Helping technological achievements take the "first step", Shanghai is the first! Management Measures for Baoshan District Concept Verification Center Released
To cross the "valley of death" in the transformation of technological achievements, it is crucial to solidly walk the "first mile" of concept validation. In recent years, governments in various regions of China, including Shanghai, have invested efforts and issued policies to promote and participate in the construction of concept validation centers specifically designed to verify the commercial feasibility and reliability of new concepts, ideas, and technologies.
On September 19th, in order to actively explore the deep integration of the innovation chain, industry chain, capital chain, and talent chain, and focus on improving the transformation and industrialization level of scientific and technological achievements, the Management Measures for Baoshan District Concept Verification Center were officially released. This is the first district level concept verification center management method released in Shanghai, and it is also an important measure for Baoshan District to make every effort to build the main battlefield of Shanghai Science and Technology Innovation Center and actively break through the obstacles and difficulties in the transformation of scientific and technological achievements.
The first project of Baoshan District Concept Verification Center - Shanghai University Environmental Engineering Training Concept Verification Center - has been unveiled simultaneously. In the future, the first concept validation base of the Yangtze River Delta National Technology Innovation Center in Shanghai will also be established in Baoshan.
Huanshang Science and Technology Park
A crucial step towards crossing the valley of death
Industry experts suggest that the technology innovation chain can generally be divided into five stages: basic research, concept validation, working prototype, engineering and production line, and product production. The "valley of death" between basic research and product development mainly includes concept validation, working prototype, engineering and production line stages. Concept validation is a key step to cross the "valley of death".
At present, there is a problem in China where the industry chain mechanism of scientific research in higher education institutions, research institutions, and medical and health institutions facing the external market is not sound enough, resulting in a lack of professional market prospects and industrialization potential evaluation for these important sources of scientific and technological innovation achievements, leading to a deviation of scientific and technological innovation activities from market demand. There are specialties in the field of technology, and researchers are skilled in technology. They may not be familiar with investment, management, law, finance, and other aspects. As a systematic engineering project, the transfer, transformation, and application of scientific and technological innovation achievements require new technology service institutions such as concept verification centers to play a role.
Zhao Jiang, Deputy Director of the Science and Technology Commission of Baoshan District, introduced that Baoshan District is promoting the construction of a concept verification center, focusing on two key areas: technical verification and commercial verification. The former provides a research site, utilizing instrument and equipment resources and professional evaluation teams to confirm technical reliability; The latter has the ability to assess commercial feasibility and focuses on resource grafting and integration.
Taking the Shanghai University Environmental Engineering Training Concept Verification Center as an example. The Engineering Training Center of Shanghai University covers an area of 12000 square meters and has more than 2000 sets of equipment. It has built a multidisciplinary engineering center in high-tech fields such as intelligent manufacturing, artificial intelligence, biomedicine, the Internet, the Internet of Things, and advanced material manufacturing. Based on the software and hardware facilities and development environment of the training center, basic research projects can undergo engineering technology concept validation. The Huanshang University Science and Technology Park, located adjacent to the Shanghai University campus, is responsible for conducting market research on the project, formulating business strategies, designing and optimizing the project's business model, helping the project team connect with investment and financing, and finding suitable business partners to establish cooperative relationships. Subsequently, commercial performance evaluation will be conducted on the project, analyzing market feedback, sales data, and financial indicators.
"Universities are the 'origin of innovation', relying on Shanghai University and the Environmental Science and Technology Park. The Shanghai University Environmental Science and Technology Training Concept Verification Center is expected to reasonably predict the possibility of later transformation of scientific research achievements from numerous excellent basic research achievements in the early stage of scientific and technological transformation, and eliminate the phenomenon of the 'two skin' of science and technology and economy from the source." Zhao Jiang said.
The government takes a step forward and highlights "risk sharing"
The construction and operation of concept validation centers in the United States, the European Union, and Singapore have taken a long time and accumulated rich experience. Industry insiders have pointed out that the success of foreign models cannot be achieved without a sound innovation ecosystem. The seed funding required for concept validation stage projects is often provided by relevant foundations or social capital, with only a portion of the funding coming from the government.
However, the early achievements at the forefront of our country are often difficult to receive attention from the capital market. To turn the "ideas" of scientists into "technologies" in the market and help scientific and technological achievements take the "first step", government departments need to take a "step forward". Yang Hui, Director of Baoshan District Science and Technology Commission, stated that as a bridge between basic research and applied research, the concept validation center can allocate funds for early achievements, carry out technical and commercial validation, and effectively compensate for the shortcomings of the current front-end market operation mechanism for scientific and technological achievement transformation.
The support policies in the Measures reflect the cross disciplinary services in Baoshan District. For example, Article 17 states, "A subsidy of no more than 1 million yuan in operating expenses shall be given to a concept validation center that has been evaluated as excellent in annual performance." Similarly, Article 18 states, "For concept validation projects that have been filed and put into storage by the district science and technology commission, if they are deemed successful through evaluation and verification by the district science and technology commission, the concept validation center shall be rewarded based on their actual investment in the project, with a maximum of 500000 yuan for a single project."
It is worth mentioning that there is a linkage between the new policy and previous policies in promoting the transformation of scientific and technological achievements. The Measures point out that "recognized concept verification centers and their verification projects can enjoy policy support such as the" Special Policy of Baoshan University Science and Technology Park "and the" investment before equity "policy for the transformation of scientific and technological achievements. This is seen as an extension of the" risk sharing "concept.".
"Concept validation starts from 0-1, and 'invest first, then stock' starts from 1-10. The further improvement of the achievement transformation chain has also been supported by social capital. For them, investing in a 'reserve project pool' endorsed by the government means less risk, and for the project, the probability of successful transformation will also be higher." explained Yang Hui.
Cultivate a group of more professional technology transfer brokers
The concept validation center faces many challenges in achieving its effectiveness, among which talent cultivation and reserve are particularly prominent.
What kind of institution can be recognized as a concept validation center? Is the relevant conditions and guarantees provided by the supporting unit for the construction and operation management of the concept verification center complete? Does the submitted project filing meet the requirements? After the validation period of no more than 12 months has passed, which standards should be followed to evaluate the performance of the concept validation center in various aspects... All aspects require experts with deep understanding and practical experience in concept validation to oversee. Regarding this, the Baoshan District Science and Technology Commission has been communicating and negotiating with a group of industry experts since 3 years ago, forming an expert database.
The actual executors of business validation - technology transfer brokers, whose professionalism and comprehensive quality are closely related to the success of concept validation. Starting from last year, Baoshan District has relied on the National Technology Transfer East Center and, in accordance with the "National Technology Transfer Professional Competency Level Training Outline" issued by the Ministry of Science and Technology, provided training to responsible personnel for science and technology innovation work in various streets and towns within the district, as well as management personnel for innovation and entrepreneurship carriers such as university science and technology parks, incubators, and maker spaces, as well as practitioners from technology service institutions such as intellectual property and technology consulting. After participating in the national technology transfer talent level examination, relevant personnel will receive corresponding recognition of junior, intermediate, and senior professional titles.
The formal technology transfer education in China started relatively late. In 2021, Tsinghua University's Wudaokou School of Finance established a technology transfer program under the Master of Finance program, with only 30 students admitted annually. In Shanghai universities, Tongji has collaborated with the National Center for Technology Transfer in the East in 2021 to select personnel from MBA or MPA master's students and carry out technology transfer specialized training through empirical teaching methods; Jiaotong University will launch the first national master's program on technology transfer in 2022. Officials from the Science and Technology Commission and the Talent Department of Baoshan District have stated that they encourage technology transfer brokers in the area to apply for and pursue these professional master's programs, establish their own expertise, and better serve projects in the vertical field in the future.
