries in promoting coordinated regional development, optimizing the allocation of resources and creating new growth poles.

Q: What do you think is the key to the conversion of new and old momentum in Hebei? What are the roles of the private sector?

A: Scientific and technological innovation is a major driving force in promoting the emergence of new industries, new business models and new mode of economic development. Hebei is promoting economic and social development by switching from factor-driven, investment-driven to innovation-driven, thus forming a new driving force for the transformation of new and old momentum and accelerating high-quality development.

The private sector is a major force in building a beautiful Hebei with strong economy. Over the past 40 years of reform and opening-up, private businesses have expanded into almost all sectors in Hebei. Taking technology companies as an example, the proportion of private firms is about 90 percent. Private enterprises have become an important force to promote the transformation of new and old momentum.

To accelerate the development of the private sector, we should focus on developing a number of small and medium-sized science and technology enterprises and building a number of leading technology firms. For each startup, Hebei offers customized services.

Gao Jianfeng

President of the Hebei Institute of Science and Technology Innovation Strategy

Q: Please outline the measures taken by Hebei to promote scientific and technological achievements.

A: As for strengthening the guarantee of rule of law: In 2016, Hebei revised and promulgated the “Regulations on Promoting the Transformation of Scientific and Technological Achievements in Hebei Province” to make all-round institutional arrangements.

In 2017, Hebei revised and promulgated the “Hebei Patent Protection Regulations” to provide all-round legal protection to encourage invention and creation, promoting the transformation and application of patents, combating infringement, safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of patent-holders, and standardizing the management and service of patent work.

At present, Hebei is also implementing the “Regulations on Technology Market,” which regulate the technology market, guarantee the legitimate rights and interests of the parties involved in technology trading and promote technology transformation.

While focusing on the transformation and incubation of scientific and technological achievements from Beijing and Tianjin, Hebei also has a global vision to promote further opening-up and innovation.

Hebei is preparing two new platforms with high standards and high starting points. It will establish new models to attract more innovative achievements from home and abroad.

One of the platforms is Hebei Institute of Industrial Technology, which will combine government support and market operation, highlight technological innovation and industrial development and accelerate the transformation of scientific research achievements to real productive forces. The other is Hebei Science and Technology Achievement Exhibition and Trading Center, which will adopt a market-oriented operation mechanism to build a large platform for displaying and trading scientific and technological achievements, gathering innovative resources, transforming innovative achievements, integrating innovative elements and serving innovative subjects. It will gradually become a large national technology trading market and international technology transformation platform.

Hua Changchun

Dean of the School of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, Yanshan University

Q: As a research fellow, are you benefiting from the policies and measures introduced and implemented by Hebei Province? What advice do you have for the transformation of research achievements?

A: We must insist on and strengthen fundamental and forward-looking scientific and technological research and exploration, and must carry out a large number of fundamental scientific and technological achievements and technology reserves. We can’t measure the level of achievement transformation or evaluate the effect of scientific and technological achievements developed by universities and research institutes just by looking at the ratio of research transforming into business.

There are different measures for fundamental, forward-looking research, exploration and applicable science and technology research. The government shall formulate incentive policies for research fellows in fundamental and forward-looking scientific and technological research.

We shall make enterprises aware of the importance of science and technology for their development and technological innovation. The government shall formulate policies to guide and encourage enterprises to increase investment in R&D and introduce talent.

Last but not the least, we shall improve the construction of the science and technology financial service system and attract more venture capital and investment to incubate scientific and technological achievements.

Xiao Fei

General manager of Rentian Group

Q: What do you think is the key to mass entrepreneurship and innovation? What is the biggest advantage of Hebei?

A: The key to mass entrepreneurship and innovation is the cultivation of entrepreneurs and innovative talent. The greatest advantage of Hebei is to build the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei talent zone with the help of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei integration and coordinated development, so as to realize the symbiosis and co-prosperity of research fellows, entrepreneurs and the ecosphere of industrial technology.

Q: What are you looking forward to most during the Pujiang Innovation Forum this year?

A: Personally, I am interested in the release of the national science and technology industry policies and the sharing of the forward-looking achievements of scientists.