Kathmandu— China is leveraging its three major international science and technology (sci-tech) innovation centers—located in Beijing, Shanghai, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area—to boost new quality productive forces by tapping into their respective strengths. This strategy aims to foster industrial upgrading and enhance research and development (R&D) capabilities across these regions.

Progress in Innovation Centers

Chen Baoming, director of the Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China under the Ministry of Science and Technology, highlighted that Beijing's R&D intensity has remained around 6 percent, with the city leading globally in the number of highly cited scientists. Shanghai excels in producing original achievements in physics, chemistry, and life sciences. The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area leads the country in high-tech enterprises and Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) patent applications.

Commercialization Efforts

Yi Tong, director of the Institute for Innovation Development Strategy at Beijing Academy of Science and Technology, noted that Beijing has been accelerating the commercialization of research outcomes by building a range of innovation platforms. Zha Hao, chairman and CEO of Shanghai Smartlogic Technology Ltd., observed firsthand how Shanghai's policies have benefited companies like his through initiatives connecting firms with real-world applications.

Structural Upgrading in Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area

Professor Zhang Zhengang from South China University of Technology stated that the high-end manufacturing sector in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area has shifted focus from scale expansion to structural upgrading. The area is exploring a model where research and development occur in Hong Kong and Macao, while commercialization takes place on the mainland. Five Hong Kong universities have established technology commercialization platforms in Qianhai, Shenzhen, incubating over 150 sci-tech projects.

Looking ahead, experts called for greater focus on basic research, major scientific facilities, and the commercialization of research outcomes to strengthen these centers' role as sources of original innovation.

(With inputs from Xinhua)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.