On July 28th, Zhongshan Science and Technology Bureau issued Instructions on the Special Fund for Zhongshan’s New Research and Development Institutions, scaling up financial assistance to new research and development institutions for their early development---the subsidy that a single institution can receive can be as high as 10 million yuan. The special fund is allocated to support the innovations of science and technology by the institutions identified by the Zhongshan government as new research and development institutions. These innovations include research on the application of technology, improvement of research environment, commercialization of technology and incubation of start-up companies. 

According to the Zhongshan Science and Technology Bureau, 46 institutions were identified as new research and development institutions at the city level and 9 institutions as new research and development institutions at the province level from 2015 to 2016. In 2017, up to now, 10 institutions have been identified as new research and development institutions at the city level.

The addition of the special fund to new research and development institutions for their early development, with its subsidy as high as 10 million yuan, is to attract institutions of higher learning and research institutes from home and abroad. The purpose is to promote integration of more institutions of higher learning and the Zhongshan industry through new research and development institutions and advance Zhongshan’s industrial upgrading through innovations in science and technology. For instance, Zhongshan Industrial Technology Institute has established an “1+4” model of innovation: Zhongshan Industrial Technology Institute plays a major role in promoting the development of industry, while Beijing Institute of Technology, Wuhan University, Wuhan University of Technology and South China University of Technology complement the Institute by establishing a platform of science and technology between the universities and Zhongshan city.