Center to help R&D, tech launch into profits
A new innovation promotion center focusing on civil-military industrial integration is expected to have a major impact in unlocking commercially viable projects in the sector.
The center will be officially unveiled in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, during the Qian Xuesen Forum on Jan 21.
Its director, Shen Xiankang, said the Aerospace Civil-Military Integration (Shenzhen) Innovation Acceleration Center would work to help commercialize a raft of “sleeping” research and development achievements.
An important part of the center’s efforts will be to promote the securitization of IP assets, which combines IP commercialization and innovation in financing, he noted.
The new facility is jointly founded by the China Aerospace Academy of Systems Science and Engineering, one of the forum’s co-organizers, and an equity investment company in Shenzhen.
With tens of thousands of declassified space technologies, the center will launch an intellectual property trading system, using a database concerning technologies for both civilian and military use, as well as related business projects, Shen said.
“We are exploring new mechanisms in R&D and operations to improve civil-military integration and coordinated innovation,” he added.
He said promoting the industrialization of militaryturned-civilian space technologies — and incubating related businesses — will attract more high-tech professionals and teams to Shenzhen, thereby boosting the growth of related industries in the city.
Academy President Xue Huifeng said it was common across the country for incentives and support to cluster around scientific discoveries and technological innovation.
But Xue added that when it comes to commercialization and industrialization of the results — which is more risky and needs more financial commitment than previous stages — investors hesitate to move further.
The veteran expert called on government departments, venture capital companies and research institutes to work together to address the problem and create an environment optimal for sustained innovation.
The forum where the inauguration will take place was named after late scientist Qian Xuesen, celebrated as the founder of China’s space industry, who led the country’s research into rockets and satellites.
The upcoming event will provide insights into innovation-driven growth and civilmilitary cooperation in technological and industrial development, said Yuan Jianhua, chief engineer at the academy.
Experts will exchange views on quantum communications, internet safety, new materials and artificial intelligence.
More than 20 investment projects featuring civil-military integration will be launched during the forum to seek partners. Five or six of these will give roadshow presentations.
The forum is a key part of an identically named think tank, which has scores of members from the Chinese academies of sciences and engineering, as well as more than 150 experts enrolled in the Changjiang Scholars Program and the national Recruitment Program of Global Experts.