Ningbo "2025 S&T Megaprojects" (2019 annual call, first batch)

The Ningbo Municipal Bureau of Science & Technology in 2018 officially established a series of “2025 S&T Megaprojects”, supporting local enterprises, universities and research structures to conduct exploratory research, technology development, and commercialisation activities in areas surrounding the establishment of Ningbo as the first “Made in China 2025” Pilot Model City.

Eight “2025 S&T Megaprojects” have been established so far, each funding several specific research topics and directions:

New energy vehicles
Intelligent devices, advanced semiconductor chips and software
Advanced materials
High-performance CNC machines
Robotics and high-end equipment
Biopharmaceuticals and high-performance medical machinery
New energy, energy-saving and environment-friendly technologies
Key fundamental components

Target

Enterprises; universities; research institutes

Benefits

Commercialisation and demonstration projects: direct funding of up to 50 million RMB/project (max 10 million RMB/research topic)

Technology development and exploratory research projects: direct funding of up to 10 million RMB/research topic

Requirements

Unlike most other local-level programmes, the Ningbo “2025 S&T Megaprojects” are open to actors from all over the country. Two types of application channels are in place:

Applications from entities (legal persons):
- Enterprise, university or research structure registered in Ningbo, with independent legal personality
- Solid operational, management and financial mechanisms, strong conditions for research especially in terms of research capacity and human resources
- The proposed PI should have a well-renowned academic reputation in the corresponding field, and hold a senior technology post or Ph.D. degree
- Technology development, commercialisation and demonstration should be led by enterprises; participation of universities and research structures (i.e. industry-university-research cooperation) is encouraged
Applications from talents or teams (natural persons):
- Natural persons or teams not based in Ningbo’s administrative area
- The proposed PI should hold a senior technology post or Ph.D. degree, and should have previous experience in delivering R&D projects in domestic or international research structures or high-tech enterprises
- The proposed PI should have a well-renowned academic reputation in the corresponding field, and exceptional R&D capacities
- If selected, natural persons or teams will have 1 year of time to establish a company in Ningbo, with at least 5 million RMB of registered capital

There may also be limits on the total number of projects that are ongoing at the time of the application. Public bodies are not eligible to apply.

Date of publication

11 April 2020

Deadline for submitting applications

10 July 2020

Applications are submitted online on the Ningbo S&T Management Service Platform, and in hard copy version to the designated office indicated in the annual call.

International participation: figures and opportunities

A total of 107 “2025 S&T Megaprojects” were approved in 2018. Most beneficiaries were Chinese domestic entities. Four cases of research teams comprised of foreign researchers (including three non-ethnic Chinese) were also identified, together with three projects assigned to spin-offs from the University of Nottingham Ningbo and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.