Shenzhen: Boosting Confidence in Doing Research
Researchers test the equipment used for synthetic biology research at a laboratory of Guangming Science City in Shenzhen. (PHOTO: XINHUA)
By CHEN Chunyou
In early June, Guangming Science City in northwest Shenzhen rolled out a new regulation, aimed at empowering the city with more freedom to clear the bottlenecks hindering its reform and development, and establish a new operation and management mechanism to drive innovation performance of researchers, research institutes and enterprises.
Construction of the Guangming Science City began in 2019 and the new regulation has come at a time when construction is proceeding rapidly.
The regulation made detailed provisions on the layout, cultivation and construction of major scientific and technological infrastructure and cutting-edge cross-research platforms, while calling for building general and special research facilities for frontier fields such as information, life sciences and new materials.
It encourages research institutes engaged in basic, cutting-edge and public welfare research in Guangming Science City to explore a more flexible budget management system.
Of particular note, in order to ensure an efficient flow of innovation factors, the regulation requires implementing convenient customs clearance policies in the import and export of instruments used for research, teaching, calibration and testing.
Guangming Science City will also explore a more active, open and effective talent policy, and implement a demand-based talent exchange program. Researchers there will enjoy greater freedom in allocating their funds and choosing the research routes of technology, according to the regulation.
The new regulation has created a stable environment for researchers, and boosted confidence in doing research, said Tu Huan, deputy director of Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, noting that some improvements in scientific and technological innovation, intellectual property rights, and commercialization of research results have been made in the regulation, which is very beneficial to research institutes.
