Foreign research & development centers has become the important interface for Shanghai to integrate into the global innovation network and plans have been drafted to promote the development of the centers, said Gu Jun, Deputy Director of Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce during an online live chat of Eastday.com in Shanghai, September 1, 2015.
Gu shared his views on the development of the city's foreign companies in this online chat which promotes an award activity entitled "Innovation & Development, MNCs in Shanghai Best Practice Awards".
Continuous optimization for absorbing foreign capital
Thirty-five years have gone by till the end of June, 2015 since the first Sino-foreign joint venture Schindler Elevators were founded in Shanghai on July 4, 1980, during which Shanghai introduces a total of 79,200 foreign projects, said Gu.
As the national economy enters the new normal, new changes have taken place in the structure and domain for Shanghai to attract foreign investment. Firstly, service industry gradually becomes the main field of the foreign capital inducement in Shanghai; secondly, the domain of the foreign capital inducement has continuous extension in the aspects of the constructions of the international financial center, the international shipping center and the international trade center; thirdly, the methods of absorbing foreign capital becomes diversified.
Gu Jun signs on the signature board of the chat room of Eastday.com.
Foreign R & D centers becoming the important interface for Shanghai to integrate into global innovation network
"Research and development centers of Shanghai foreign companies is a key part of Shanghai science and technology innovation and an important interface for the city to accelerate the integration into the global innovation network", said Gu.
According to the introduction of Gu Jun, the number of the foreign research and development centers in Shanghai reached 388 as of the end of this June. Shanghai is one of the cities which have the most foreign research and development centers in Chinese mainland.
Foreign research and development centers play a positive role in improving innovation results, enhancing the international competitiveness of the city's strategic emerging industries and promoting the development of the local innovation enterprises in addition to gathering the high-end innovation elements like capitals and talents, Gu noted.
Gu Jun receives the interview of Eastday.com.
“Opinions" drafted to promote the development of the foreign R & D centers in Shanghai
Shanghai leaders, both the Party Secretary Han Zheng and Mayor Yang Xiong pointed out that more supports should be given to the city's foreign research and development centers.
In this context, Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce, along with Shanghai Municipal Development & Reform Commission and Shanghai Municipal Science and Technology Commission drafted the "Opinions to encourage the development of foreign research and development centers" which highlights the features of "in Shanghai, for the world, linking the world and for Shanghai", increases the support to the development of global R & D centers and addresses the demands of the enterprises to push forward the integration of the foreign R & D centers into the local innovation system for cooperation and development.
At the end of the online chat, Gu Jun answered the questions posed by netizens through the interactive platform of Eastday.com, further elaborating the relations between multinational companies and the development of Shanghai science and innovation center.
Sponsored by Shanghai Information Office and the commission, the activity "MNCs in Shanghai Best Practice Awards" is organized by Eastday.com and Shanghai Daily. Almost 80 innovation practices from 40 multinational companies in Shanghai participate in the activity.
By Ma Jinghua
Translated by Wang Jiaye
