At the 2025 Pujiang Innovation Forum in east China's Shanghai, China's Ministry of Science and Technology unveiled its annual report tracking how scientific and technological breakthroughs moved from the lab to the market in 2024.
The numbers reveal a vibrant ecosystem:
- 4,059 universities and institutes engaged in six channels: transfer, licensing, equity investment, technology development, consulting and services to commercialize research.
- 226.9 billion yuan ($31.9 billion) in contract value, up about 10% from 2023, across 661,000 deals.
- 415 institutions each sealed technology-transfer contracts exceeding 100 million yuan ($14.1 million), a 4.1% rise year on year.
- 18,248 full-time staff dedicated to technology transformation by year's end.
- Over 1,000 technology-transfer offices and 1,329 joint R&D units and platforms set up in collaboration with enterprises.
This surge reflects growing enthusiasm among researchers and underscores a shift towards entrepreneurship across campuses nationwide. From prototype solar cells to AI-driven healthcare tools, labs are partnering with businesses to solve real-world challenges and fuel new startups.
As full-time teams expand and more institutions open dedicated transfer offices, the report signals that the commercialization of research is becoming a cornerstone of China's innovation strategy. For young professionals and entrepreneurs, this means richer opportunities to bridge academia and industry.
Looking ahead, experts say the focus will shift to deepening industry partnerships and optimizing licensing frameworks, aiming to turn more breakthrough ideas into global solutions.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
