Hai'an, a county-level city in Nantong, Jiangsu province, has been intensifying efforts to foster innovative enterprises in recent years. The city has collaborated with top domestic universities and research institutions to establish joint research and development platforms, which facilitate the transformation of scientific and technological achievements into practical applications.

According to the talent office of Hai'an, the city has established five national-level research and development platforms, three provincial-level key laboratories for enterprises, and three academician workstations. The number of provincial-level R&D platforms now exceeds 150. In addition, Hai'an has partnered with renowned institutions such as the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and Nanjing University to jointly establish 10 industrial research institutes.

Last year, Nantong Kexing Chemical Co Ltd, in collaboration with Nanjing University of Science and Technology, developed a new lubricating oil product through industry-university-research cooperation. The product is mainly used in high-end equipment manufacturing, aerospace, and automotive industries.

The newly launched product quickly gained market traction. The company achieved sales of 174 million yuan ($24.10 million) last year, a 19 percent increase from the previous year. Sales of the new lubricating oil product alone increased by over 10 million yuan.

Fu Shichao, general manager of Kexing Chemical, said that the company has established R&D centers in Guangzhou and Hai'an. Its annual R&D expenditure accounts for about 8 percent of the sales revenue.

According to Fu, the company has also built a collaborative relationship with research institutions such as the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Nanjing University, injecting new momentum into the company's development.

This year, the company has invested 100 million yuan to upgrade its lubricating oil project, which is currently being vigorously promoted. As a result, the company expects to add 50 million yuan in sales this year, with total sales reaching 250 million yuan.

Due to the vibrant academia-industry collaboration in the city, Hai'an saw an addition of 90 high-tech enterprises last year, bringing the total number to 551. The number of technology-based small and medium-sized enterprises in the city reached 817, ranking 14th in the 2023 China's Top 100 Innovative Counties (Cities) list.

A factory belonging to Nantong Kexing Chemical Co Ltd. [Photo/Nantong Daily]