Huazhong University of Science and Technology Achieves RMB 240 Million Tech Transfer in Just One Year with Jinxianlian Glycoside Project

On February 28, 2023, the signing ceremony for the technology transfer project on the “Application of Anoectochilus Glycosides” between Huazhong University of Science and Technology and Hainan Jinnuosai Medical Technology Co., Ltd. was held, with the project to be priced in accordance with the agreement.240 million yuan, implementing the transformation of achievements through transfer, will fill multiple gaps in hepatoprotective drugs both domestically and internationally.

For Huazhong University of Science and Technology, this is the university's most significant achievement to dateLargest Single Technology Transfer Project. From project initiation and scheme finalization to contract signing, the Technology Transfer Office of the Scientific Research Development Institute at Huazhong University of Science and Technology tracked the project’s progress throughout the entire process and provided comprehensive services to facilitate its commercialization.

In fact, according to the "2022 Annual Report on the Transformation of Scientific and Technological Achievements in China," the contract value for the transformation of scientific and technological achievements at Huazhong University of Science and Technology in 2021Nearly RMB 1.7 billion, ranking ninth among universities in China, and has facilitated the translation and implementation of a number of key scientific research achievements in industries such as information technology and services, artificial intelligence, healthcare, semiconductors, and equipment & instrument manufacturing.

This also serves as a testament to the innovation, openness, and exploratory spirit demonstrated by Huazhong University of Science and Technology in the translation of scientific research achievements into practical applications: beyond its robust research capabilities, the university’s emphasis on and encouragement of research outcomes, along with its comprehensive policies, platform development, and operational systems, are equally indispensable.

In the latest “2022 Best Global Universities for Engineering” rankings released by U.S. News, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST) ranked ninth worldwide. Often referred to as the “Little Tsinghua of the South,” HUST was formed in 2000 through the merger of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Tongji Medical University, and Wuhan Urban Construction Institute.

Following the merger of three universities, Huazhong University of Science and Technology has progressively refined its academic disciplines. To date, the university encompasses 11 major disciplinary categories, offers 109 undergraduate programs, holds authorization for first-level discipline master’s degree programs in 48 fields, and for first-level discipline doctoral degree programs in 46 fields, thereby establishing a comprehensive academic framework characteristic of a research-intensive university.

In the fourth round of discipline evaluation, Huazhong University of Science and Technology'sMechanical Engineering, Optical Engineering, Biological Engineering, and Public Health and Preventive MedicineAll were rated as A+ disciplines.

The steady improvement in the educational quality of Huazhong University of Science and Technology has also benefited from the development of its faculty team. Currently, the university has more than 3,700 faculty members, including 2,800 professors.19 Academicians of the Two Academies, with more than 100 principal investigators of national-level research projects. They are a key force constituting the core competitiveness of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, as well as the guarantee for its outstanding achievements in teaching and scientific research.

According to statistics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology has led 70 projects under the National Key R&D Program. The university has secured a cumulative total of 3,734 projects funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, with direct funding amounting to RMB 2.315 billion. Both the number of approved projects and the total funding rank among the top in China. Notably, Huazhong University of Science and Technology has successfully developed a phase-change memory test chip with independent intellectual property rights in China; the world’s first high-resolution atlas of the entire mouse brain; and the world’s first fully digital PET scanner.

With outstanding engineering, robust medical sciences, and a balanced integration of humanities and basic sciences, Huazhong University of Science and Technology not only holds its own as a “comprehensive” university but also brings the essence of “science and technology” into full play. Yet these do not exhaust the key descriptors of Huazhong University of Science and Technology; the term “application” likewise permeates its entire ethos.

In the fields of optoelectronics and numerical control technology, we have successfully incubated four Hubei-based listed enterprises: Raycus Laser, HG Tech, Huazhong CNC, and Tianyu Information. We have successfully developed phase-change memory test chips with independent intellectual property rights in China and facilitated their transfer to the National Memory Base. Additionally, we pioneered a laser lap wire-filling fusion welding process for large-scale thin-walled curved components, serving industry leaders such as 701 Institute and CRRC Yangtze Co., Ltd.

In fact, in October 2021, Huazhong University of Science and Technology was approved as one of the first 20 pilot universities for the establishment of specialized national technology transfer institutions. Since then, Huazhong University of Science and Technology has begun to restructure its technology transfer system by abandoning the model of university-run enterprises. In January 2022,Establishment of the Leading Group for Intellectual Property Management and Achievement Transformation at Huazhong University of Science and Technology, with the group leader being the vice president in charge of scientific research, and members comprising representatives from the Academy of Scientific Development, Finance Department, State-owned Assets Management Office, Human Resources Department, Economic and Capital Management Office, Asset Management Company, Library, as well as intellectual property experts.

Organizational Structure for the Translation of Scientific and Technological Achievements at Huazhong University of Science and Technology

In terms of management system, Huazhong University of Science and Technology explores “Public Institution-Style Management + Market-Oriented Operation” model: Under the unified leadership of the Leading Group for Intellectual Property Management and Achievement Transformation, which oversees the university’s achievement transformation and intellectual property work, multiple departments—including the Institute of Scientific and Technological Development, Wuhan Huazhong University of Science and Technology Asset Management Co., Ltd., and the Office of the Committee for Operational Asset Management—collaborate in management. This has initially established a full-chain work system for achievement transformation, covering intellectual property creation and protection, operational services, and transfer and commercialization.

1. Intellectual Property: From Quantity to Quality

“Administrative Measures for Intellectual Property Rights Related to Scientific and Technological Achievements of Huazhong University of Science and Technology” (Revised in March 2023), Article 16 states that the university encourages and supports the exploration and establishment of a patent navigation mechanism centered on major national scientific research projects, integrating intellectual property management and utilization into all stages of project selection, initiation, implementation, conclusion, and transfer and commercialization of achievements, so as to optimize technological innovation, strengthen the cultivation of high-value patents, and promote the transformation of scientific and technological achievements.

Therefore, in terms of intellectual property, Huazhong University of Science and Technology emphasizes shifting its IP management from “outcome-based management and emphasis on quantity” to“Prioritizing Quality and Realizing Value”First, innovative technologies with commercialization potential are identified through disclosure, evaluation, investigation, and achievement inventory. Then, service teams are formed to provide precise, end-to-end support by embedding themselves within project groups, strategically arranging patent portfolios, and establishing protection chains. Subsequently, applications are organized for government programs (provincial and municipal high-value patent cultivation projects) and university initiatives (“121” Commercialization Special Projects). Finally, project funding is secured, management processes are strengthened, and the effectiveness of the cultivation efforts is ensured.

Under a series of patent quality initiatives, including pre-application assessment mechanisms, disclosure mechanisms for job-related scientific and technological achievements, and high-value patent cultivation mechanisms, Huazhong University of Science and Technology cultivated in 2022Over 20 high-quality projects and more than 500 high-value patents。

2. Transformation Carriers Provide Full-Process Incubation Services

If the “Measures for the Administration of Intellectual Property Rights Related to Scientific and Technological Achievements at Huazhong University of Science and Technology” aims to promote a shift in intellectual property from “quantity” to “quality,” then the Huazhong University of Science and Technology Science Park serves as a vehicle for the commercialization of high-value patents, providing full-process innovation services spanning “original innovation – technology development – achievement commercialization – seizing industrial commanding heights.” Established in 1999 with the support of Huazhong University of Science and Technology,Huazhong University of Science and Technology Science Park(hereinafter referred to as the Science Park), which is also among the first batches of national-level university science parks recognized by the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Education.

Huazhong University of Science and Technology Science Park: Achievement Transformation Services

Science and Technology Park throughOnline + OfflineAggregating Incubation Resources to Serve Enterprises with Precision. Online, digital park tools are leveraged to match enterprises’ needs for financing, technology, and talent with various resources, focusing on resolving information asymmetry and mismatches between supply and demand. Professional service personnel further ensure precise matching of enterprise needs, facilitating their offline resolution. Offline, seven value-added services are provided to enterprises: R&D management, project application support, technology matchmaking, management consulting, human resources services, investment and financing services, and market resource connection, thereby building a bridge for enterprise development.

Meanwhile, the Science and Technology Park implements the Dream Chasing Program.Enterprise-Friendly PoliciesBy offering preferential policies and precise incubation support, selected enterprises are provided with discounts on the purchase and leasing of incubation spaces, as well as on parking and property management fees, along with a range of other supportive measures. The “Craftsman Cultivation Initiative” is implemented to address enterprises’ difficulties in recruiting skilled labor. In collaboration with high-quality service providers, one-stop, tailored services are offered to enterprises, covering accounting, auditing, taxation, valuation, management consulting, securities brokerage, legal affairs, venture capital, and other related industries.

According to statistics, in 2022, the science and technology park hosted 479 enterprises. Among them, there were 240 incubated enterprises, 255 university student-led enterprises, and 171 startup teams. In that year, the park added four newly listed companies, 37 high-tech enterprises, 18 Gazelle enterprises, and 16 specialized, refined, distinctive, and innovative “Little Giant” enterprises.

3. Strengthening the Transfer and Commercialization of Achievements through University-Local Government and University-Enterprise Collaborations

In addition to establishing dedicated technology transfer offices and leveraging the support of its science park, the university has collaborated with local governments and enterprises across multiple regions to co-establish various local entities and dispatched research institutes/laboratories, thereby promoting further commercialization of research outcomes through secondary development, enterprise incubation, and other approaches.

According to public information, Huazhong University of Science and Technology has established the Shenzhen Research Institute of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, the Wenzhou Advanced Manufacturing Technology Research Institute of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, and the Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics Industrial Technology Research Institute.15 Overseas Research Institutes; Since 2018, a total of joint technical centers, joint innovation centers, and joint laboratories have been co-established by universities and enterprises97 items。

WithWuhan Economic & Technological Development Zone Future Technology Innovation InstituteAs an example, the institute focuses on its core mission of “pilot-scale maturation + incubation and cultivation + capital acceleration,” explores pilot-scale maturation models, bridges the “valley of death” in technology transfer, and promotes deep integration between the innovation chain and the industrial chain.

The research institute boasts a 30,000-square-meter pilot-scale production workshop and nearly 6,000 square meters of incubation space. It has established an integrated support service system comprising an “Incubation Building + Pilot-Scale Base + Talent Apartments,” implemented a batch of pilot-scale projects, and developed a specialized and precise service framework. This effort has created a comprehensive pilot-scale base that integrates multiple business formats, including scientific R&D, pilot-scale maturation, and project incubation.

To date, the institute has taken on more than ten pilot-scale projects. It is expected that by the end of 2023, 14 pilot production lines will be established and operational, yielding a batch of high-quality scientific research achievements and incubating a number of high-caliber enterprises.

Although it has been just over a year since Huazhong University of Science and Technology restructured its technology transfer system, entrepreneurs from the “HUST cohort” have long been active in the startup ecosystem.

Zhang Lianglun, founder of Beibei.com; Huang Chengsong, co-founder of Juanpi.com; Jin Yiye, founder of Ping++; Guo Lie, founder of Faceu, Ulike Camera, and Facemoji; Hu Junhao, founder and CEO of Darma; Peng Chuyao, CEO of Yuanyi Intelligent Technology; Wu Yiming, founder of Qidian Jinfu; Li Xiaoya, co-founder of Huishoubao; Xu Huan, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Qimai Technology......

This is all thanks to the innovative heritage of Huazhong University of Science and Technology. In March 2002, Professor Liu Yu, then Deputy Dean of Qiming College at Huazhong University of Science and Technology, establishedDian Team, a mentorship-based undergraduate talent incubator that helps university students innovate and start businesses. As of 2017, alumni of the Dian Team had founded 65 startups, including two unicorns. Among these ventures, 25 were valued at over RMB 100 million, and five team members were listed on the Forbes China 30 Under 30 list for entrepreneurship.

Nowadays, Huazhong University of Science and Technology has shifted from encouraging student entrepreneurship to supporting faculty-led startups, granting professors greater autonomy in innovation commercialization and helping them establish a more comprehensive technology transfer service system. “This is precisely what many Chinese professors aspire to when launching their own ventures.”