Hai'an has become a regional leader in postdoctoral research and innovation, with 29 provincial-level or above postdoctoral research stations — the highest number in Nantong. This achievement reflects the city's continuous efforts to attract and support high-end talent.

To create a more favorable environment for innovation, Hai'an has been optimizing its support policies. The city has adjusted living subsidies for postdoctoral researchers and introduced funding for research project proposals.

In March this year, Hai'an rolled out a new talent policy. Under the policy, full-time postdoctoral researchers working in the city can receive a monthly living allowance of 5,000 yuan ($685.25) for up to three year, while those who stay in Hai'an after completing their postdoctoral term and start businesses or conduct research qualify for a monthly subsidy of 3,000 yuan for another three years. Over the past four years, the city has issued a total of 6.23 million yuan in subsidies.

Established in 2017, the postdoctoral research station at Tianying Group has demonstrated strong results in the commercialization of research results. One notable case is Han Dan, who joined the station in 2018. Through extensive experimentation, she showed that waste plastics from household garbage can be modified and regenerated into usable products like garbage bags and bins— marking a crucial step toward achieving carbon neutrality.

Another example is Jiangsu Tiemao Technology, which specializes in producing glass for vehicles, railways, and aircraft. "Technological innovation is the key to our success, and our postdoctoral station has played a crucial role in that," said Wang Yinmao, the company's deputy general manager.

In October 2022, Tiemao was approved to establish a national-level postdoctoral research station. Since then, three postdoctoral researchers have joined. Among them is Wang Shuang from Jiangsu University, who developed new materials for windshields used in rail transit, which previously had to be imported. The team's success has helped the company capture over 60 percent of the domestic market, with products now also exported to South Korea and Europe.