Two R&D teams based in the Pearl River Delta city of Zhongshan recently edged onto the list of the most innovative scientific research teams in South China's Guangdong province.

The first two teams from this city to ever be on the provincial list are the marine wind power technology R&D team of China Ming Yang Wind Power Group Ltd, a company listed on New York Stock Exchange, and the high-end laser lithography system R&D team of Aiscent Technologies.

The two teams will receive 50 million yuan ($7.98 million) worth of financial aid from the provincial government and more than 25 million yuan from the municipal government of Zhongshan for their excellent R&D achievements and team building.

In its application for the provincial honor, the city only recommended those R&D teams that specialize in the city's priority industries and commercialize their research results in Zhongshan.

The team members must have worked in Zhongshan at least six months each year for five consecutive years. Another requirement was that the project must produce more than 100 million yuan worth of annual industrial output or have concrete economic prospects for core technology to be commercialized by a corporate team.

"The two teams' placement among the most innovative scientific research teams of the province speaks to the initial headway that Zhongshan has made in its strategy of developing human resources," said Gu Xiaoqin, dean of the mechanical and electrical engineering school of University of the Electronic Science and Technology's Zhongshan institute.

"Zhongshan is heating up for top-notch professionals and its innovation platform is increasingly competitive in the Pearl River Delta region," Gu said.

The city began to carry out its human resources development strategy in 2011 with a mid-to-long-term human resources planning outline in an attempt to pool human resources and attract in-demand professionals.

According to the plan, the city will look for at least 10 nationally or globally ranked academics or technology leaders. Additionally, the city aims to attract 100 people with technological knowledge in fields that are crucial to Zhongshan's strategic growth. It will supplement this with another 100 outstanding provincial experts as well as at least 300 top professionals from abroad.

The plan calls for special support from the city for 100 scientific and research teams that possess new technologies, innovative abilities, and competitiveness, 10 of which are expected to make the provincial list of innovative scientific research teams in the near future.

The city is also seeking about 1,000 people experienced in modern management techniques, market rules and international practices for senior management.

As a follow-up to the release of its talent strategy, the city held a conference on human resources development and a seminar seeking in-demand professionals in the past year.

And the governments at the city and township levels pooled capital totaling 100 million yuan for the development of human resources and offered 26.5 million yuan worth of awards to innovative teams in 2011 alone, reliable sources say.

"We are attaching equal importance to cultivating professionals and securing in-demand ones, and we are treating professionals from outside the same as local ones," said Lei Biao, head of the Zhongshan Municipal Party Organization Department and the municipal group working on human resources development.

"Our human resources policies are producing effective returns. It's really a golden time for well-trained and well-educated people to work or to do business in Zhongshan."

Lei said the number of professionals cultivated locally and secured elsewhere in the past two years is greater than that of the five years from 2005 to 2010.

"The city authorities have provided us with strong support and encouragement for our technological innovations," said Yi Hongbin, technology director of Zhongshan Vatti Gas Appliance Stock Co Ltd. He was recently named one of the city's outstanding professionals.

"Favorable policies, including those in terms of permanent residency status and schooling for children, are really helpful to professionals from elsewhere," he added.

zhanlisheng@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 10/23/2012 page4)