“Roll Up Our Sleeves and Work Hard—Press On Undeterred by Wind and Rain” Hebei: Driving Innovation to Elevate Manufacturing to the Mid- to High-End of the Value Chain


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发布时间:2023-10-08

【概要描述】 Source: Hebei Radio and Television Station’s Jishi Client According to a report by the Jishi Client, innovation is the primary driving force behind development. Since the beginning of this year, our province has continuously optimized the innovation environment, with a combination of policies working in tandem to encourage enterprises to increase R&D investment and move up the value chain. From January to August, the added value of strategic emerging industries among industrial enterprises above designated size across the province grew by 6.9% year on year.
Reported by the Jishi Client Innovation is the primary driving force behind development. Since the beginning of this year, our province has continuously optimized the innovation environment, with a combination of policies working in tandem to encourage enterprises to increase R&D investment and move up the value chain. From January to August, the added value of strategic emerging industries among industrial enterprises above designated size across the province grew by 6.9% year on year.
Recently, the Pharmaceutical Research Institute of Shijiazhuang Sihua Pharmaceutical Group announced encouraging news: a novel drug under development for the treatment of hepatic fibrosis has successfully overcome the technical challenge of poor solubility, marking a major advance in the R&D process.
Li Lei, Deputy Director of the Innovation Department at the R&D Center of Shijiazhuang Sihua Pharmaceutical Group:
By leveraging cutting-edge nanotechnology for drug formulation and investing in state-of-the-art formulation equipment, the bioavailability of the drug has been significantly enhanced. Currently, communication and consultations with the drug regulatory authorities have been completed, and a clinical trial application is imminent. Upon successful market approval, this product will fill a critical gap in the domestic treatment of liver fibrosis.
The research and development of new drugs requires substantial capital investment and carries a high risk of failure. To encourage pharmaceutical companies to make bold R&D investments, Shijiazhuang City has introduced targeted support policies, stipulating that: upon approval of a new drug and its subsequent industrialization in Shijiazhuang, companies may receive rewards of up to RMB 120 million; for the construction of major industrial projects, government funding subsidies may amount to as much as RMB 100 million; and for nationally recognized innovation platforms established by enterprises, a reward of RMB 10 million will be granted upon certification. By providing concrete financial incentives, these measures aim to motivate companies to increase their R&D spending and accelerate the development of new drugs.
Li Lei, Deputy Director of the Innovation Department at the R&D Center of Shijiazhuang Sihua Pharmaceutical Group:
A series of innovative support policies have given us tremendous confidence and backing, enabling us to continuously overcome the “bottleneck” technological challenges in the development of innovative drugs.
During interviews, reporters learned that, since the beginning of this year, various targeted policies and measures have been implemented across our province to propel the industrial sector toward the mid- and high-end segments of the value chain. On the one hand, guided by industry needs, efforts have been made to actively integrate existing innovation resources and to advance research, development, and commercialization in cutting-edge and common key technologies as well as in advanced manufacturing foundational processes. On the other hand, steps have been taken to concentrate innovation factors within enterprises, enhance their technological innovation capabilities, and ensure that more innovative products and achievements take root and bear fruit at the enterprise level.
At Tangshan Yinglai Technology Co., Ltd., technicians are conducting intelligent weld-seam recognition tests on a welding robot. According to the technicians, this robot’s sensor alone incorporates nearly 60 of the company’s independently developed patents.
Zhao Zhijun, Deputy General Manager of Tangshan Yinglai Technology:
In weld-seam recognition, we achieve the nation’s first such application by detecting weld-gap dimensions, adjusting the robot’s trajectory accordingly, and generating tailored welding parameters based on the specific gap size.
The robotics industry is a technology-intensive sector, and its capacity for technological innovation is the key determinant of market competitiveness and industry leadership. To this end, the Tangshan High-tech Industrial Development Zone has vigorously implemented initiatives to empower innovation through technological advancement and to attract top talent and expertise. These efforts include continuously increasing support for R&D investment, the commercialization of scientific and technological achievements, and the development of innovation platforms, while strengthening the integrated allocation of projects, talent, funding, platforms, and bases. The zone also encourages enterprises to ramp up R&D activities and move up the value chain toward higher-end segments.
Zhao Zhijun, Deputy General Manager of Tangshan Yinglai Technology:
Each year, our R&D investment accounts for more than 20% of sales revenue, and R&D personnel make up over 40% of our workforce. We now support more than 40 mainstream industrial robots both domestically and internationally, and our products are sold to leading companies across multiple industries, including CRRC and BYD.
Innovation-driven development is energizing a new engine for industrial growth. According to the latest statistical data, from January to August, among the 40 major industrial categories covered in the province’s statistics for enterprises above designated size, 21 saw year-on-year increases in value added, representing a growth rate of 52.5%. Specifically, six sectors—namely general equipment manufacturing, pharmaceutical manufacturing, and automobile manufacturing—combined to contribute 6.7 percentage points to the overall growth in value added for industries above designated size across the province. Meanwhile, strategic emerging industries posted robust growth: from January to August, their value added increased by 6.9% year on year, outpacing the provincial average by 0.4 percentage points.

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