The State Council of China has released a circular (the circular in Mandarin is available here) outlining a plan to build a National Technology Transfer System by 2025. This will take the shape of an ecosystem that promotes the continuous production of scientific and technological achievements and their diffusion and sharing across regions, borders and sectors, leading to the realisation of their economic and social value.
It sets a target of building a basic national technology transfer system and a market of technologies by 2020, embedded with market-oriented technological transfer institutions, and professionals and supported through extensive international cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative. Both government policy guidance and market incentives would play a role.
By 2025, a mature national system for technology transfer is expected to be in place, with various innovation entities coordinating with each other in an efficient way.
Improving the technology transfer system is supposed to be key to domestic innovation, economic and social development, and to supporting China's efforts to become a leading power in science and technology. Greater efforts will dedicated towards the development of technologies to improve people’s lives, by focusing on areas such as environment governance, targeted poverty alleviation, population and health, and public security.
Enterprises are being encouraged to take a major part in Research & Development (R&D) of potentially market-oriented technological projects. In addition, the national technology innovation centres and manufacturing innovation centres should support transfer and diffusion of key technologies.
Universities and research institutes are being encouraged to set up technology transfer institutions, and private intermediaries to provide professional services, such as intellectual property rights management, legal advice, asset evaluation and technical evaluation for technology transfer, under improved government guidance. The government also plans to promote evaluation of scientific research personnel in colleges, universities and scientific research institutes, based on the quality, contribution and performance of science and technology innovation.
The circular says that the government will strengthen the legal protection of trade secrets in the process of technology transfer, and establish a legal system for the establishment of a mechanism for the use of intellectual property rights. The banking sector and financial institutions will be encouraged to carry out internal and external investment pilots. Tax incentives could be provided to venture capital funds and angel investors for investments in seed stage startups.
To build a uniform and open technological market, the circular urged setting up a national technology transaction network, and stepping up development of a technology market equipped with improved services.
The circular also stressed efforts to enrich the technology transfer talent pool as part of the strategy.
Science and technology researchers would be welcomed and supported in starting businesses, to transfer the research results from the laboratories to the market through setting up small and medium-sized enterprises. The creation of makerspaces and open innovation platforms will also be encouraged to bolster the startup ecosystem.
Channels for technology transfers should be expanded to increase the influence of the transfer system. For instance, sci-tech achievements from military departments will be utilised in the civilian arena and vice-versa.
The outline also talks about developing a better policy environment and stronger logistical support to ensure efficient operations.
