By Lai Youwei

Research Report Vol.17 No.1, 2015

It is essential for China to build special zones for talents and experiment zones for talent management reform in order to determine the strategic arrangements for prioritizing talent development and cultivate talent advantages of international competitiveness. In March 2011, 15 central units, including the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee and the State Development and Reform Commission, along with Beijing Municipal Government jointly released “the Opinions on Building Special Zone for Talents in Zhongguancun National Innovation Demonstration Zone” (hereafter referred to as “the Opinions”) in an attempt to jointly build Zhongguancun Special Zone for Talents (hereafter referred to as Special Zone for Talents). After exploration and practice in the past three years, Zhongguancun Special Zone for Talents has accomplished prominent achievements, though some problems remain to be solved.

I. Zhongguancun Special Zone for Talents: Exploration and Practice in the Past Three Years

Zhongguancun actively adopts “trial-and-practice” principle in its talent system mechanism. Focusing on bringing in and training high-level talents, driven by innovation of talent policy as well as institution and mechanism reform, and supported by the broadened platforms for talent development, Zhongguancun has created the “soft port” for talent development and has become the gathering place for high-level talents to foster innovation and incubate business start-up. It has done the following work.

1. Putting more efforts in attracting and recruiting high-level talents from overseas, and creating the “soft port” for talent development

Based on such key talent projects as the national “Recruitment Program of Global Experts” (also called “1000-talent Plan”), “Beijing Overseas Talents Project”, and “Zhongguancun High-level Talents Project,” Zhongguancun actively sets up the policy system to bring in talents, to publicize talent policies, and to search talents. To attract more high-level talents from overseas, Zhongguancun has quickened the pace to improve its system for attracting overseas talents by establishing 11 contact agencies for overseas talents in cities and areas like Silicon Valley, USA, London, Britain and Munich, Germany. By building comprehensive and multi-level recruiting system all over the world and broadening the channels for talent recommendation and introduction, Zhongguancun is devoted to bring in more high-level talents from overseas. In addition, in 2012, to attract outstanding talents from home and abroad to start business and foster innovation in Zhongguancun, it initiated the supportive project helping overseas talents start business by recognizing their status first before allowing them to enjoy related policies.

2. Broadening platform for talent development and transferring cutting-edge technology with R&D

Zhong guancun actively accelerates the planning and construction of the Future Science City and Zhong guancun Science City. It also prepares the establishment of the Entrepreneurial Base for High-level Talents, Independent Innovation and Entrepreneurial Park for College Students, and the Base for Young and Promising Talents. Zhong guancun also has some key research bases like the Aerospace Science and Technology Innovation Park. Meanwhile, it promotes the projects to industrialize some cutting-edge technological achievements such as the invention of some new medicines and general chip. As the innovation and entrepreneurial base for talents jointly created by central enterprises in Beijing, the Future Science City gathers not only new R&D institutions for clean energy and aviation technology, but also high-level talents from home and abroad. Meanwhile, it is now developing more than 30 cutting-edge technology projects, such as thin film solar cell. To build various kinds of development platforms for talents in different fields, relevant central units support Beijing Municipal Government to build such new R&D institutions in the talent zone such as the Life Sciences Research Institute, National Engineering Technology Center for Crop Molecular Design. By building scientist-oriented management system and stimulating talents’ vitality, some research results have been achieved up to the advanced level in the world in such field as life sciences and agricultural breeding.

To effectively gather high-level talents and high-end projects, Zhongguancun has formulated and implemented “the Management Measures of Supportive Fund for Entrepreneurial Base of High-level Talents.” In May 2012, Tiangong Building in Beijing University of Science and Technology was officially put into use as the first entrepreneurial base for high-level talents. By the end of June 2014, a total of 92 enterprises are housed in Tiangong Building, the entrepreneurial base for high-level talents, occupying a total area of 62008 square meters. A total of 35 people from these enterprises own various talent titles granted by the government like the title of “1000-talent Plan” expert.

3. Adopting pilot practice principle and stimulating talents’ innovative and entrepreneurial vitality

First, seven incentives have been determined for innovative talents of science and technology including equity awards, stock option and sci-tech achievements invested as shares, and relevant policies have been implemented. Second, work has been done to carry out the “New Four Provisions”. In order to enhance the effectiveness of the “1+6” policy ①, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Finance, the State Administration of Taxation jointly issued, in Sept, 2013, related documents, approved by the State Council to be implemented in Zhongguancun National Innovation Demonstration Zone (hereafter referred to as Zhongguancun Demonstration Zone). Examples of these policies include the accreditation of supportive technology of high-tech enterprises in culture industry, pilot pratice on income tax of the legal person and partners in the limited start-up and investment partnerships, pilot pratice on income tax for companies transferring their right of non-exclusive use of over five years, and pilot pratice regarding individual income tax on equity capital converted by enterprises. Third, the range of business incubation service has been expanded.

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① In the “1+6” policy, “1” refers to building the innovation resource platform in Beijing. “6” refers to the six policies supporting Zhongguancun to deepen and carry out the “trial-and-practice” reform.