At the beginning of this year, Dr. Dong Yongjun returned to Shanghai, where he had been away for many years, to become the chairman of VIVOTEK. 2014, this scientist working at the Shanghai Institute of Optical Precision Machinery of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, went to Nanjing to establish Lite-On Optoelectronics, to research and develop laser crystal materials and other products. The reason he returned to Shanghai to start his second business was that the Yangtze River Delta National Technology Innovation Center hired him as a project manager, responsible for implementing the "laser crystal materials" project. The implementation of this cutting-edge technology industrialization project, the unit is the core Fei Rui company.
This Baoshan startup is a beneficiary of the "invest before share" reform pilot program. According to the reform program, Core Ferry's scientific research and management team holds 90% of the shares, the Shanghai Yangtze River Delta Technology Innovation Research Institute shareholding platform holds 10% of the shares; Shanghai Changsha Institute and Shanghai Baoshan Technology Transfer Co., Ltd. in two years in accordance with the 1:1 funding match, each contributing 15 million yuan to support the company's industrialization of the research and retain the option to transfer shares.
The so-called "investment after the stock", is the financial funds to scientific research projects to support the way into the science and technology enterprises, in the enterprise to complete the scientific research tasks and access to social financing, the initial investment into equity. This reform is conducive to promoting the transformation of leading technological achievements, as well as fostering the ecology of "whole-process innovation".
14 Projects Combined with Investment
Luo Dajin, director of Shanghai Science and Technology Commission, said that strengthening the "whole process of innovation" refers to the whole process of basic research, applied basic research and industrialization, to enhance the function of scientific and technological innovation and systematization capacity, to strengthen the position of the main body of scientific and technological innovation of the enterprise, for the necklace field and industry needs, to promote a number of key core technologies and the underlying technology breakthroughs, to achieve a high level of scientific and technological self-reliance and self-reliance. to realize a high level of scientific and technological self-reliance and self-improvement.
"Our goal of promoting scientific and technological innovation can be expressed in three 'all'." Luo Dajin said, in order to continue to strengthen the "whole process of innovation", but also to promote the "whole chain of acceleration", stimulate the "vitality of the whole society", that is, to deepen the reform of scientific and technological institutions and mechanisms, to grasp the laws of innovation in different technological fields and at different stages, and to achieve a high level of scientific and technological self-reliance and self-improvement. That is, deepen the reform of the science and technology system mechanism, grasp the laws of innovation in different technological fields and at different stages, bring together international and domestic advantageous innovation resources, strengthen the top-level design, and promote the deep integration of the innovation chain, industrial chain, capital chain, and talent chain; at the same time, create a high level of scientific and technological innovation talents, optimize the system of attracting and educating scientific and technological talents, cultivate and gather global scientific and technological leaders, and speed up the formation of scientists who dare to do, capital dares to invest, enterprises dare to break through, and the government dares to support the innovative resources. Optimize the way of allocation, and create an innovative culture of passion and forgetfulness, daring to break through and work hard.
The Yangtze River Delta National Innovation Center (YRD NIC), which was inaugurated in June 2021 and headquartered in Zhangjiang Science City, is a national innovation platform built by the central government and three provinces and one city in the Yangtze River Delta. As a new R&D institution leading the construction of the Yangtze River Delta National Innovation Center, Shanghai Changsha Academy plays an important role in strengthening "whole-process innovation" and promoting "whole-chain acceleration".
Headquartered in Zhangjiang Science City, the Yangtze River Delta National Technological Innovation Center (YRD NITIC).
In February this year, the Yangtze River Delta National Innovation Center and Baoshan District Government jointly held a signing conference for the cooperation project to implement the "Laser Crystal Materials" and "Pan-Semiconductor Vacuum Cavity" projects in the mode of "investment before share" and "combination of allocation and investment". Two major industrialization technology projects, "Laser Crystal Materials" and "Pan-Semiconductor Vacuum Cavity", were implemented in the mode of "first investment" and "allocation and investment", and the Institute of Digital Medical Technology was jointly established.
Now, Shanghai Chang San Hospital has launched 14 "allocation and investment" projects, of which 7 projects in Baoshan District, accounting for 50%. Yang Hui, director of Baoshan District Science and Technology Commission, introduced that in 2021, Baoshan District successfully unveiled the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Science and Technology "to invest first and then shares to promote the transformation of scientific and technological achievements" of the National Innovation Reform Pilot Task. At present, a set of standardized work system has been formed, established a set of results transformation evaluation indicators, and opened up with the Yangtze River Delta National Innovation Center "allocation and investment" joint support project path, to explore a sustainable "government-led + market relay" funding support model. The model of sustainable "government-led + market relay" financial support has been explored.
The Yangtze River Delta linkage breaks through the core technology of lasers
"With the construction of the laboratory and production base gradually put into use, we plan to start market-oriented financing next month." Dr. Dong Yongjun told reporters. Through the "investment before share" of financial funds, the headquarters and production base of the new generation of integrated laser materials and miniaturized laser devices with a total investment of 100 million yuan has been basically completed, including laser crystal material finishing production line, laser crystal material integration production line and laser device packaging production line.
In the core Feirui company, the reporter saw a number of high-end equipment such as optical coating machine, precision polishing machine, and laser crystals of different colors and shapes. Crystals are solids made of atoms, ions, molecules and other microscopic substances arranged in a certain spatial order, with a regular shape, gemstones, crystals are naturally occurring crystals. As materials for solid-state lasers, laser crystals are grown in an artificial environment, requiring near-perfect atomic arrangement and a high technological threshold.
Laser crystals developed by VIVOTEK . Photo by Pan Renhao
For a long time, high-end laser crystal materials and device processes have been monopolized by some foreign enterprises, limiting the development of China's laser industry. In order to crack this pain point, Dong Yongjun embarked on the road of entrepreneurship, becoming a "cross-border" scientists working in the Chinese Academy of Sciences and enterprises at the same time. After years of technological research, he led the team to master a variety of laser crystal material growth technology, such as tensile method, descending method and flux method, developed a non-destructive integration technology for different crystal materials, breakthrough in the solid-state laser heat dissipation difficulties, complex tuning, low reliability and other industrial bottlenecks, and the development of a series of integrated laser crystal products.
Walking into the laboratory of CorePhilips, Gao Peng, secretary of the board of directors of the company, showed a miniaturized laser device to the reporter. It is only the size of a 50-cent coin, but integrates three different laser crystal materials. "Our company has mastered the non-destructive integration technology, which allows the device to have the functions of multiple laser crystals."
After settling in Shanghai, VIVOTEK formed a Yangtze River Delta linkage with Nanjing-based Lite-On Optoelectronics - VIVOTEK is positioned as the corporate headquarters and R&D center, and Lite-On Optoelectronics, a VIVOTEK subsidiary, is responsible for most of the product mass production.
Soon, Dong Yongjun tasted the sweetness of settling in Shanghai: "Shanghai's universities and research institutes are strong, and can efficiently carry out cooperation between industry, academia and research to attract more high-level talents, and we have already recruited more than 20 R&D personnel with relevant specialties." According to reports, core Ferry and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Optical Machinery, Tongji University, Shanghai University of Science and Technology to establish a deep cooperative relationship, and jointly carry out the product development of laser crystals and devices and personnel training work.
Banks set up "investment before share cluster loan".
Tan Rui-Zheng, deputy director of the Yangtze River Delta National Innovation Center and secretary of the Party Committee of Shanghai Yangtze River Delta Technology Innovation Research Institute, said that in order to strengthen the "whole process of innovation", the Yangtze River Delta National Innovation Center is focusing on improving the "whole chain acceleration" mechanism, and continuing to enhance the systematic capacity of scientific and technological innovation, as well as to deepen the cooperation with Suzhou, Zhejiang and Anhui in the development of the Yangtze River Delta. Together with Suzhou, Zhejiang and Anhui, the Center will deepen the innovation synergy in the Yangtze River Delta region, link up to build a science and technology innovation community, and jointly open up new fields and new tracks for development, and shape new momentum and new advantages for development.
The fact that 14 hard science and technology enterprises such as CorePhilips have landed in Shanghai stems from the reform and exploration of the Yangtze River Delta National Innovation Center (YRD NICC), which supports the development of leading, disruptive, and innovative companies in the region. This is the center's innovative initiative to support the transformation and industrialization of leading and disruptive technologies. "We focus on the technology frontier early high risk, market investment judgment failure, but may have a disruptive impact on the future industry, is expected to fill the gaps in a class of technology, combined with the needs of local industrial transformation and upgrading as well as the cultivation of new areas of the new track direction, in the global selection of first-class technology leading talent team, to cultivate the establishment of the core team of the absolute holding of the project company, the use of financial funds in the form of R & D projects to support the project, the use of financial resources to support the transformation of the project. Financial funds in the form of R&D projects to support the project company to accelerate the maturation of technology, complete process validation and commodity-level product development." Tan Rui Zeng introduced, when the company completed the R & D tasks and access to social financing, we will be invested in the early stage of the funding according to market valuation into the company's equity, with reference to the market-oriented approach to management or exit; if the company completed the R & D tasks did not obtain financing, the project will be evaluated according to the project to close the project acceptance and retain the right to the transformation of the project results, and tolerate the project "failures Failure".
In February this year, the Yangtze River Delta National Innovation Center and Baoshan District jointly held a signing conference for cooperation projects.
This year, the Yangtze River Delta National Innovation Center's "allocation and investment" and Baoshan District's "investment before stock" reform pilot to achieve organic convergence. The Yangtze River Delta National Innovation Center, after project research and evaluation, will be in line with the direction of Baoshan District's leading industries, plans to "allocate and invest in the combination of" support for industrialization projects recommended to Baoshan District, Baoshan District after multi-departmental consultations, the district government to open up a green channel, direct use of the "allocate and invest in the combination of + investment before stock The district government opened a green channel after Baoshan's multi-departmental discussion, and directly adopted the "combination of allocation and investment + investment before share" to support the project company. At the same time, the Yangtze River Delta National Innovation Center experts also participate in the Baoshan District "investment before stock" project selection and evaluation, to which the unanimously optimistic about the project to give joint support.
Strengthening the "whole process of innovation" is also reflected in the all-round support for the project company after its establishment. Zhu Jinghong, general manager of Shanghai Baoshan University Science Park Development Co., Ltd. introduced that in terms of debt, this state-owned enterprise has accumulated more than 20 million yuan of credit for Baoshan's "invest first, then share" projects for the liquidity problems faced by start-up science and technology enterprises, and has promoted the establishment of a special construction bank branch in Shanghai. "In terms of application scenarios, we have successfully docked with upstream and downstream customers for the first batch of "invest-and-share" projects, and the total amount of intentional orders has exceeded RMB 30 million.
As a beneficiary of the "whole process innovation" service, Coreflex has applied for loans from the Construction Bank, the Bank of Communications and other banks, and purchased a high-end optical coating machine sold by a Baoshan enterprise. "The Yangtze River Delta National Innovation Center and Baoshan District departments have dedicated people and teams to docking, providing us with attentive services, including policy support, resource docking, talent recruitment and settlement, so that VIVOTEK can grow rapidly." Gao Peng told reporters.
Layout and construction of a number of new R & D institutions
This year, the Shanghai Municipal Government and various districts have launched a series of policies and initiatives to strengthen "whole process innovation". ChatGPT large model triggered by the "body intelligence" new track, for example, the Shanghai General Robotics Industry Research Institute was recently established. Under the guidance of the Municipal Commission of Economy and Information Technology and the Municipal Commission of Science and Technology, this research institute is a new type of research and development institution led by the Shanghai Institute of Artificial Intelligence and initiated by Lingang Group and Zhiyuan Robotics, which is committed to promoting the industrialization of intelligent robotics innovative technologies and products and their large-scale application with the guidance of the general scenario.
As one of the initiators of this institute, Zhiyuan Robotics was founded by netizen "Zhihui Jun" and others, and released the company's self-developed humanoid robot prototype "Expedition A1" in Shanghai in August this year. It is 1.75 meters tall and weighs 53 kilograms, with 49 degrees of freedom, i.e., 49 electric joints, and a peak torque of 300 Nm. Its body deployed a large model, can understand natural language commands, analyze the speaker's intentions. For example, the owner said "I want a glass of water" or "I'm thirsty", it can understand, will go to the water fountain to get water, and then hand the water cup to the owner.
Humanoid robot prototype "Expedition A1" walks onto the stage.
Song Haitao, president of the Shanghai Institute of Artificial Intelligence, believes that with the introduction of ChatGPT, the fusion of large models and robots will create a universal robot that is no longer limited to a certain application scenario. This kind of robot is the carrier to realize "embodied intelligence", which is of strategic significance to the development of cutting-edge science and technology and industry. To this end, a number of units jointly initiated the establishment of the Shanghai General Robotics Industry Research Institute, will carry out think tank consulting services, common technology research and development, results of incubation and transformation, application and innovation demonstration, industrial funds and investment and financing analysis, open communication and cooperation in six aspects of business, the whole process of fostering this cutting-edge field of innovative technology and industrial development.
It is worth mentioning that Shanghai General Robotics Industry Research Institute, Shanghai Artificial Intelligence Research Institute, Shanghai Yangtze River Delta Technology Innovation Institute are new R&D institutions built in Shanghai in recent years, playing a key role in the "whole process of innovation" platform. In May this year, the General Office of the Shanghai Municipal Party Committee and the General Office of the Municipal Government issued the "Opinions on Promoting the High-quality Development of New R&D Institutions in Our City", which puts forward the focus on fostering a number of strategic scientific and technological strengths, extensively guiding the participation of social forces in the construction of new R&D institutions, and striving for the formation of a development pattern of various types of R&D institutions with complementary strengths, and win-win cooperation, so as to provide strong support for the strengthening of the function of scientific and technological innovation.
