Top talent key to innovation

The Hangzhou Binjiang High-tech Zone has made human resources the top priority for the development of technological innovation since it was founded in 1990.

As a national high-tech zone with support from the central, provincial and city governments, the zone has established a sound mechanism that encourages talent to start their own businesses and offers high-quality services for talent who want to settle down in the zone.

The zone boasts a talent pool of 190,000 people, including more than 4,000 innovative researchers and entrepreneurs who have returned to China after studying overseas, as well as 129 experts included in the national and provincial 1,000 Talent Plans.

In November 2009, the zone launched the 5050 Plan with the aim of attracting 50 topnotch experts and entrepreneurs studying overseas, and to help establish 50 enterprises whose revenue would each be more than 10 million yuan ($1.6 million) within five years.

Seven sessions of the plan have been launched. Initial funding of up to 10 million yuan will be granted to projects that are included in the plan.

Through the plan, the zone has introduced internationally renowned scientists and other overseas talent who have brought advanced technologies, projects or investment.

Such favorable government policies have helped the zone add top global talent to the local talent pool.

The zone invests 150 million yuan annually as an incentive fund for talent, and a series of events has also been held to help the talent recruit partners who specialize in technologies, management and investment.

The zone has also launched a host of policies that encourage college teachers and researchers from institutes to establish technology enterprises. Enterprises are also encouraged to set up research bases for academicians and postdoctoral researchers.

Policy support is available for enterprises in different stages of development. For start-ups with great potential, the zone offers guidance in such aspects as development space and marketing. For enterprises in the phase of leap-frog industrial development, the zone will reserve land for their further development and encourage them to tap bigger markets.

In 2014, the zone launched the CSSAUK High-Level Entrepreneurship Challenge with the Chinese Students and Scholars Association UK.

Moreover, the zone has hosted a range of conference and forums, including the China Internet Forum Conference and the CSSAUK High-Level Entrepreneurs Summit Forum, which attracted the participation of domestic and foreign academics and industry insiders.

An investment and financing salon is held every Thursday at the Overseas High-level Talents Innovation Park in the zone. Thirty-five sessions have been staged. Venture investment institutions have signed agreements for 15 projects at the salon, with the highest investment worth 30 million yuan.

The zone has also established cooperation with Hangzhou Bank, which grants interest-free loans to high-tech medium and small-sized enterprises.

Moreover, the zone has staged job fairs for more than 10 consecutive years to help enterprises find quality employees.

The zone has also established seven innovation incubators, including the 5050 Plan Accelerator, through cooperation with professional facilities.

dongjidong@chinadaily.com.cn