Tongzhou district in Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province, held a press conference on June 16 to launch a slew of new policies concerning talent development and innovation promotion.

Having been appraised many times as an advanced district in talent work in Jiangsu, Tongzhou has attracted 785 high-caliber innovative and entrepreneurial talents, as well as nine listed companies and others still going through the listing process.

The Several Opinions on Accelerating the Construction of a Talent Highland and Promoting Tongzhou's High-Quality Development was issued to enhance its talent-luring strength. The comprehensive talent policy, upgraded from the previous version (2016), consists of 15 measures in support of a wider coverage of talent in three areas.

I. Attracting high-quality talent

Incentives are customized for those recognized as top-notch talent, innovative and entrepreneurial talent, urgently needed talent, young talent, and talent with special skills. For example, projects led by innovative and entrepreneurial talent that qualifies for the district's 510 Talent Program will be subsidized with up to 5 million yuan ($773,000). High-level talent or teams who are exceptionally outstanding or have made major breakthroughs in their projects will be granted favors; their needs will be discussed and met through the "one matter, one discussion" system.

II. Giving full support to talent

Competitions will be organized to offer a stage for talent to show their abilities. There will also be free training and guidance on talent policy applications. Other support includes providing workspaces for entrepreneurs with three years of rent free, full-cycle incubation services, and credible funding solutions. A risk compensation fund of 10 million yuan will be set up to provide loan guarantees of up to 5 million yuan to each enterprise.

III. Providing comprehensive guarantees for talent

Tongzhou will give priority to talent in the areas of housing, living, education, and healthcare. Awards will be established in recognition of talent introduction contributions and other achievements made by talent.

Also released was the Several Policy Opinions on Promoting Innovation Development in Tongzhou District. It contains 20 opinions in seven areas, including 14 on scientific and technological innovations, four related to intellectual property rights, and two relating to financial innovations.

I. Cultivating enterprises with strong technological innovation capabilities

Efforts will be intensified to develop and attract high and new-tech enterprises, introduce innovative high-tech enterprises, and encourage an increase in enterprises' R&D budgets.

II. Deepening cooperation and innovation

The focus is put on the promotion of industry-university-research collaboration innovation and the expansion of international cooperation and exchange.

III. Promoting industrial technological innovation

Companies will be encouraged to apply for science and technology awards and share related resources, and will also be shown how to develop in an innovative way.

IV. Strengthening the construction of platforms

Measures will be taken to guide R&D platform construction, encourage cultivation of independent innovative talent, promote technology research and development and the transformation of results, and enhance the service level of intermediary sci-tech service agencies and technical service providers.

V. Carrying out sci-tech financial innovation

Sci-tech enterprises will be provided with financial credit support and encouraged to go public.

VI. Strengthening protection of intellectual property rights

Measures mainly focus on increasing patent application grants, cultivating enterprises with IP advantages, promoting IP securitization, and strengthening IP rights protection.

VII. Optimizing technological innovation services

Support will be stepped up for the transformation of technological achievements, construction of achievement transfer institutions, and innovative technology study aimed at improving people's well-being.