The 2025 University Sci-Tech Achievement Fair is held in Guangzhou from December 15 to 17, co-hosted by the Research and Development Center for Universities of the Ministry of Education and the National University Regional Technology Transfer and Transformation Center (Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area). Under the theme of “Universities and Enterprises Joining Hands for Integrated Innovation: Empowering the Development of New-Quality Productive Forces”, the fair has attracted more than 600 universities nationwide to participate in the exhibition.
When it comes to exhibitions, exhibits are usually the first thing that comes to mind. On the stage of this Sci-Tech Fair, there are both mature scientific and technological achievements and transformation projects in urgent need of investment. Among them are many “ripe fruits” that are close to industrial frontiers and frontline market demands with adequate market-oriented preparation, as well as numerous start-up projects still in their embryonic or even seed stages with great theoretical potential, awaiting discovery and investment from insightful professionals who can seize the business opportunities.
If scientific and technological achievements are likened to a “library of knowledge”, then the transformation of such achievements is about turning this “library” into a “treasure trove”, enabling more people to benefit from the life-changing power of science and technology. However, for a long time, universities in China have generally been plagued by such problems as “research papers locked in drawers” and “technological achievements sitting idle on patents”. Researchers are faced with the dilemmas of lacking the capability and courage to transform their research outcomes, and the absence of sound institutional mechanisms has also resulted in barriers to effective transformation. Such issues not only hinder the innovation of productive forces, but also dampen researchers’ enthusiasm for scientific exploration. Enterprises, on the other hand, have also been calling for an open and professional platform to facilitate in-depth collaboration between academia and industry, and tap into new business opportunities therefrom.
Against this backdrop, the University Sci-Tech Achievement Fair came into being as the times require, and it also stands as a vivid embodiment of the pioneering spirit.
Its emergence as a timely response owes much to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), a fertile ground for scientific exploration and sci-tech industrial development. The region boasts a cluster of prestigious universities nurturing a steady stream of talents, and a thriving ecosystem of sci-tech enterprises that are advancing by leaps and bounds. Major scientific infrastructures and national key laboratories are being put into operation at an accelerated pace, bringing new breakthroughs in basic scientific research and interdisciplinary exploration. With an open market and an inclusive environment, technological factors have become a powerful engine driving regional development. The synergy among the three regions and frequent talent exchanges have fostered a vigorous “innovation rainforest”. In the first 10 months of this year, the proportion of high-tech industries in Guangdong’s industrial enterprises above designated size has kept rising. Investment in internet and related services, as well as software and information technology services, has registered rapid growth. The scale of the core artificial intelligence industry has exceeded 230 billion RMB, and the output of industrial and service robots in Guangdong has maintained the top rank nationwide.
Its pioneering spirit is reflected in the fact that the fair has forged ahead with bold explorations right from its inception. Back in 2017, the first University Sci-Tech Achievement Fair was held in Huizhou, Guangdong Province. Around 10,000 sci-tech projects were showcased by 300 universities from home and abroad, and nearly 3,000 enterprises attended the event, with many participants coming with a tentative mindset. At that time, only two years had passed since the amendment to the Law on the Promotion of the Transformation of Scientific and Technological Achievements, and there was no specialized exhibition for university sci-tech achievements nationwide. Guangdong took the lead in introducing local regulations and supportive policies, and invested substantial funds to build bridges for cooperation between universities and enterprises. Today, the fair has returned to the Pearl River bank with an expanded scale, a richer array of exhibited achievements and increasingly mature transaction mechanisms. From “Trading with the World” to “Sci-Tech for the Future”, standing at the forefront of the times, Guangdong has always pursued truth and pragmatism, forged ahead with perseverance, broken market bottlenecks with an innovative mindset, facilitated in-depth cooperation, and provided valuable development opportunities for emerging fields and new industries.
Archimedes’ famous saying “Give me a fulcrum and I shall move the earth” is widely known. Looking at the present, the young University Sci-Tech Achievement Fair is exactly that crucial fulcrum connecting science and technology with industrial development. We look forward to this fulcrum amplifying impetus, overcoming obstacles, transforming scientific research outcomes into developmental driving forces, and continuously leveraging the engine of economic growth.
