Enterprise thrives on innovation

Science and Technology Minister Wan Gang said on Friday that innovation should be combined with market demand and business models.

"This is what we are doing now," said Li Zhencai, executive vice-president of Shenyang Yuanda Science and Technology Park in Shenyang, capital of Liaoning province.

The park, with more than 700 researchers in a variety of fields, belongs to Shenyang Yuanda Enterprise Group, one of the top 500 Chinese private enterprises in the manufacturing industry. It focuses on transforming research achievements into products. Technical and research staff can benefit from their new products not only in reputation but also in terms of income.

According to Li, an R&D team can sell a new technology or product it develops to other subsidiaries of Yuanda Group and there is an extra income for R&D staff, while the R&D team can get a certain percentage of the sales revenue.

By the end of this year, the park is expected to win 41 new technologies technology transfer contracts valued at around 50 million yuan ($8.2 million).

Li Xionghao is one of the beneficiaries. He signed four technology transfer contracts worth 13.25 million yuan on Thursday.

The 47-year-old is the director of the park's environmental science research institute. Due to the attractive operating mechanism, he quit his job in Hubei province to move to Shenyang.

"I'm really happy that the results of our research can be real products. I think that's the dream of all R&D personnel," Li said.

Shao Jianbing, a professor of economics at Liaoning University, said this is a new business model of the commercialization of research achievements in China. Shao said it can inspire researchers to develop new technology and products that meet market demand because their income is related to product sales.

"Now, the park only serves Yuanda Group. In the future, we are planning to set it as an open R&D platform and business incubator for the whole province or even the whole country," said Li Zhencai.