On September 30, 2019, Guangzhou promulgated Three-year Action Plan of Guangzhou for S&T Innovation (2019-2021), kicking off eight actions including “enhancing the major basic S&T innovative platforms” and aiming to make Guangzhou a leading city in S&T innovation by early 2021.

Overall Goal

First, Guangzhou will initially establish itself as a leading city in S&T innovation by 2021 in addition to becoming an international S&T innovation hub and an international S&T industrial innovation center. The city will see significantly improved original innovation capacity and smooth translation of S&T research results. It will become an important engine of China in international competition of S&T innovation through the agglomeration of leading hi-tech companies and high-end talents, the well-established high-end, high-quality and Hi-tech industries and incubation system, as well as dynamic VC investment environment. By then, the city’s total R&D fund will account for 3.1% of its GDP, with the contribution of S&T progress up to approximately 65%.

Second, Guangzhou will basically establish itself as a leading city in S&T innovation by 2025. It will become one of the international leaders in basic research and original innovation, and the “radiant pole” for exporting China’s important core technologies. With a number of high-end industrial clusters of global influence, the city will become a convergence point for global financial capital and high-end talents.

Third, Guangzhou will establish itself as a leading city in S&T innovation in all aspects by 2035. It will become home to  world-class universities, research institutes and innovative companies, while S&T and talents become the most important strategic assets for the city’s development. It will realize all-round innovation and high-quality development through S&T innovation.

Eight Major Actions

(1) Enhancing major basic S&T innovation platforms

Guangzhou will bring together large-scale scientific facilities, important innovation platforms and world-class R&D labs to create a comprehensive national science center in the Guangdong – Hong Kong – Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). By the end of 2021, the city will start preparation for one national laboratory, and build three provincial laboratories and 22 State Key Laboratories, and establish the city’s first national large-scale scientific facility.

(2) Making breakthroughs with core technologies

A research system for basic sciences will be established with breakthroughs in cutting-edge and leading core technologies, as well as significant S&T results and independent intellectual property rights. By the end of 2021, R&D fund and expenditures for basic sciences will reach 14% of the city’s total R&D expenditures, and 20 world’s leading innovation teams for cutting-edge technology will be identified.

(3) Transferring and translating S&T results

Channels, platforms and systems for transferring and translating S&T results will be continuously improved. By the end of 2021, the total contractual value for technology transfer will exceed 120 billion yuan and the number of trained professionals in technology transfer will reach 600.

(4) Incubating and upgrading innovative companies

The incubation system will be improved to enhance the quantity and quality of the innovative companies and bring their innovative capacity and core competitiveness to a new level.  By the end of 2021, the city will have over 12,000 Hi-tech companies, with outputs of Hi-tech products accounting for 51% of the total of industrial enterprises above designated size, and 10,000 companies under incubation.

(5) Supporting and guiding industrial technologies

The platform for industrial technology innovation will be continuously improved and quality of the industrial technology innovation significantly upgraded. By the end of 2021, the city will create one national technology innovation center, one national industrial innovation center, one to two national manufacturing innovation centers or divisions, and 35 national enterprise technological centers.

(6) Optimizing structure of innovative industries

A framework of innovative industrial system will be initially established, with advanced manufacturing, strategic emerging industries and Hi-tech industries as the new pillars. By the end of 2021, the added value of the city’s strategic emerging industries will amount to 450 billion yuan, over 12% of industrial enterprises above designated size undergo technological transformation, and 70.5% added value of the service industries come from modern service industries.

(7) Open and innovative cooperation for mutual benefits

More international cooperation on S&T innovation and more collaboration with inland Chinese cities will be forged to achieve an open, innovative and new model for high-level bilateral cooperation. By the end of 2021, the city will be in partnership with over 25 world-leading universities and scientific research institutes etc., build over 60 international S&T cooperation bases, and establish over 10 collaborative innovation platforms with Hong Kong and Macao.

(8) Attracting high-level innovative talents

With more talent recruitment channels, better talents development environment and more profound reforms on talent  system, Guangzhou aims to be a highly competitive, influential and leading city in attracting global innovative talents. By the end of 2021, the city will recruit and develop six top international scientist teams, create 60 group innovation spaces for young entrepreneurs and attract 90,000 returnees in total.