SIAT Launches National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Demonstration Base 

On Jun 21, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Science (hereinafter referred to as SIAT) staged “the Launch of National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Demonstration Base (hereinafter referred to as BASE) & the Opening Ceremony of ZHONG Ke-Stanford International Entrepreneurial Camp (hereinafter referred to as CAMP)” in the conference hall of building F at SIAT. DUAN Ziyuan, Deputy Director-general of Bureau of Science and Technology for Development, Chinese Academy of Science, SONG Qiang, Vice District Chief of Luohu District government, FAN Jianping, SIAT President, XU Jianguo, SIAT Vice President, and Steve Ciesinski, President of Stanford SRI International (hereinafter referred to as SRI), Claude Leglise, Executive Director of Innovation Center, Andy Switky, the innovation tutor, and XUE Jingping, President of Maker Institute, CAS (hereinafter referred to as Maker Institute) attended this Ceremony.  

At the Ceremony, Shenzhen Development and Reform Bureau, and Bureau of Science and Technology for Development, Chinese Academy of Science, expressed their support for establishing this BASE in Shenzhen, and encouraged SIAT to give a full play to the micro-innovation quaternity system that incorporates science, education, industry and capital to make vigorous efforts to construct and develop the BASE in a more comprehensive and systematical way, and strive for popularizing and replicating this entrepreneurship and innovation approach, systems and experience with Chinese characteristics. The attendees witnessed the launch of SIAT BASE. Later on, the leaders of the BASE conducted the first group meeting, discussing the details of the BASE’s development.  

Steve Ciesinski bestowed the camp commemoration flag upon XUE Jingping to officially kick off the CAMP. The CAMP will be recruiting over a hundred most fast-growing teams with the most innovative projects globally, and providing the makers who have the spirit of innovation with access to high-quality resources to start up their business and to make innovations.  

Steve Ciesinski delivered SRI’s innovation idea to the audience in China through his technological innovation report, which sparked an enthusiastic discussion at the Ceremony. Two projects - Her- Natural language AI system, and OXIAMEM flat-plate MBR for sewage treatment stood out among the 30 projects in phase one courses. These two projects’ designers, together with Claude Leglise, Executive Director of the Center for Innovation Leadership at SRI International hosted an open class to demonstrate the projects, and interact with the audience, attracting great attention of investors and industry personnel. The organizer expressed that the training service and resources exchange will be available for the entrepreneurial projects from the CAMP. And the best 10 projects will be selected and then exhibited at the China Hi-Tech Fair this year.  

CAS has been actively engaging in the national economy and collaborating with research institutes, universities, talent organizations, science incubators and investment organizations from home and abroad to develop the new engine of entrepreneurship and innovation by the general public, continuously improve talent cultivation and mobility mechanism, build support platform and service system for entrepreneurship and innovation, speed up the technology transfer, and endeavor to set up a batch of national demonstration bases supported by CAS institutes for entrepreneurship and innovation. 

It is understood that, this BASE is the only demonstration base in Shenzhen that is co-founded by university and research institute in the second batch of national entrepreneurship and innovation demonstration bases. The BASE will create an ecosystem with 1 headquarter, 1 professional service organization and 5 innovation platforms to introduce hundreds of returnees and cultivate 300 graduates every year. 

ZHONGKe-Stanford International Entrepreneurial Camp is the exclusive agency from SRI in China, and is supported by Maker Institute and SRI. By taking advantage of the workshops led by both sides and with the guidance and mentorship from experienced innovation supervisors and industrial coaches, the CAMP is aim to incubate and accelerate the projects conducted by Phds and postdocs from and outside CAS.  

Editor: Ellen Zhang