District of high-tech achievements
Seventy-eight projects sought approval as high-tech achievement transformation projects in Songjiang last year, up 30 percent on the year before. Among them, 52 were approved, ranking Songjiang fourth in the city in terms of high-tech achievement transformation.
That more science and technology achievements are generating economic return is closely related to efforts made by the Science and Technology Commission of Songjiang District.
ANPEL Laboratory and Technologies (Shanghai) is a chemical company based in the district’s Yexie Town that focuses on selling and carrying out research on chemicals, chemical reference substances, gas chromatography supplies and liquid chromatography supplies.
However, when the company applied for a high-tech achievement transformation project title for one of its projects for the first time, it was confronted with concerns from experts in the industry. The appraisal process halted.
The district’s science and technology commission, on hearing of the situation, invited experts from Shanghai Service Center for Transformation of New and High-tech Achievements to do a field study on the company.
“Experts from the service center, after hearing our detailed report, guided us to improve our submitted materials. The project finally got approved in April 2018,” said the project chief of ANPEL. “We feel so grateful for the district science and technology commission. Their sincere service contributed to the final approval by the city-level administrators. We are more determined to carry out the innovation course.”
ANPEL, after receiving their first approval, maintained their focus on science and technology research. By the end of 2018 another of the company’s projects was granted the title of high-tech achievement transformation project.
The follow-up period of an approved project takes time. To learn about a project’s management and development status during the period, Songjiang’s science and technology commission keeps in touch with companies through e-mails, short messages, phone and instant messaging software.
Its service yields fruit. High-tech firms increase their research and development investment and the process of intellectual property transformation quickens. Along with the generation of more and more high-tech products come substantial economic benefits.
So far Songjiang has 157 high-tech achievement transformation projects in their tracking period. In 2017 the 157 projects generated gross sales of 3.23 billion yuan (US$482.6 million) with net return reaching 918 million yuan and tax revenue 227 million yuan, up 16.6 percent, 38.6 percent and 51.3 percent respectively on the year before.
To make sure companies are informed about high-tech, talent and tax related policies, the science and technology commission also holds lectures and provides after-class tutoring.
A lecture on high-tech achievement transformation project confirmation policies was held at the conference room of Dongjing Town culture center on January 8. It was sponsored by the district science and technology commission and attended by directors and managers from almost 100 high-tech companies in the district.
“I had to listen well and make clear of the policies. In addition, I will teach related staffers of my company what I learned during the lecture,” said one manager at the lecture.
Attendees also took part in a Q&A session, consulting experts with questions like how to transform high-tech achievements, how to attract high-tech talent and how to protect and apply high-tech achievements.
Last year the science and technology commission held policy training in various communities and industrial parks in the district with about 600 companies participating.
“During the face-to-face interaction with companies, we encourage high-quality projects to seek approvals, so the success rate rises,” said an official with the Songjiang science and technology commission.