In the process of transfer and transformation of technology results, building a “chain bridge” represents an indispensable link for building a whole-chain innovation system to realize shift from R&D to product application.
Recently, Songshan Lake has released “Dongguan Songshan Lake’s Implementation Measures on Promoting Transfer and Transformation of Technology Results” (hereinafter referred to as the “Measures”), accurately implementing policies for various innovation carriers in the industrial zone. Strong support is extended to introduction and settlement of excellent technology results, building of generic technology platform and pilot-scale test base, sharing of application scenarios of frontier technologies and construction of technology transfer service system to facilitate transfer of technology results and improvement of quality and effectiveness.
Dependent on major platforms to support settlement of technology results.
Inside the laboratory of the lithium-ion battery material research team of Songshan Lake Materials Laboratory (hereinafter referred to as the “Laboratory”) lies a pilot-scale production line consisting of a dozen sets of equipment. The line can produce cathode materials weighing a hundred kilograms each day. Over a thousand of battery samples are also experiencing experiments such as charge-discharge on testing equipment to test technology performance of new type of electrode materials.
Laboratory of the lithium-ion battery material research team
The lithium-ion battery material research team was one of the first batch of innovation sample works projects settled in the Laboratory, mainly specializing in research of cathode and anode materials land their applied technology. The energy of lithium-ion battery is expected to improve by 40% by utilizing the new type of materials developed by the team with the cost being lowered by 30%. Clean energy will have a broader application.
The Laboratory is now exploring a whole-chain innovation pattern featuring “frontier basic research→applied basic research→industrial technology research→industrial transformation”. Among which, through projects of innovation sample works, totally 25 excellent teams have been introduced with 25 industrialized companied being registered and established.
Songshan Lake Materials Laboratory
“With distinctive resource advantage, Songshan Lake can realize high-quality development throough utilization of high-end innovation resources such as scientific apparatus and major innovation platforms and facilitation of settlement and transformation of technology results.” According to people in charge from Songshan Lake Science and Education Bureau, the “Measures” lays special emphasis on settlement of major technology results. Among which, credit for industrialization investment exceeds 30 million yuan (after deduction of investment in land and various fiscal subsidies) with a maximum subsidy of 5 million yuan.
Apart from apparatus and platforms, Songshan Lake also boasts 23 provincial new type of research institutes, which have also provided powerful resources for transformation of technology results. Among which, Dr. Ma Xiuquan, introduced by Guangdong Intelligent Robotics Institute, has led the high-power fiber laser team in establishing Guangdong GZ Photonics Technology Co., Ltd., advancing industrialization of laser and laser processing techniques.
According to the “Measures”, Songshan Lake supports new type of research institutes in carrying out works of transformation of technology results dependent on innovation resources of higher institutions and research institutes. They are entitled to a maximum subsidy of one million yuan according to the actual investment.
Fully utilizing “open” resources to unleash innovation of enterprises
Founded in 2019, Hengtong Xijiao Intelligent Machine (Guangdong) Co., Ltd. mainly deals with 3D printing, development, design, production and selling of additive manufacturing equipment. The company is now combing advantages of additive manufacturing process equipment and materials to constantly search for fit points with traditional industries and exploring intermediate zones among research results, research personnel and market demands.
“Transformation of technology results represent a necessary part of innovation. The policy supports construction of pilot-scale test base, which can serve to consolidate foundation for transformation of technology results,” said Wang Xiaobei, General Manager of the company.
According to Chen Dongmin, Deputy Director of Songshan Lake Materials Laboratory, transformation of results is by no mean easy but requires an innovation ecology. Songshan Lake now enjoys a sound R&D foundation and can further take stock and integrate existing resources. Enterprises are not only encouraged to build public technology platforms but also encouraged to capitalize on these open equipment and resources, allowing more efficient and lower costs of results transfer and transformation in Songshan Lake.
In the meantime, to realize results transformation, he also said that aside from bringing into play the existing carriers to improve innovation ecology, the enterprises being introduced should also complement with the existing industrial resources. Currently, the pilot zone (Songshan Lake Science City) of the comprehensive national science center in the Greater Bay Area is making efforts on three fronts, namely information, life science and new materials. It should strive to become an advantageous field of Songshan Lake’s results transfer. Moreover, efforts should be made to further overcome difficulties in critical areas in terms of policy orientation. “Songshan Lake needs to coordinate resources, explore and utilize advantages of various parties in the ecological system to build several innovation clusters with distinctive features and considerable influence.”
The porous ceramics team of Songshan Lake Materials Laboratory carrying out test
Presently, Songshan Lake Materials Laboratory has built public technology platforms such as neutron science platform, material preparation and characterization platform, micromanufacturing and component platform, material calculation and data base platform targeted at material design, preparation, processing, characterization, measurement and simulation. These platforms not only provide strong support for frontier and applied research of the Laboratory, but also offer common technology services for surrounding universities, research institutes and enterprises in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao.
According to the “Measures”, Songshan Lake encourage higher institutions, research institutes and enterprises to carry out cooperation in technology development with enterprises in the city. They are entitled to a maximum reward of one million yuan. Higher institutions, research institutes and leading enterprises are encouraged to collaborate in building public technology platforms and pilot-scale test bases in key areas such as new generation of information technology with a maximum subsidy of 50 million yuan. Large enterprises are encouraged to share with small- and medium-sized enterprises their production or testing scenarios with a maximum subsidy of 2 million yuan.
In July 2020, Zhejiang University of Technology and Guangdong Qunxin Industrial technology Collaboration Innovation Research Institute Co., Ltd. jointly founded Zhejiang University of Technology Guangdong Qunxin Research Institute to promote in-depth industry-university-research-application cooperation and transformation of technology results by closely pivoting around the positioning of “serving R&D and innovation of small- and medium-sized enterprises”.
“The launch of the ‘Measures’ is perfectly in time and necessary,” said Fang Jiongjun, Executive Director of Guangdong Qunxin Industrial technology Collaboration Innovation Research Institute . The policy covers aspects such as settlement of technology results, technology collaboration and innovation, building of public technology platforms and revitalization of the transaction market, which can transform more technology results into production forces.
Pooling resources of innovation and entrepreneurship to build efficient transformation mechanism
With 12 new type of research institutes, over 5,000 sets of research instrument and equipment, over 200 research platforms and convergence of various innovation factors, Songshan Lake International Innovation Entrepreneurship Community (hereinafter referred to as the “Community”) has emerged as an important platform for the “last kilometer” in transforming technology results. In January this year, the “intelligent manufacturing innovation factory” and four other innovation factories were unveiled, which will help more innovation teams to transform their ideas into “products”.
Energy materials and component innovation factory
According to the “Measures”, to encourage Community building, Songshan Lake encouraged new type of research institutes and enterprises to build innovation factories with those carrying out construction of innovation factories being entitled to a maximum subsidy of 2 million yuan.
“In essence, transfer and transformation of technology results require an efficient R&D system and mechanism.” Just as Chen Dongmin has mentioned, R&D foundation, public technology platforms, capital support, market alignment, talent wisdom, high-end services, etc. are all indispensable conditions for improving ecology of results transformation. At the same time, the constant improvement of platforms of results transformation will also pool innovation resources such as talents.
The “Community” has now introduced talent nurturing and technology service platforms such as national technology transfer cultivation base, Dongguan Renowned University Postgraduate Cultivation and Development Center and Songshan Lake Intellectual Property Right Comprehensive Service Center, which provides strong support for transformation of technology results.
According to the “Measures”, with regard to improving supporting services, the industrial zone will continue supporting opening and sharing of research instrument and equipment, rewarding and introducing service institutes of technology transfer, nurturing of talents in technology transfer and practice. These efforts will allow transformation of technology results to unleash fresh vitality on a constant basis.