The Kunming National Hi-Tech Industries Development Zone, established in 1992, has been committed to innovation system and incubator construction. To develop the zone into an internationally renowned and leading domestic innovation park, its administrative committee launched the incubator management center in January 2012.

The center emphasizes service and innovation and aims to commercialize research findings, as well as incubate high-tech and innovation enterprises. It incubates qualified high-tech enterprises with a strong team, outstanding research capability, proprietary intellectual property rights, leading technology and high potential.

• Criteria for incubated enterprises:

1. The company’s business and tax payments are registered in the Kunming High-Tech Development Zone.

2. Enterprises were established within two years.

3. The incubation time period is no more than 42 months, while the time period for startups engaged in special areas like bio-medicine, integrated circuit design and modern agriculture, is less than 60 months.

4. The projects of incubated enterprises should be consistent with the nation’s strategic emerging industries and meet the nation’s energy conservation and emission reduction standard.

5. The projects or products that the incubated enterprises are developing should have clearly-defined and dispute-free intellectual property rights.

6. The team of the incubated enterprises should be innovative and capable in technology, market and business management.

• Criteria:

Enterprises can graduate from the incubator program on condition that they meet at least two of the following criteria:

1. Holding proprietary intellectual property rights

2. More than 10 million yuan ($1.61 million) of annual revenues for two consecutive years

3. Being merged, acquired by other companies or listed in an international or domestic capital market

• Evaluation method:

The first appraisal on incubated companies is conducted a year after their entry into the zone. Assessment parameters include capital performance, R&D capability, and corporate management and to what extent the project keeps with advanced technology and industrialization.

Evaluation results: Incubated enterprises with excellent assessment results can enjoy preferential policies. Those that fail two consecutive appraisal reviews will be asked to leave the zone, and the provision of support and services will be terminated.

• Exit mechanism:

Enterprises leave on two conditions - failing in business or evaluation.