Chengdu to spur high-tech breakthroughs through matchmaking

In order to promote the commercialization of technological achievements and assist in the integration of industry, academia, research and application, Chengdu is accelerating the establishment of a technology transfer service platform. It will feature the collection, display, matchmaking, roadshows and commercialization of technological achievements, striving for their move from the laboratory to the production line.

According to the recently announced plan for the scientific and technological achievement matchmaking and commercialization activities in the city, Chengdu will conduct a slew of promotional activities to help companies innovate products and assist entrepreneurial projects in matchmaking capital market.
On-site signings
Recently, the city organized a major technological achievement matchmaking event. It attracted more than 500 domestic universities, renowned research institutes, key industrial players, fintech institutions and technology commercialization organizations.
The signings, as the event's highlight, witnessed a cooperation agreement between the Chengdu city government and City University of Hong Kong. The two sides announced cooperation in technological achievement commercialization, co-building technology innovation platforms and cultivating innovative talents.
Districts and counties in Chengdu signed 17 key project cooperation agreements with universities, research institutes and enterprises. They included the national headquarters project of Invo, a smart car solution provider in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, and an intelligent manufacturing production base project of reusable liquid launch rockets.
During the event, Xinghan Hangyu Technology signed an agreement to establish a company in Longquanyi district of Chengdu with a total investment of approximately 4 billion yuan ($551.48 million). The company will build a headquarters for the TS series of small, medium and large (or heavy) commercial rocket launches and the headquarters for the design and manufacture of the YL-10 and YL-20 liquid rocket engine.
"We are very optimistic about Chengdu's environment for cultivating innovation and hope that the landing of the project will inject new vitality into the aerospace industry in Chengdu and even the entire West China region," said Duan Tao, the company's deputy general manager.
Mige Lab and the Tianfu New Area signed a project around the instrument sharing and achievement commercialization platform in Western (Chengdu) Science City. By introducing Mige Lab as a market force, the project can revitalize the science facility resources of many research institutes in the Western (Chengdu) Science City, said Yan Fangliang, Mige Lab's CEO. Yan added that the project can explore the technological achievements of universities and research institutes to help them transform and land their projects in Chengdu.
Yan said that Chengdu attaches great importance to the commercialization of technological achievements and instrument sharing. Mige Lab is preparing to establish a shared laboratory on Chengdu Sci-Tech Innovation Eco-Island, which is expected to begin operation in June or July 2025 with an estimated annual service to around 100 companies.
At the event, six universities of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tsinghua University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, University of Science and Technology of China, Sichuan University and University of Electronic Science and Technology of China released more than 400 technological achievements.
Six sessions for technological achievement matchmaking activities were launched. They focused on the fields such as electronic information, intelligent manufacturing, medical care and health, aerospace, green low-carbon development, new materials, artificial intelligence, low-altitude economy, hydrogen energy and quantum information, with more than 30 teams conducting on-site roadshows.
"I just finished the roadshow and immediately someone came over to add me on WeChat," said Zhai Shaojian, deputy general manager of Chengdu Zhongke Micro Information Technology Research Institute.
Zhai said that Chengdu has many universities and research institutes with talent reserves in the commercial aerospace field. Additionally, Chengdu is an open and dynamic city, providing support for new quality productive forces such as commercial aerospace and satellite internet.
Zhai said he has confidence that the company will develop and grow in Chengdu by conducting research and development, testing and potentially production and product delivery in the city.
This event has also attracted the attention of international technology commercialization organizations. Ma Juan, head of the China headquarters of Germany-based Steinbeis, a provider of technology transfer, said that Chengdu has a vibrant innovation atmosphere with many universities and research institutes, and a solid industrial foundation in fields such as healthcare and the low-altitude economy.
Steinbeis plans to establish a technology transfer center in Chengdu and her purpose to participate in this event is to investigate the industrial foundation and technological innovation in Chengdu, Ma added.
Precise matchmaking
For many Chengdu enterprises, regularly visiting universities for matchmaking has become the norm.
Boosted by the science and technology innovation and achievement matchmaking and commercialization activities in the city, the school and enterprise collaboration aims to promote in-depth exchanges.
Over the past three years, Chengdu has organized more than 500 such activities, with more than 8,000 Chengdu enterprises visiting more than 80 universities and research institutes.
The events helped explore 5,000 technological achievements and promoted more than 1,300 cooperation agreements to transform achievements between Chengdu enterprises and universities and research institutes.
According to a Chengdu official, such activities have received positive responses from various entities and the schedule for those activities has been made until June 2025.
"We plan to advance one major event every two months and regular activities every week. The activities will also bring together domestic and even international resources to create a technology trading market with global influence," the official said.