Bloomage BioTech Founder Zhao Yan Donates 1% Equity Worth RMB 400 Million to Shandong University

Recently, Shandong University (hereinafter referred to as “Shanda”), which is 122 years old, received a special “birthday gift”—fromBloomage BiotechThe company's actual controller, Zhao Yan, plans to donate 1% of the company's shares to Shandong University free of charge. Based on the closing price of Bloomage Biotechnology on October 16, the value of these sharesApproximately RMB 400 million。

The donation announcement stated: “In memory of and in gratitude to the late distinguished biochemist and pharmacologist, the ‘Father of Hyaluronic Acid in China’”Professor Zhang Tianmin, Shandong UniversityOutstanding Contributions and Remarkable Achievements in Leading Innovations in Biotechnology and Biopharmaceuticals.

This is not the first time Shandong University has received donations from alumni and their enterprises. In 2021, Jia Ketuan, founder of Bitmain and an alumnus of Shandong University, also donated to his alma mater a facility valued at50 Million Yuan Intelligent Computing Center, and agreed to invest200 million yuanJointly Establish the Shandong University Institute for Intelligent Computing.

At Shandong University, the practice of remembering one’s roots and giving back to the alma mater has become well established. This trend is driven not only by a sense of alumni responsibility but also by the enduring impact of the transformative seeds sown by the university, which remain unforgettable to its graduates.

Shandong University was founded in an era of turmoil. In 1901, China faced internal strife and external threats; under pressure from the prevailing circumstances, the Qing government decided to implement the New Policies and establish modern schools. Yuan Shikai, then Governor of Shandong, submitted a memorial to Emperor Guangxu proposing the establishment ofShandong Provincial Official University, which is now Shandong University. Emperor Guangxu readily approved the proposal and called on all provinces to establish new-style schools in reference to this institution.

In order to establish a new university distinct from the “old education,” the Qing government specially hired Americans proficient in modern natural sciences.HeshiParticipated in the construction of Shandong Provincial Government University. Hayes willAn Integrated Chinese-Western Educational System, Teaching Methodologies, and Student TextbooksAll were brought intact to the Provincial Government University of Shandong, introducing new educational trends such as physics, chemistry, and English. By 1926, it had evolved into five colleges—Arts, Law, Engineering, Agriculture, and Medicine—and thirteen departments, including Chinese Philosophy, Law, Business, Medicine, and Applied Chemistry, making its teaching standards second to none at the time, while alsoPioneering Modern Higher Medical Education in China。

Amidst the turbulent times, the Provincial Government-Run University in Shandong underwent multiple suspensions, mergers, name changes, and relocations.ChinaQingdao University, National Shandong University, Huazhong Construction University...have all left an indelible mark on the history of Shandong University.Wen Yiduo, Shen Congwen, Liang Shiqiu, Lao She, You Guo'en, Zeng Xing, Tang TenghanMany renowned scholars have taught at Shandong University. This has enabled the university to attract a wealth of talent, fostering distinctive strengths characterized by comprehensive academic disciplines and a strong faculty. According to statistics from the Talent Office of Shandong University, as of November 2019, Shandong University had produced22 Academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering, forming a unique "academician advantage" with the characteristics of Shandong University.

Statistics on Academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering at Shandong University (Image source: Talent Office of Shandong University)

Shandong University’s multidisciplinary strengths have not only accumulated abundant innovative resources for itself, but also laid the foundation for the establishment and reform of numerous higher education institutions across China. In 1952, the central government carried out a nationwide restructuring of higher education institutions to emulate the Soviet-style university system. More than ten departments of Shandong University were separated and expanded to formShanghai Theatre Academy, Party School of the Shandong Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China, Wuhan Technical University of Surveying and Mapping, Qingdao Medical College, Zhengzhou University, Ocean University of Chinasuch as universities, which have occupied an irreplaceable position in the history of modern Chinese higher education.

In the 1980s, when the concept of technology transfer had not yet become familiar to university professors, collaborations between professors and the market mostly consisted of providing technical consulting services or simple technical support. A teacher from the Department of Electronics at Shandong UniversityYun Changqin, Wei Xinhua, Yang Zhiqiang, Wang Haois no exception. They partnered to establish“Sunday Research Team”, i.e., providing services to enterprises on Sundays or public holidays.

In that era, power outages were a very common occurrence. Four professors hoped to develop a remotely controllable power grid dispatching system to address the societal issue of power outages—there was no precedent for developing such a system in China at the time. Shortly thereafter, they developedThe First Grid Dispatching Automation Master Station System in China Based on General-Purpose Microcomputer Systems, and this system was ultimately adopted by the Jinan Power Supply Bureau.

This success made them realize that, beyond collaborating with enterprises, there are other pathways for translating scientific research achievements into practical applications. Consequently, they established a company on campus under the name “Sunday Development Team.” Many faculty members and students at the university were inspired by their example and joined the company’s R&D team.

It was not until 1992, in order to clarify the property rights and shareholdings of the “Sunday R&D Team” and better align with corporate structures, that they established a joint-stock cooperative enterprise.Jinan High-tech Zone IES Laboratory, the “Sunday Research Team” was also formally integrated into it. As the scale of the experimental institute gradually expanded, Yun Changqin and others further restructured it, with Luneng, a subsidiary of Shandong Electric Power, acquiring a stake to become the single largest shareholder, and the company was consequently renamedShandong Luneng Jicheng Electronics Co., Ltd.。

In 2010, Jicheng Electronics was officially listed on the SME Board of China’s A-share market. As most of the company’s shareholders were professors from Shandong University,Overnight, Shandong University Produced a Large Number of “Multi-Millionaires”, attracting attention from all sectors of society.

The “Sunday Research Team” represented Shandong University’s earliest attempt at technology transfer, with Yun Changqin and others becoming among the first professors to boldly pioneer in establishing startups. Their story subsequently inspired many other Shandong University professors to engage in technology commercialization.

Professor Zhang Tinggui from the School of Electrical Engineering brought a power software system “retrofitted” from a television set into Yantai Radio Factory No. 6, and this company ultimately soared thanks to Professor Zhang’s technology, gradually evolving into the renownedDongfang Electronics Co., Ltd.. Li Feng, a student of Professor Zhang, influenced by his mentor, applied the technology to the market. In 2001, he foundedJin Xiandai, with a net worth now exceeding RMB 2.3 billion. In addition, there areBloomage Biotech, Shandong TianyueMany such enterprises have emerged from Shandong University, ultimately expanding to the global stage.

Forty years on, Shandong University’s enthusiasm for the commercialization of research achievements remains undiminished. According to the Technology Transfer Service Manual released by Shandong University in 2022, during the brief five-year period from 2017 to 2021,Shandong University has produced 431 scientific research achievements, with a total contract value of approximately RMB 500 million.

If the success of the “Skunkworks” team was the result of “wild, unregulated growth,” then today’s achievements in transforming Shandong University’s scientific research outcomes are the “logical outcome” of institutional frameworks.

During the era of the “Sunday Development Team,” Shandong University (SDU) adopted a straightforward and aggressive approach to encouraging professors to launch startups and supporting their collaboration with enterprises on technology R&D, without systematically proposing equity distribution plans or establishing a technology transfer platform to facilitate commercialization. However, after years of practice, SDU has developed its own set of commercialization strategies.

In addition to its continued support for researchers engaged in the commercialization of their findings, Shandong University has establishedStrong Foundation Plan; established four support platforms covering the entire technology transfer value chain from upstream to downstream; and promoted university-local government-enterprise collaborations., enabling more high-quality achievements to extend beyond the campus.

Shandong University was born in times of turmoil and has always adhered to“Cultivating talent for the world, striving for national prosperity and strength”educational mission. Therefore, Shandong University has developed distinctive approaches to talent recruitment and cultivation.

To attract young talents with outstanding abilities and performance, Shandong University has specially established at the undergraduate level"Strong Foundation Plan". To be eligible for the program, students must not only achieve outstanding results in the National College Entrance Examination (Gaokao), but also have won at least a second-prize award in the national finals of the Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, or Informatics Olympiads during high school. Such stringent requirements ensure that Shandong University can attract high-quality students.

After introducing top-tier talents, the "Strong Base Plan" has adopted a training scheme distinct from regular higher education. The establishment of the "Strong Base Plan" aims to cultivate a group ofYoung scientific researchers with ambition, interest, and talent, which will be directly linked to scientific research in the future. Therefore, the Strong Base Plan is being implemented“3+1+X” ModelImplement an integrated bachelor’s-master’s-doctoral training program, offering only seven majors aligned with national key sectors—such as Mathematics and Applied Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, and Biological Sciences—to cultivate top-tier innovative talent in foundational disciplines for the nation.

Furthermore, a century of accumulated heritage has enabled Shandong University to develop distinctive strengths in comprehensive disciplinary coverage and robust faculty resources. Leveraging this advantage, the university has also established the “Taishan College” and “Nishan College.”"Two Pilot Zones for Cultivating Top-tier Innovative Talents in Basic Disciplines, as well as the Wen Yiduo Class, Pan Chengdong Class, Wang Ganchang Class, Deng Conghao Class, Tong Dizhou Class, and Zeng Chengkui Class, among others6 National-Level Talent Training Bases. These "experimental classes" cover all academic disciplines at the school, fostering top-tier innovative talents through multidisciplinary integration.

In addition to recruiting high-caliber students, faculty strength also plays a vital role in talent development. As exemplified by the experience of Li Feng, founder of Jinxiandai, without the influence of his mentor Zhang Tinggui, China’s information technology sector might have missed out on a dark horse.

Therefore, Shandong University also prioritizes the recruitment of high-level talent to expand its research teams and strengthen its faculty. It retains talent through preferential policies such as research subsidies, living allowances, family support, and career development pathways. According to statistics, Shandong University added 252 high-level talents between 2018 and 2021.Professors Chen Zijiang and Li Shucai were both elected as academicians in 2019—This also marks the first breakthrough for Shandong University in independently cultivating academicians.

Talent is the primary factor in scientific research and innovation. To ensure that the outcomes of research projects are successfully implemented, universities must also provide robust support services. Taking biology as an example,Medical FieldTaking the commercialization of research achievements as an example, Shandong University has establishedTranslational Medicine Sharing PlatformandMeilihu Translational Medicine Research Center, specializing in providing end-to-end services for the translation of medical research achievements at Shandong University.

First, scientific research in the medical field differs from that in other sectors; at times, the sophistication of equipment can influence the progress of research projects. Furthermore, medical research is increasingly characterized by multidisciplinary integration, making the selection of instruments and equipment more complex. For many laboratories, the procurement of experimental apparatus and reagents accounts for the majority of project funding. Principal investigators must not only focus on their research but also devote considerable effort to securing sponsorship, which, to some extent, hinders the pace of scientific advancement.

The translational medicine shared platform specially established by Shandong University provides researchers with access toFlow Cytometry Analysis, Small Animal Molecular Imaging, Electron Microscopy Analysis, Pathological Testing, Multiplex AssayPE co-established laboratories covering five major technological areas. Through a hierarchical management system at the university, discipline, and laboratory levels, we have established an integrated sharing system for instruments and equipment across multiple campuses and disciplines. This approach enables researchers to significantly reduce costs, eliminate future concerns, and devote themselves fully to scientific research.

Tiered Management of the Translational Medicine Shared Platform (Image source: Official website of Shandong University’s Translational Medicine Shared Platform)

However, the Translational Medicine Shared Platform is not merely a facility for instrument sharing; it is also a hub for multidisciplinary intellectual exchange. The platform regularly invites researchers and instrumentation application experts from relevant fields to deliver lectures and participate in academic discussions. The integration of medicine and engineering has become an inevitable trend, and the exchange of ideas between engineering scholars and medical researchers may well spark innovative breakthroughs.

Following the generation of scientific research outputs, the implementation phase is then handled byMeili Lake Translational Medicine Research CenterTakeover. Unlike other translational platforms that merely provide commercialization advice, the Meilihu Translational Medicine Research CenterDirectly Invite Enterprises to "Station"Currently, the Meili Lake Campus has attracted more than 200 enterprises. Here, researchers can directly identify societal needs and, upon completion of their research projects, engage in face-to-face negotiations with companies for collaboration, thereby eliminating cumbersome procedures. Meanwhile, under the university’s oversight, both parties can establish a sufficient level of mutual trust.

Furthermore, at the end of 2022, the Meili Lake Translational Medicine Research Center successfully obtainedLaboratory Animal Use License. The trials and regulatory submission processes, which often pose significant challenges for researchers, can also be handled entirely within the university, significantly improving both the efficiency and success rate of technology transfer.

The collaboration between the two major platforms has addressed the upstream and downstream pain points faced by medical researchers in the translation process, thereby facilitating the development of life sciences and medicine. In addition, Shandong University has establishedSchool of International Innovation and Technology Transfer, through collaboration with the University of Cambridge, to cultivate professional translational talents with technological insight and business acumen. Additionally,Technology Transfer Center, supporting the translation of scientific research projects, patent evaluation, application, management, and maintenance.

Shandong University has professionalized and concretized its technology transfer platform, leveraging a technology transfer matrix to address upstream and downstream challenges in the commercialization process for researchers, with the sole aim of bringing more scientific achievements to market.

Shandong has long been a major province for education, and as the top-ranked university in the province, Shandong University naturally attracts significant attention. The emergence of the “Shanda Group” once significantly boosted the provincial economy. In this era where technological prowess is paramount, the translation and implementation of innovative achievements from universities are even more critical.

To facilitate the establishment of the “Shanda Group” ecosystem, local governments across various regions have engaged in “university-locality collaborations” with Shandong University (SDU) to remove the final barriers for startup implementation. In 2023, SDU signed an agreement with the Jinan Municipal Government to deepen university-locality cooperation and released the Work Plan for Building the “Shanda Group” Brand to Support Jinan’s High-Quality Development. It also signed the Action Plan for Building the “Shanda Group” Brand to Support Qingdao’s High-Quality Development with the Qingdao Municipal Government. Furthermore, cities including Zibo, Tai’an, Dezhou, Rizhao, Jining, and Tengzhou have successively entered into strategic cooperation agreements and specific project agreements with SDU.

Local governments across the country are eager to attract affiliates of Shandong University to settle in their regions through policy support and guidance, deepen collaboration among local governments, universities, and enterprises, and foster a virtuous cycle in which local authorities support university development while universities contribute to local construction.

As Shandong University’s technology transfer system becomes increasingly comprehensive, the “Shandong University-affiliated” sector is also gradually expanding. The public listings of ShanDa DiWei and ShanDa Ouma have sent a clear signal—““Shanda Group” is gradually gaining momentum。

However, the “Shanda Group”’s aggressive expansion in the capital markets has not led to complacency; we can still observe Shanda accumulating innovative strength.

In early October 2023, the School of Integrated Circuits at Shandong University and the Shandong University–Sophgo RISC-V Research Institute were officially unveiled at the Central Campus in Jinan. Once again, Shandong University is tackling critical technological bottlenecks identified by the nation, with the aim ofEnhancing Foundational Innovation Capabilities in Hard-Tech Sectors。

In June 2023, Shandong Industrial Research Institute signed with Shandong Sci-Tech Innovation“Shandong University Technology Transfer Fund”Cooperative Joint Development Agreement. A joint technology transfer fund of RMB 50 million has been established to facilitate the commercialization of Shandong University’s scientific and technological achievements beyond the “laboratory” stage, thereby promoting the implementation and translation of industry-academia-research collaborative projects and research outcomes.

In its 122nd year, Shandong University has traversed a path of arduous pioneering and scaled the highest peaks. Its profound historical legacy has not hindered its progress; rather, it stands at the forefront of the times with a youthful spirit. As the university motto states:"Learning Has No Bounds, Integrity Stands Supreme"This principle applies equally to education, scientific research, and translation.