High-caliber talent top of the agenda for local government

Changsha's government is proposing measures to attract more high-caliber talent, thereby supporting the city's long-term development.

In June, city leaders of Changsha proposed 22 new talent-supporting policies aiming to attract global talent and cultivate locally grown expertise. And that's just the latest effort of local government in expanding its talent pool.

The city, with 3,000 years of history, has reported rapid economic growth over the past few years. During the 12th Five-Year Plan period (2011-15), the overall economic output of Changsha ranked sixth among all capital cities in China. It is home to many leading innovation-driven and internet-based businesses, such as Microsoft, Google, Tencent and Baidu.

Zhang Hongyi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Changsha Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China and head of Changsha's organization department, noted that Hunan plans to attract and cultivate 2,000 high-caliber professionals in the coming five years. Those professionals will serve industries such as smart manufacturing, and support a culture of innovation, ensuring the city's residents enjoy modern services an enhanced social lifestyles.

He added that the city has set goals to be a national hub for smart manufacturing, innovation and creativity and transportation. Zhang said the city will continuously update its talent demand list and provide different amount of subsidies to qualified people.

"Changsha will also upgrade its service systems to provide (talented recruits) more conveniences in areas such as healthcare ... kids' school enrollment and spouse settlement," Zhang said.

Changsha's government has long been committed to supporting innovation and industry development over the past few years. It has established seven industrial clusters - new materials, engineering mechanics, electronic information, vehicles and components, culture and creativity, food and tourism - each with more than 100 billion yuan ($14.82 billion) in annual output. Changsha's gross domestic product growth rate ranked first among 33 major cities in China between 2005 and 2015, according to local officials.

Figures provided by the local government show that there are now 17 national-level engineering technology research and development centers, 19 national-level key labs and 16 national-level business-operated research and development centers in the city. Many renowned enterprises such as engineering machinery developers Zoomlion and Sany and vehicles developer BYD have strongly supported the local innovation industry.

Chen Wenhao, deputy Party secretary and mayor of Changsha, said the city has invested over 6.68 billion yuan in supporting regional technology innovation over the past three years. The government has attracted 51.3 billion yuan in R&D investments from the society. Changsha is investing heavily in developing into an innovation and creativity hub.

Chen Bosheng, the executive deputy general manager of Farsoon, one of the leading 3-D technologies developers in Changsha, said the city has to strengthen its technological development foundation, upgrade its technology support system, deepen reform and innovation and promote an innovative spirit to be an innovation and creativity hub.

"We have to integrate resources to develop industrial clusters and we have to promote technology applications to push up materials development so as to develop the 3-D industry into a pillar industry of Changsha," Chen said.

fengzhiwei@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 07/28/2017 page24)