Consensus and Division of Labor: A Portrait of the New Generation Driving Scientific and Technological Commercialization
How Hot Has “Technology Transfer” Been in Recent Years?
According to the "2021 Annual Report on the Transformation of Scientific and Technological Achievements in China," a total of 3,554 universities and research institutes in China participated in the transformation of achievements in 2020, with 466,882 contracts concluded for such transformations. In contrast, in 2019, only 3,450 universities and research institutes in China were involved in achievement transformation, with merely 15,035 transformation contracts signed.
In just one year, the number of universities in China participating in the commercialization of research achievements increased by more than 100, while the number of commercialized projects surged nearly 30-fold!
The data reveals that the momentum behind “translation of scientific achievements” has indeed been growing in recent years, driven by supportive policies and the market’s increasing emphasis on basic research.
Moreover, a critically important trend is the growing involvement of professionals in the commercialization of research findings: this includes technology transfer managers who facilitate such efforts, university technology transfer offices dedicated to academic projects, and research administrators with expertise in both technology and market dynamics.
They step onto the stage sequentially at different stages of achievement transformation, all striving to ensure that scientific research projects can be successfully translated and implemented. They are like watercolors on a palette, requiring precise blending in varying proportions and close collaboration to create a vibrant and diverse masterpiece.
So, at what stages do they respectively “emerge,” and how do they facilitate the translation of research findings into practical applications?
Addressing the “Question of Roles” in the Process of Achievement Transformation,VBOrange BureauJointZhongguancun Technology Managers AssociationCo-plannedScientist-Led Startups: An Online Panel on the “People & Palette” of Translating Research into Industry. Special InvitationSoutheast University Suzhou MedicalGe Jianjun, Deputy Dean of the Institute of Medical Devices; Yang Xiaofei, Secretary-General of the Zhongguancun Technology Managers Association; Ding Ming, Co-founder of Weici Technology; Ren Bobing, Executive Director of Sinovation Ventures and General Manager of the Frontier Technology Fund, will be in8:00 p.m. on September 20Focusing on “who did what” among the various stakeholders in technology transfer, let us delve into which roles are involved at each stage of the process, what specific functions they serve, and how they can collaborate effectively to move scientific achievements from the “laboratory” to the “market.”
VBInsight looks forward to the clash of perspectives from different angles, providing more reference-worthy insights for those on the path of achievement transformation.
Guest Introduction
Ge Jianjun
Vice Dean, Suzhou Medical Device Research Institute of Southeast University
Currently serves as Executive Deputy Director of the Suzhou Medical Device Research Institute at Southeast University, Executive Deputy Director of the Institute of Biomaterials and Medical Devices at Jiangsu Industrial Technology Research Institute, and Chairman of Jiangsu Aweide Biotechnology Co., Ltd. Graduated from the Department of Radio Engineering at Southeast University with a bachelor’s degree in 1989, and obtained a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from Nanjing University in 2001. Senior Engineer. Possesses 33 years of experience in technology and management, including 23 years in senior executive roles at large and medium-sized enterprises and public institutions, with extensive practical expertise in corporate operations management and project investment. Serves as an entrepreneurship mentor for multiple organizations. Has published numerous articles on medical devices in recent years and holds seven national invention patents.
Yang Xiaofei
Secretary-General of the Zhongguancun Technology Managers Association
Ph.D., Professor, Senior Engineer; Secretary-General of the Zhongguancun Technology Managers Association; Director of the Guoke Torch Enterprise Incubator Research Center; Executive Director of the China Association for Technology Entrepreneurship; Recipient of the Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Contribution Award (Entrepreneurship Mentor) from the China Association for Technology Entrepreneurship; Zhongguancun High-End Leading Talent (Science and Technology Services Category); Expert in the National Ministry of Science and Technology Torch Center Database; Expert in the Databases of the Beijing Municipal Science & Technology Commission and the Zhongguancun Administrative Committee; Domestic Expert for the Chongqing Municipal Science & Technology Commission’s “121” Project; Domestic Expert for the Asian Development Bank’s “Green Transition in the Yangtze River Basin” Project; Leader of the Planning Group for the National 14th Five-Year Plan on Science and Technology Business Incubation; Practical Mentor for MPA Students at Beihang University.
Professor at Beihang University, Doctoral Supervisor, Co-founder of Unimagnetics Technology. He received his Ph.D. from the Optoelectronics Research Centre at the University of Southampton, UK, in 2013. He has been selected for the National High-Level Talent Program and recognized as an Outstanding Young Talent of Beijing. His primary research focuses on quantum precision measurement and its medical applications. In recent years, he has published over 100 SCI-indexed papers, filed more than 50 national invention patents, and delivered over 20 keynote or invited speeches at international conferences. He has successively led various scientific research projects, including those under the National Key R&D Program, the Key Pre-research Fund Project of the Equipment Development Department, and the General Program of the National Natural Science Foundation of China. He serves as a Youth Editorial Board Member for Chinese Laser Press, an Editorial Board Member for Photonics Sensors, and a Council Member of the Quantum Sensing and Precision Measurement Instrument Branch of the Chinese Society for Scientific Instrument.
Executive Director of Sinovation Ventures and General Manager of the Frontier Technology Fund, with over seven years of experience in technology sector investment. Has invested in or incubated early-stage frontier technology projects spanning AI, enterprise services, robotics, biotechnology, and new energy, including Moonshot AI, JieXiang LingYue, LuChen Tech, and Yeelink. Previously held technology investment roles at Baidu Venture Capital and Tsinghua Unigroup’s Qingyun Venture Capital. Holds a bachelor’s degree from The Ohio State University and a master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University.
Platform Overview
A professional platform under VCBeat, dedicated to innovation and translation in the medical field. Starting with exploration, cognition, and service, it deeply connects every participant in the innovative industry chain, continuously tapping into their innovation potential. With a core focus on addressing actual needs, it genuinely supports the growth of a group of scientists, ensures that each link in the ecological chain receives equivalent returns for their efforts, and facilitates better implementation of valuable medical innovation projects in China.
Zhongguancun Technology Managers Association is an industry-specific, national, non-profit social organization jointly established by 130 entities, including universities, research institutions, large enterprises, hospitals, incubators, investment and financing institutions, and intermediary service agencies, under the guidance of the Beijing Municipal Science & Technology Commission and the Zhongguancun Administrative Committee. Leveraging technology managers as a纽带 (link), it harnesses the combined strengths of four key groups—technology managers, scientists, entrepreneurs, and investors—to strengthen the capacity building of technology transfer institutions, improve and expand the service system for the transformation of scientific and technological achievements, and foster a practical development pattern for commercialization and incubation.
“VB Think Tank” is one of VCBeat’s flagship events, serving as a face-to-face platform centered on exploring solutions in the healthcare sector, with the mission to “focus on practical challenges and discuss industry trends.” The event conducts in-depth discussions, analyses, and exchanges around the current development status of core themes, addressing encountered difficulties, pain points, and barriers. Meanwhile, it delves into the resource endowments of participating enterprises, fostering practical collaborations through intellectual exchange.