Experts invited to help overhaul industries

By Liang Qiwen (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-05-01 10:20

GUANGZHOU -- More than 6,000 experts will be recruited to Pearl River Delta (PRD) companies to assist in a technological overhaul of the Guandong province economy.

Under the Science and Technology Commissioners' Action in Enterprises program, the experts will be assigned to 923 companies as the government pushes to upgrade its manufacturing-based industry.

The province has grown rapidly in the last 30 years because of numerous labor-intensive manufacturing businesses.

But it now wants to restructure its economy to one based on technology.

By cooperating with the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Science and Technology through the program, the province has received more than 2,000 applications from local businesses wanting to participate in the program. However, only 923 enterprises were successful.

The experts, including 1,087 professors and experts as well as more than 5,000 university graduates, are known as "science and technology commissioners" and some began working with companies last month.

"We believe the program will not only benefit the 923 enterprises but also indirectly assist more than 10,000 enterprises to transform and upgrade their industries," said Song Hai, vice-governor of Guangdong.

A second group of commissioners is expected to begin work in July, he said.

"The program will offer lots of working opportunities to graduating students as well, some who have had difficulties in finding work because of the economic recession," he added.

Most of the 923 enterprises are located in the PRD and are involved in information technology, advanced manufacturing, energy, chemical industry, and agriculture.

Zhicheng Group in Dongguan, a company that invents and manufactures electronic appliances, said it had worked with university experts before.

The company has established research and development contracts with several prestigious universities in China.

"The university scientists can design updated and practical products to satisfy our increasingly customer demand," said Liu Zhiliang, a manager of the company.

Meanwhile, sources at the Guangdong labor and social security authority said they were planning to hold up to 10,000 job fairs this year for migrant workers as companies have been performing better than expected and are calling for more workers.