Talent fuels development push in Sichuan capital

Talent plays no small role in Chengdu's drive to become an economic power with international influence, according to local officials.

"Chengdu is a city of inclusiveness and vigor, and so it's talent-attraction strategy is comprehensive," said Ji Jianxin, an executive from Chengdu Di'ao Group.

Two of Ji's employees were enrolled in the city's top talent programs last year.

Home to 36 academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering, the city has a large talent pool that makes it attractive to overseas businesses.

A series of innovative policies released in 2012 helped the city draw 167 high-end professionals last year, including 29 experts recruited through the 1,000 Talented People Plan, a nationwide strategy launched in 2008 that promises high salaries and funding to top professionals working overseas who are willing to come or return to China.

In May 2011, the city government invested 120 million yuan ($19.5 million) into the Chengdu Talents Plan, which is intended to attract top overseas talent. Each of those selected will be granted 1 million yuan. And in 2012, the program was extended to cover individuals as well as teams.

The five awarded teams represented total sales revenue of 470 million yuan in 2012, and the number is expected to reach nearly 800 million yuan this year.

Chinese nationals as well as foreigners have been attracted to the city through the programs. They come from such fields as biomedicine, electronics, advanced manufacturing, alternative energy, new materials and food science.

The city also aims to attract about 1,000 high-level entrepreneurs in emerging industries with strategic importance in five to 10 years.

"I received a 1-million-yuan gift from my hometown in 2011 when I was enrolled in the Chengdu Elite Plan. And when our company met difficulties while going through the startup process, the 5-million-yuan team fund was extremely welcome," said Liang Peng, founder and chairman of Chengdu-based biomedicine developer Clover Biopharmaceuticals Inc.

Liang is a cancer biologist specializing in genetic engineering technologies. He won the Innovative Technology Award from the Society of Chinese Bioscientists in America in 1997.

"Our team will bring the world's most-advanced biomedicine technologies to the motherland so that the millions of cancer patients can enjoy the best quality of drugs at the lowest price," he said.

Different districts have also launched similar programs to attract talented people. The Chengdu High-Tech Industrial Development Zone has established a fund of 100 million yuan to introduce talent as well as industries. And in Longquanyi district, more than 2,000 apartments have been built for top talent, foreign experts and leading entrepreneurs.

Each district and county in Chengdu has built a database to manage the information of the professionals introduced by the various talent initiatives. There are tailor-made policies for some of them.

Rather than waiting for talented people to come, the city government is actively seeking them. It organizes delegations with companies and projects to visit other Chinese cities, such as Changchun and Nanjing, to promote its programs.

Last year, more than 20 companies were organized to take part in the campaigns, and more than 300 locals were enrolled.

The city has a relatively rich talent pool, with 42 universities, colleges and institutes supplying more than 100,000 graduates each year, according to Accenture, a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company.

The US-based advisory company sees demand for management consulting rising in western China.

The cost of human capital is low in Chengdu compared to coastal and first-tier cities, according to the company.