Measures aimed at encouraging the commercialization of technological achievement and to promote intellectual protection were also adopted as a way of promoting the better implementation of the 50 new policies.

 

The city will prepare to build more innovation and creation research institutes and encourage schools and companies to build new industrial technology research organizations, officials said.

 

To this end, Chengdu will provide maximum financial support of 200 million yuan ($29.6 million). The city will provide companies with subsidies to help them set up research and development centers. They are each entitled to up to 500,000 yuan.

 

The city government is encouraging tertiary institutions in Chengdu and companies to set up national-level laboratories, and will provide a subsidy of up to 2 million yuan to companies to build new 2011 synergic innovation centers, a kind of national level center, with the collaboration of leading universities.

 

Other newly approved national-level laboratories and some national-level projects initiated by leading companies are entitled to 1 million yuan in support.

 

For technological achievements by tertiary institutions that are already commercialized, the city will provide research teams, individuals and companies with 3 percent of the contract value, and research institutes are entitled to 2 percent. Research teams and individuals are entitled to a maximum of 1 million yuan, companies can claim 2 million and research institutes can gain 200,000 yuan.

 

The city will provide 30 million yuan to set up an innovation and startup fund and to encourage private investment in innovation projects, in an effort to deepen financial innovation in technological projects.

 

Wang Youzhi, president of Chengdu Guibao Science and Technology, said the new policies have reduced costs for local companies, helping them generate better returns and increasing their confidence in research and development.

 

"I made a simple calculation: This year, under the new subsidies and previous national-level subsidies, we could gain a combined support of up to 10 million yuan."

 

Companies in the city's five industrial pillars will be granted subsidies each year. The key pillars cover the fields of electronic information, automotive manufacturing, food and beverage, equipment manufacturing and biopharmaceuticals. The plan also covers the emerging areas of aerospace and artificial intelligence.

 

A maximum of 10 million yuan will be granted to companies that provide synergistic effects to upper and lower-level industrial clusters.

 

A maximum of 1 million yuan will be granted to companies with independent intellectual property rights and top products with a strong competitive edge.

 

To help large equipment and new materials manufacturers to enter the market, the city will offer subsidies worth 20 percent of the contract value, at a maximum of 5 million yuan.

 

The local government said it will speed up the operation of the Chengdu branch of the national-level public intellectual property rights protection center, the Chengdu Intellectual Property Rights Trading Center, the Sichuan Center of the National Patent Audit Center and the Intellectual Property Rights Rapid Assistance Center.

 

An intellectual property rights protection fund is to be set up with investment of 2 billion yuan.

 

Xu Hong, president of Chengdu Jiuding Tianyuan IPR Agent, said the new intellectual property rights policies pave the way for the stronger growth of local agencies in the sector, which will provide better services on the supply side and better cater to demand.

 

"The company will seize the opportunities, better utilize the measures and make a greater contribution to Chengdu in its efforts to become a national level and internationally influential intellectual property rights protection city," he said.