China Daily Global Edition (USA)
Optics pioneer pushing the boundaries of development
Since its establishment seven decades ago, the Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has been committed to boosting technological innovation, transforming research achievements and protecting intellectual property rights.
Since 2015, the CIOMP has successfully transformed 40 innovative achievements, involving 301 patents, with a cumulative transformation amount of 3.2 billion yuan ($484 million) and 1.5 billion yuan in rewards for scientific researchers.
“The CIOPM is known as the ‘cradle of optics’ in China,” said Chu Minghui, director of the intellectual property and achievement transformation division of the CIOPM.
Chu explained that over the past 70 years, the CIOPM has adhered to the “simultaneous development of research, production and learning” with scientific and technological innovation as its core.
It has participated in a number of major national engineering projects such as “manned spaceflight and lunar exploration project” and “high-scoring earth observation”.
Founded in 1952, the CIOPM is the first research institute established in the field of optics in China.
Entering the new era, the CIOPM has undertaken a large number of major national scientific research projects and key technical research tasks, and independently developed and completed the Tianwen-1 Mars high-resolution camera, the Gaofen-6 wide-format and highresolution camera, carbon satellite payloads, the Tianhui-1 stereo mapping camera, the Fengyun-3 series solar constant and ultraviolet monitoring instruments, the Tiangongultraviolet limb detector and the Chang’e-3 moon-based extreme ultraviolet optical camera.
At present, the institute is undertaking research and development tasks for a number of world-leading space optoelectronic payloads, such as sky survey optics facilities, space gravitational wave detection payloads, and the Lyman-alpha solar telescope.
“Our first patent application was on April 1, 1985, the day when China’s patent law was officially implemented.
“We submitted 11 patent applications on that day, covering optical design, optical measurement, mechanical processing and electronics,” Chu said.
Since then, the technical fields covered by the CIOPM have continuously expanded.
As of April, the institute has submitted more than 7,000 patent applications, of which more than 3,600 invention patents have been granted.
“The number of patents is an important manifestation of innovation to a certain extent, and with the continuous deepening of IP work, the management of the institute has gradually moved to a new level,” Chu said.
So far, the CIOPM has formed an innovative management structure led by the IP management department, with a team of commissioners and professional service agencies working together.
The institute passed the intellectual property management system certification in June 2019. With the in-depth implementation of this system, the CIOPM has improved quality and efficiency in practical work, strengthened the construction of IP informatization, cultivated professional teams and implemented IP management throughout the entire process of scientific research projects.
In terms of the work and effectiveness of the transformation of innovative achievements, the CIOPM gives full play to the advantages of technology, achievements, incubation and industrial agglomeration and offers the whole chain services.
In the past five years, the industrial system of the CIOPM has achieved a cumulative sales income of 7.2 billion yuan, provided more than 4,000 jobs, and successfully integrated scientific and technological advantages into local economic development.