New Area builds up reform zone to attract experts
Government invites and cultivates specialists in northeastern city, Chen Meiling reports.
Changchun New Area will provide 200 million yuan ($29 million) to construct a professionals reform experimental area, according to Li Zhongbin, director of Changchun New Area’s administrative committee in Changchun, capital of Northeast China’s Jilin province.
“We will invite more international professionals to play a role in the planning, design and construction of the international ports and business districts in the new area,” said Li, who is also a member of the Party’s standing committee of the city of Changchun, at the annual working conference about human resource management held in early March.
Changchun was approved by the State Council to develop Changchun New Area, the 17th national new area, in February 2016.
The whole area comprises four districts of Changchun with a planned area of 499 square kilometers, aiming to play a pivotal role in revitalizing Northeast China and implementing China’s Belt and Road Initiative, officials said at a conference for planning the construction of the new area held in October 2016.
The area hopes to attract and cultivate more experts in 2017 to establish itself as a key hub in China’s openingup to the world.
Li said: “In 2017, we will attract more experts who are good at the construction of industrial parks, development of emerging industries and scientific research to accelerate construction of the 10 industrial parks.
“We will also invite and cultivate professionals to help with infrastructure construction, environmental protection and improvement of public welfare.”
More than 6,000 high-level professionals were introduced to Changchun New Area last year, along with about 650 executive managers and 750 entrepreneurs, with a total fund of 110 million yuan, according to Li.
Professionals benefit
Fifteen professionals were enlisted at the sixth Changbai Wisdom Valley Program in March, including those in the biochemical, new material, aerospace, automobile and animation industries.
The Changbai Wisdom Valley Program awarded individuals and teams that have made achievements in innovation, entrepreneurship or management.
Xuan Ming, one of the professionals listed, and his 14 team members launched China’s first self-made, high-resolution commercial satellite — also the first satellite named after a province — the JILIN-1, in October 2015. He said the local government has provided support to the company since the day it settled in Changchun New Area.
“The office building of our company was the highest in the region, in which the temperature and humidity are carefully controlled,” Xuan said. “The local government built this specially-designed building to meet the demand of satellites’ research and development.”
Zhang Lihua, one of the first entrepreneurs listed at the Changbai Wisdom Valley Program, founded Changchun Boli Electronic Technology Co Ltd to provide high-end technical services for Intel Corporation and Qualcomm Inc. The profits made from the company’s exports rank second among software export enterprises in the whole province. He was also listed on the Thousand Talents Program.
According to a draft policy on attracting high-level professionals, released by the local government, leading overseas professionals or high-level and innovative experts will be eligible for financial support from the government, ranging from 500,000 to 2 million yuan, given either freely or in the form of shareholding. They will also be supported by preferential policies in accommodation, employment of spouses and children’s schooling.
Yao Hongtao, a professional listed in the fifth Changbai Wisdom Valley Program in December 2015, said the policies, funds and services helped turn scientific research into real products.
Yao previously worked as a senior engineer in California’s Silicon Valley, with 17 years of experience in the development of integrated circuit products. He returned to China in 2011 and founded Jilin Pixelbay Microelectronics Technology Co Ltd in 2015.
“Proper finance is the key to mass production of our products. At the most difficult time, I received financial support from three programs of the Changbai Wisdom Valley Program, worth more than 10 million yuan. That enabled me to do what I wanted in the market,” he said. Looking forward
Li Zhongbin said the government will further promote the introduction of overseas talents through events such as talks with overseas professionals and cooperative projects.
The new area has signed cooperative agreements with five overseas associations, including the Elite Pioneer Association based in Chicago. The liaison office of the Northeastern Asia branch of the United World Chinese Association was settled in the new area in October 2016, laying the foundation to attract more overseas high-level professionals, Li said.
Li said 70 major projects and about 200 incubating projects were launched in 2016.
In cooperation with a local Puren International Medical and Health City project, the new area will construct a medical industrial base focused on the prevention and treatment of tumors.
The new area has signed deals with Windecker (China) Ltd to engage in a general aviation manufacturing projects. More than 20 key members of its work team have more than 30 years of experience in general aviation, including US chief designer John Roncz.
Li said technical platforms for the development of new materials, ecological agriculture and biological medicine were established in the area, along with makerspaces and incubators for business startups.
The new area is preparing to broaden channels of introduction for professionals. The area will determine the actual demand for experts and cooperation with specialized recruitment websites.
The new area has set up a 50 million yuan fund to support a Changchun Overseas Talents Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition. It will also organize the 2017 Changchun Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition to select high-level professionals and projects to begin their businesses in the area, he said.
The new area has also hastened construction of scientific enterprise incubators. The first phase of Beihu Science Park has been completed, attracting 20 high-tech projects to settle down in the park. More than 10 science and technology incubators have been set up, including the Yitian Silicon Valley New City and the Cross-Straits Youth Startup Park.
Science and technology development has been supported by financial growth in the area. The Changchun Science and Technology Resource Information Market formally settled down in the new area, along with more than 60 science and technology intermediary agencies, resulting in technology deals worth more than 10 billion yuan.
A total of 13 banks granted an additional loan of 280 million yuan to enterprises in the area through financing platforms, helping eight enterprises to be listed on the New Third Board. Please contact the writer at chenmeiling@chinadaily.com.cn