Yangpu District answers call to nurture innovation
Posted by freemexy on February 19th, 2019
YANGPU District, one of China’s oldest industrial centers, is reinventing itself as a pioneer in the national strategy to promote mass entrepreneurship and innovation.To get more Yangpu District news, you can visit shine news official website.
Yangpu was home to China’s earliest paper mill, modern shipyard, water plant, textile mill and coal-gas plant — most of which date back more than a century. Now though, the district aims to become a national demonstration zone for public innovation and business startups by 2018.
Along the way, local authorities hope to realize the city government’s plans to turn Shanghai into a global innovation hub by bringing together skilled professionals, technologies, funds and preferential policies geared to startups. A batch of leading startup companies in several new industries will be based in Yangpu, according to the district government.
“To implement the mass entrepreneurship and innovation national strategy is not only an enormous mission for Yangpu but also for universities, scientific research institutes and enterprises based in the district,” said Li Yueqi, the Party secretary of Yangpu. They must work together to share resources and achieve development goals, he added.
The district is home to 14 higher education institutes — including Fudan University, Tongji University and Shanghai University of Finance and Economics — along with over 100 scientific research institutes, so the biggest advantage of Yangpu is its talent pool, Li said.
The district government has been offering supportive policies, services and funds specifically for young entrepreneurs.
Authorities will simplify the administrative application process and issue a series of new policies to support startups, attract professionals from both home and abroad, and enhance resource-sharing between officials, universities and enterprises, Xie Jiangang, the district director, said at a press conference.
In one of these new policies, the district will establish a new pilot project for foreign students from local universities to work directly after graduation without the need to have work experience in their home countries, Xie said.
Similar practices were introduced last year when Shanghai announced a series of policies to attract top talents from across the world, but those efforts were limited to undergraduates and postgraduates employed at the pilot free trade zone and Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park.
Among other related measures, the district plans to set up a special office to process applications for permanent residence permits for foreigners.
It will explore ways to allow foreign firms, organizations and individuals to set up non-enterprise entities in the district to provide commercial research services as well as other services related to science and technology, said Xie.
The district also plans to set up community banks that will support small and medium scientific and technological enterprises. It further aims to take the lead in setting up scientific and technological branches.
Furthermore, two major foundations have been launched in Yangpu to promote innovation and entrepreneurship around the district.
One foundation, started with 2 billion yuan (US0.3 million) from the city and district governments, as well as public enterprises, will support innovative and startup programs in Shanghai.
“The foundation will be used to attract and guide more public investment into new business and innovative programs that Shanghai needs to build itself into a global center for scientific and technological innovation,” said Ding Huanhuan, deputy director of Yangpu.
