♪ reporter Mao Xinhui

Technology transfer is both a future-oriented undertaking and an extension of traditional concepts. Technology transfer uses technology as a special commodity that cannot be separated from the three major steps of commodity circulation: supply, demand and transaction. With an eye on stimulating the internal life force of the three processes, East Center has found the golden key to sustainable technology transfer by designing innovation vouchers, introducing Databank, and building a third-party platform, among other initiatives.

With science and technology innovation entering the national top-level development strategy, the timing is unique. However, the various problems in technology transfer have always been a bottleneck to the progress of the technology industry. Inadequate market rules for technology transfer, insufficient resource elements, low transformation capacity and an "ungrounded" service model are part of the current situation of technology transfer and transformation.

On May 24, a meeting to promote the work of the National Technology Transfer Regional Center (NTMRC), directed by the Torch Center of the Ministry of Science and Technology and sponsored by the Shanghai Municipal Science and Technology Commission, was held in Shanghai Bay Valley Technology Park. At the meeting, the Eastern National Technology Transfer Center initiated the establishment of the "China Technology Transfer Alliance". In the future, the Eastern Center will further gather national resources and promote the transformation of more scientific and technological achievements into real productivity.

In just one year, how did the East Center, which is carrying the mission of early and pilot testing, solve one problem after another in technology transfer and achieve a breakthrough from "0" to "1"? A few days ago, the reporter visited the East Center where the Bay Valley Technology Park and the booth at the fair.

When Maugham, a famous 19th century British writer, first started his literary career, his novels were not well known and nobody wanted to read them. One day, Maugham used the only money he had left to place an ad for marriage in a major newspaper: "I love music and sports, am a young and educated millionaire, and wish to marry the exact same woman as the heroine of Maugham's novel The Moon and Sixpence." In no time at all, London women were rushing to bookstores to buy the book and see if they were eligible for the job. Next, male readers were not far behind, wanting to learn more about the psychological world of their girlfriends. For a time, the City of London L.A. was so expensive that Maugham's novels sold more than ever, and his work was recognized by readers as a popular author.

Readers buy novels and read it in order to learn about the conditions of a millionaire's marriage proposal, and businesses buy technology transfer, technology consulting, and other priced services in order to use innovation coupons to find the right technology project for their business.

"Just as marriage solicitation ads turn passive sales of novels into active demand from readers, innovation vouchers are transforming technology trading activities that rely on government promotion into active demand from enterprises for technology projects and technology transfer services." At the National Technology Transfer Eastern Center, CEO Yan Mingfeng briefed reporters on the operation of Shanghai's science and technology innovation vouchers.

The first user of the Shanghai Science and Technology Innovation Voucher was born not long ago. It is a listed company that produces pharmaceutical intermediates. In the course of its development, the company encountered problems such as inefficient drug development, high cost overruns and multiple management. Through a contract with Shanghai Qisource Technology, the company launched a new drug development process reengineering project. Qisource designed a new management system to optimize the R&D process and improve efficiency and risk control. The consulting fee was more than 200,000 RMB, but the company was only required to pay 100,000 RMB, with the remaining 100,000 RMB to be offset by an innovation voucher. The voucher will be redeemed upon completion of the contract.

The Shanghai Science and Technology Innovation Voucher is a new policy piloted by the Municipal Science and Technology Commission (MSTC) to support and guide enterprise innovation. It encourages enterprises to procure professional services and introduce external intellectual resources through a "partial payment by enterprises and partial subsidy by innovation vouchers". The starting point of the policy is to help enterprises identify and clarify the direction of innovation, sort out and mobilize innovation resources, and enhance their open innovation capabilities by leveraging professional technology intermediary resources.

"The innovation vouchers can be used in two major areas, technology transfer and technology consulting, and the services include eight categories, including technical personnel training, technology strategic planning, technology search, targeted screening, strategic technology research, competitive intelligence analysis, management consulting, and engineering technology consulting." Yan introduced that unlike previous government subsidies, the innovation voucher is a brand new support model that draws on the practices of developed countries to establish a pool of funds with an amount of 28 million yuan and entrust the East Center to operate and manage it; each exchange does not need to go through the administrative process in the manner of a planned project, and government departments only make a record, improving the flexibility and convenience of the policy.

At present, the East Center has set up the Shanghai Science and Technology Intermediary Service Platform (www.kjzjfw.com), 56 technology intermediaries are in the database to publish their services to enterprises in the city, and 16 cooperation projects are going through the process and are expected to be signed and use innovation vouchers.

To ensure that the process of using innovation vouchers is fair, transparent and reasonable, the Eastern Center will publicize the proposed contracted projects and invite 1-3 service providers to provide quotes based on the difficulty of the project, supply and demand, etc., Yan said. Subsequently, the East Center will organize experts to evaluate the reasonableness of the project price. After the completion of the project, the East Center will standardize the service product to facilitate the promotion and application of the product and promote the improvement of Shanghai's technology intermediary service system.

Source: Yangpu Times