Known for its science and technology strengths, Hefei in Anhui province saw its research and development (R&D) investment increase to a historical high last year, according to the local government. The city’s R&D expenditure grew by 19% year-on-year, reaching CNY47 billion last year, according to statistics by the Hefei Bureau of Science and Technology. The ratio of R&D expenditure in comparison with the gross domestic product (GDP), known as R&D intensity, stood at 3.91%, significantly higher than the national average. “The ratio evaluates a region’s science and technology strengths and how much importance the local authorities attach to innovation,” said Dai Bing, Deputy Director of the Bureau. The city spent CNY7.9 billion on fundamental research, CNY5.7 billion on applied research and CNY33.4 billion on trials and tests last year.
The nation as a whole spent CNY3.08 trillion last year on R&D, an increase of 10.1% year-on-year, as the country remains steadfast in stepping up investment in fundamental research and striving for breakthroughs in crucial technologies, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) in September. The national R&D intensity for the year was 2.54%, while seven provincial-level regions saw their ratios exceed the national average – Beijing hit 6.83%, Shanghai reached 4.44%, Tianjin 3.49%, Guangdong province was at 3.42%, Jiangsu at 3.12%, Zhejiang at 3.11% and Anhui came in at 2.56%.
The year’s R&D expenditure by the city of Hefei accounted for 40.7% of Anhui province's total. In recent years, Hefei has risen to become one of the country’s most important science centers and manufacturing hubs. With a plethora of scientific institutes, including the University of Science and Technology of China, the city received approval from the central authorities in 2017 to build the Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, one of four in the country. “As much as 18% of the city’s fiscal expenditure went to science and technology sectors in 2022,” said Dai.
The province arranged nearly CNY1 billion in funds for the Institute of Health and Medicine, which was established in 2021 as several institutes under the Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, for operations in 2022 and 2023. More than CNY638 million for the institute will be covered by the Hefei government. Authorities at the institute said more than half of its funding had been assigned to support R&D and they are aiming to attract more talent from around the world. “Thanks to the city’s continuous investment in science and technology, Hefei has become a powerhouse in many scientific areas, especially in quantum information, nuclear fusion energy and deep space exploration research,” said Dai. He expects that the number of high-tech companies in the city will surpass 8,200 by the end of this year, the China Daily reports.
