Guangzhou Science and Technology Bureau innovates its work and takes the lead in exploring three comprehensive strategies for serving foreign talents

Recently, the innovation project submitted by the Guangzhou Science and Technology Bureau, titled "Taking the Lead in Exploring Three 'Comprehensive Strategies' for Serving Foreign Talents and Creating a New Highland of International First-Class Business Environment", won second prize in the "Jinshui Cup" Work Innovation Competition of the Guangzhou Municipal Agencies. Behind this honor lies the strategic practice of Guangzhou in its future industry layout, using scientific and technological innovation as the engine to mobilize global talent resources. As the world's technological revolution surges forward, Guangzhou is extending an invitation to global innovators with an open attitude: “Here is a door leading to the future.”
Behind the Award: The "Ice-Breaking" Code for Service Innovation
Previously, the foreign affairs approval process was lengthy, the support for foreign talent service support was weak, and the cost for employers to attract talent was high, all of which became obstacles for the influx of international talent. How to solve this problem? 
The Science and Technology Bureau of Guangzhou City has demonstrated an unyielding spirit and launched three "comprehensive strategies ":
Innovative Institutional Reforms Lead the Way: It was among the first batch of regions selected for the reform pilot of the local standards for identifying "highly skilled, innovative, and scarce" foreign talents. It precisely targeted three major areas: scientific and technological innovation, industries, and investment talents. More than 200 foreign postdoctoral researchers were newly recruited, and more than 4,500 foreign talents in key industries were introduced. The individual income tax preferential policies in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area have significantly reduced the recruitment costs for employers.
Service Innovation Touches Hearts: The city has pioneered the "instant benefit without application" talent entry and exit guarantee system nationwide. It cooperates with border inspection authorities to ensure "fast clearance" for high-end talents. Successfully meeting the urgent needs of institutions such as South China University of Technology to introduce a number of foreign experts, demonstrating Guangzhou's warmth of "respecting talent and treating people with courtesy".
Process Innovation Improves Efficiency: "One-window processing" for work permits and residence permits shortens processing time; social security, medical insurance and finance are handled through a single card; processing time has been reduced from 20 days to 5 days - Guangzhou's efficiency leads Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen.
Small-scale reforms bring about significant changes. These measures, although seemingly focused on "service windows", actually aim at the core elements of future industrial competition - the free flow and value realization of the world's top talents.
Future Magnetic Field: The award is just an outward manifestation

 The true value lies in the innovative ecological strong magnetic field that Guangzhou has built for international talent. This is not achieved overnight; rather, it is a deep coupling of concentrated scientific research, industrial prospects, and urban charm.
Research Intensity Surges Globally: "Nature Index - Research Cities" ranking places Guangzhou at the 8th position globally, and the "Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong" technological cluster has consistently ranked 2nd in the Global Innovation Index for five consecutive years. In the past five years, the number of foreign talent in Guangzhou has increased by over 50%, and the total number remains among the top three in the country. It has also been selected as one of the first "Lighthouse Cities" in the world by the World Bank and the United Nations Environment Program. The high concentration of research environment has become a "boosting factor" for attracting top talents.
Large-scale Scientific Facilities Gather Wisdom: The international large-scale scientific project "Human Proteome Navigation (π-Hub)" has taken root in the Huangpu District, Guangzhou. More than 20 countries and over 80 top teams have gathered their wisdom here. The international headquarters has officially been established, exploring the mysteries of the human proteomics. The world's first intelligent design and trading platform for gene vectors, led by overseas talents, has empowered more than 90 countries. Here, is the "pioneer station" that breaks through the boundaries of human cognition.
The Future Industry has Vast Prospects: At the Guangzhou Automobile Research Institute (GAC), Italian-born professional chief engineer Marco Mario Gilardi, who has been working there for 16 years, has witnessed Guangzhou's autonomous vehicles move from catching up to leading the way: "The iterative development of Guangzhou's autonomous driving and connected vehicle technologies has allowed me to envision the future of sustainable transportation. Guangzhou has the ability to define the next generation of automobiles." In the laboratory in Nansha, experts in new energy materials are approaching the limits of battery efficiency; in the Pazhou Artificial Intelligence Laboratory， a multinational team is researching the next generation of algorithms.
In the list of "Charming China - The Most Attractive Chinese Cities in the Eyes of Foreign Talent" ranking, Guangzhou has consistently ranked for 11 consecutive years among the top in the country. Its indicators for convenience of life and environmental friendliness are particularly outstanding. This is not only an honor but also the result of global talent voting with their feet.
The Inside View: The "Bay Area Story" of Global Intelligence
In Guangzhou's "Gateway to the Future", innovation stories are happening every day:
Li Tang, a Bangladeshi national, holds a doctorate from the Guangzhou Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. In 2022, as a core member of the team that published the world's youngest human in vitro cell culture results in Nature: "My current achievements have all been made in China. I am extremely grateful to China. I am also willing to continue conducting research in China and hope to live there permanently, allowing my family and children to live in China as well."
Sha Wenhan, a Mauritius national, is an associate researcher at the Cancer Prevention and Treatment Center of Sun Yat-sen University. He said, "The security situation in Guangzhou is good, the economy is stable, the city is inclusive, there are excellent development opportunities, and the citizens of Guangzhou are very friendly."
François Dominie, French national, professor at the Hoffman Institute of Immunology: "I work part-time at Guangzhou Medical University. About 20% of my work time is spent in China each year. My biggest impression is that the talent visa has made traveling between China and other countries increasingly convenient. The visa validity period changed from six months to two years and then to ten years, which is very convenient."
The door is not only a physical entrance, but also a passage for the connection of systems. When coming to Guangzhou, foreign talent can establish technology enterprises with a permanent residence permit; in Guangzhou, a single license allows for free movement within the group, and registration enables cross-institutional part-time work within the city. Rule innovation allows the stream of wisdom to flow freely.
Open to the World, Gather Talent in the Bay Area.
The glory of the "Jinshui Cup" marks a milestone in Guangzhou's talent services and is also a declaration for the future. When the world's first China International Service platform for foreign talent, "Amazing Guangzhou", is launched, when 100 Nobel Prize winners gather on the Pearl River at the Greater Bay Area Science Forum, and when the Guangzhou Tower and the Cold Spring Facility Laboratory interweave their lights and shadows - the "future door" of this city is loudly opening.
Behind the door lies Guangzhou's embrace towards the world, presented through its system, service and efficiency: Here, there are laboratories that solve human problems, assembly lines that define future industries, and the sunshine and rain that allow every innovative soul to grow freely.
Guangzhou’s Answer is Clear:
Open the door wide, to welcome talents from all over the world. 
With the fertile soil of innovation, we cultivate the bountiful fruits of the future. 
This door will always be open for those who strive to create the future.

Source: Guangdong Channel of People's Daily Client