In the early spring of southern China, the fifth session of the 13th Guangdong Provincial People’s Congress, which lasted for three and a half days, brought together representatives from all walks of life to discuss the development path of Guangdong in 2022. In recent years, with the economic transformation gradually moving towards the deep water area, innovation has become the “first driving force leading development”. How to promote scientific and technological innovation has also become a heavy topic of the two sessions over the years.
In the process of science and technology development in Guangdong, Dongguan is a unique sample. Relying on the advantages of industrial innovation and major scientific devices such as spallation neutron sources intensively distributed in recent years, Dongguan was officially approved as a national innovative city at the beginning of 2022. At the same time, its GDP and population exceeded “10000”, becoming the third city with a population of 10 million and the fourth city with a GDP of trillion in Guangdong. This is located in the center of the Pearl River Delta, gradually turning from factor driven to innovation driven.
In the process of technological innovation enabling manufacturing transformation, what development path has Dongguan explored and formed? What thoughts can the “Dongguan model” bring to the industrial economic transformation of Guangdong and even the whole country? Recently, Nanfang finance and economics all media reporter interviewed Zhang Shuyan, deputy to the Guangdong Provincial People’s Congress and President of Dongguan Institute of materials and genetics.
Application-oriented basic research to build production research docking Bridge
Nanfang finance and Economics: what role does Dongguan Institute of material genetics Higher Institute of Technology (hereinafter referred to as “material Genetics Institute”) play in the overall scientific and innovative layout of Dongguan?
Zhang Shuyan: Dongguan Institute of material genetics is a new R & D institution engaged in material design, advanced manufacturing and service performance management. Through cooperation with the spallation neutron source science center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, it jointly develops and constructs the spallation neutron engineering material diffraction spectrometer. At the same time, in the fields of material design, processing process optimization, quality and safety testing, etc, Provide professional consulting services for the industry.
As a new R & D institution, the development orientation of our research institute is between universities and industries, and carries out application-oriented basic research. For example, the domestic application project of high-end die steel led by the research institute is an application basic research carried out according to the development needs of advanced manufacturing industry based on the special R & D plan in key areas of Guangdong Province.
Based on the in-depth research on the mold industry in Dongguan in the early stage, focusing on the problem that the raw materials of high-end mold steel in Guangdong are heavily dependent on foreign imports, the Research Institute organized 10 units such as leading enterprises in the field of mold steel production and mold manufacturing in Guangdong Province and China’s first-class scientific research institutes to jointly tackle key problems, Optimize the production process around the upstream and downstream industrial chain of “material field (mold steel) + machinery field (mold)”. After more than two years of research, the project team has successfully developed high-end hot work die steel that can replace imports.
At present, the Institute of materials genetics has approved 27 national and provincial-level basic research and high-tech industrial projects, applied for 76 patents, published 133 high-level academic papers, and its core team members presided over and participated in 3 international standards, 6 national standards and 1 enterprise standard.
Nanfang finance and Economics: as a provincial new R & D institution, what effective paths for the transformation of achievements have been explored by the material gene research institute?
Zhang Shuyan: in the process of basic research, we will focus on strengthening the connection with the industry, understand the specific problems existing in the production process of front-line manufacturing enterprises, and carry out scientific research projects in combination with industrial needs. The achievements of scientific research projects can also further communicate and cooperate with enterprises, and make good use of technology to serve the industry while cultivating the ability of scientific researchers, so that the research can truly meet the needs of the industry. Finally, an effective closed loop of industry research cooperation is formed, the research institute can obtain financial support, and the development needs of enterprises can be solved.
At present, in the field of new material development, material Gene Research Institute is developing new materials for Midea based on the results of the major basic and applied basic research project of Guangdong Province, “applied basic research on high-performance metal additive manufacturing materials and processes”. This is a sample case that combines basic scientific research with applied technology research.
Last year, as the only new R & D institution approved for approval, the Institute was approved to carry out major basic and applied basic research projects in Guangdong Province in the field of additive manufacturing. In the process of promoting the project, on the one hand, the research institute carries out basic research to solve cutting-edge scientific problems. On the other hand, in combination with the needs of industrialization, the Institute puts the new material needs learned in the early stage and Midea Group Co.Ltd(000333) into the project approval for development. After the project made a breakthrough in the development of new materials, Midea also further signed a horizontal technology development contract with the Research Institute.
In addition to relying on major scientific research projects to develop industrial applications, the Institute of materials genetics has also explored jointly building an industry university research platform with Marco Polo and other enterprises. The cooperation mode refers to the cooperative R & D mode between Rolls Royce and British universities. The enterprise allocates fixed R & D expenses every year, and the research institute arranges scientific researchers to carry out research around the technical needs of the enterprise. This model also helps the research institute observe the industry development from the perspective of leading enterprises and further understand and perspective the development needs of advanced manufacturing industry.
Dongguan mode of “one pull and one push” two-way force
Nanfang finance and Economics: how do you understand the significance of scientific and technological innovation for the economic and social development of Dongguan? Does Dongguan explore and form a unique model and path in promoting scientific and technological innovation and enabling the transformation and upgrading of manufacturing industry?
Zhang Shuyan: Dongguan is the capital of manufacturing industry. Some processing and manufacturing industries are at the bottom of the smile curve with low added value. The transformation and upgrading of manufacturing industry extends to both ends of the industrial chain – R & D and design. At this time, scientific and technological innovation is the key. Only through scientific and technological innovation can we be at the forefront of science and technology in the industrial chain, improve added value and promote transformation and upgrading.
Over the past five years since its establishment, the Institute has participated in the construction of Dongguan in the whole process, enjoyed the policy dividends of national strategy and Dongguan scientific and technological innovation, and witnessed the rapid development of Dongguan. on the one hand, Dongguan attracts scientific and technological talents and makes original innovation from the source by building large scientific installations and provincial laboratories; On the other hand, facing the market demand of Dongguan, build new R & D institutions and promote the transformation of scientific and technological achievements. This unique mode of pushing and pulling has greatly accelerated the implementation of scientific and technological innovation and industry.
More than 10 years ago, Dongguan began planning to build a large scientific device of spallation neutron source, which is a very forward-looking layout. Due to the settlement of large scientific devices, Dongguan can slowly join the Guang Shenzhen Kaifa Technology Co.Ltd(000021) innovation corridor. Since then, it has been approved to build Songshanhu material laboratory, one of the first batch of provincial laboratories in Guangdong Province, and the original innovation ability has gradually increased.
Later, with the continuous accumulation of innovation resources, Dongguan Songshan Lake began to gradually introduce many new R & D institutions to build a bridge between basic research and industrial development, which is also one of the initiatives of Dongguan in the forefront of the country. At present, there are 33 new R & D institutions in Dongguan, and many cities in China have just begun to layout. Relying on a good industrial foundation and constantly gathering new R & D institutions, Dongguan has gradually created a very good innovation atmosphere.
Nanfang finance and Economics: as the chief scientist of the UK spallation neutron source engineering laboratory, what attracted you to Dongguan? What is the primary factor for cities to attract high-level scientific research talents?
Zhang Shuyan: the primary factor should be the platform.
I chose to return home because I liked the scientific and technological innovation platform and spallation neutron source device. In addition to me, many experts introduced by material genetics research institute are optimistic about the development potential of the platform after academic exchange and field investigation and communication, and finally decide to join the Research Institute and develop in Dongguan. In addition, in recent years, from the country to Guangdong and even Dongguan, the overall atmosphere of paying attention to scientific and technological innovation has also encouraged researchers. They also have some ideas that may be realized on our platform, so they have the idea of returning home.
in addition, our treatment is better than that of the UK, and supporting infrastructure such as education and medical care have been gradually solved. at present, the problem of children’s education that researchers are concerned about has been basically solved in Dongguan Songshan Lake area. Good public and private primary and secondary schools have been built in the area, and many researchers have returned home as a whole.
Nanfang finance and Economics: what advantages does China have in the international scientific and technological innovation competition in the field of material science? What are the bottlenecks?
Zhang Shuyan: China has a huge consumer market and a complete industrial system, so the market and manufacturing are in China, which is the basis and advantage of future scientific and technological innovation.
However, although China’s industrial system is complete, most of the high-end materials are abroad, and the preparation technology is monopolized by foreign countries. Therefore, on the one hand, the government should pay attention to basic scientific research, on the other hand, it should also strengthen the training of scientific and technological talents, promote the collaborative empowerment of “industry university research fund”, cultivate industries, and cultivate the soil and culture of scientific and technological innovation.
