The Information Office of Shanghai Municipality held a press conference on the afternoon of today (February 27). Vice Mayor Liu Duo gave a briefing on Shanghai’s efforts to promote the construction of the Grand Neo Bay Scientific and Technological Innovation Empowerment Functional Zone. Ding Kuiling, President of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shen Wei, Secretary of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Working Committee of Education and Health, Xu Feng, Secretary of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Working Committee of Science and Technology, and Chen Huawen, chief of Minhang District, attended the press conference and answered questions from reporters.Scientific and technological innovation is the key to Shanghai’s modernization and to winning the future. In recent years, Shanghai has thoroughly implemented the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important instructions on Shanghai to build a scientific and technological innovation center with global influence, made efforts to deliver the core task of “strengthening the empowerment function of scientific and technological innovation,” and accelerated the construction of key pilot zones for the scientific and technological innovation center that have agglomerated innovation elements, well-established service functions, innovation- and business-friendly environments as well as different characteristics. The city has created a batch of high-level innovation agglomeration areas including the Grand Neo Bay in Minhang, making them important supporting forces for the construction of the scientific and technological innovation center.In order to further enhance the “scientific and technological attributes” of the scientific and technological innovation agglomeration areas, better play their leadership and empowerment role, and accelerate the formation of innovation projects with exceptional growth potential, the city has been following the unified deployment of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee and the Shanghai Municipal Government to focus on key priorities and make targeted efforts in researching and formulating the “Plan for Promoting the Construction of the Grand Neo Bay Scientific and Technological Innovation Empowerment Functional Zone,” which was officially released today.I. Overall considerations of the construction of Grand Neo BayIn 2015, Neo Bay started construction in the northwest area adjacent to Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and after continuous development, the original Neo Bay achieved a leap from “0 to 1”, and was expanded to become the Grand Neo Bay by adding about 17 square kilometers of core areas around Shanghai Jiao Tong University and East China Normal University in Minhang District. It has successively been named one of the “National First Batch of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Demonstration Bases” and “Special Reform Pilot Unit for the Transformation of Scientific and Technological Achievements” by the National Development and Reform Commission, the “National Demonstration Zone for the Transfer and Transformation of Scientific and Technological Achievements” by the Ministry of Science and Technology, and one of “the First Batch of National Demonstration Urban Areas for Intellectual Property Empowerment” by the China National Intellectual Property Administration. It was also selected into the pilot list of “Future-oriented Industrial Science and Technology Park Construction” by the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Education, thus becoming a scientific and technological innovation agglomeration area with a complete entrepreneurial service platform and growth and cultivation ecosystem. So far, Grand Neo Bay has built and put into use 18 high-level scientific and technological innovation carriers, attracted more than 3,000 hard technology enterprises to settle down, and implemented a large number of innovation centers and projects, so that the open scientific and technological innovation cluster has begun to take shape. However, in light of the major goals of the construction of the Shanghai International Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, efforts shall still be made to continuously optimize connections among campuses, parks and communities in accordance with the standards of international benchmark scientific and technological innovation areas. It needs to effectively strengthen the function to empower scientific and technological innovation, promote the transfer and transformation of scientific and technological achievements, and cultivate and expand new momentum for economic development. To this end, on the basis of full investigation and demonstration in the early stage and repeated solicitation of opinions, the Plan was formulated with a focus on the “three improvements.”First, improve the abilities for original innovation. It will focus on key areas such as biomedicine, artificial intelligence, and high-end equipment, build a high-level innovation platform system, strengthen basic research and technological advancement, and accelerate the formation of a batch of original and leading achievements.Second, improve the efficiency of achievements transformation. It will deepen the integration among the industry, academia, research and applications, explore the innovative model of disciplines plus industries, promote the transformation of scientific and technological achievements and other polit policies, and cultivate a science and technology business incubator with global influence.Third, improve the capacities of industrial development. It will enhance support from carriers, and cultivate internal momentum. It will step up efforts to lure listed “hard technology” enterprises, form an output value of 100 billion yuan and a market value of a trillion yuan, and create an industrial innovation highland with global influence.II. Main contents of the construction of Grand Neo BayThe Plan is committed to an international vision, focuses on national strategies and scientific and technological frontiers, and puts forward a series of key tasks and measures based on regional realities, which can be summarized as “3+3+5”: The first “3” is to clarify the three phased goals. That is, by the end of 2023, it will be home to more than 600 high-tech enterprises, with more than 70 enterprises with a market valuation of more than 100 million yuan each. High-level talents and high-level technology enterprises will accelerate the agglomeration, basically forming high-quality industrial clusters and a high-quality innovation ecosystem, and becoming a new driving force for regional economic and social development. By 2025, construction of Grand Neo Bay will be basically completed, with more than 1,000 high-tech enterprises and a regional output value of 100 billion yuan, forming a batch of original achievements in basic research and applied basic research, developing a batch of breakthrough core technologies in future-oriented key areas, and cultivating a group of innovative and entrepreneurial talents with multidisciplinary cross-integration. By 2035, the original innovation capabilities will be significantly enhanced, the strategic scientific and technological strength will be gradually consolidated, and a batch of global forward-looking and leading original achievements will be created. A high-tech enterprise cluster with a market value of a trillion yuan will be formed, and a highland of scientific and technological innovation with outstanding innovation abilities, strong scientific and technological strength, rich original achievements and successful practices of the new development philosophy will be built in an all-round way.The second “3” is the layout to form the “CTO” functional areas. Among them, “C” refers to the “Core” area, with Shanghai Jiao Tong University and East China Normal University as the core, relying on highly intensive innovation resources and high-level innovation capabilities to empower technological innovation and industrial innovation. “T” refers to the “Transform” area, with Cangyuan Road and Jianchuan Road as the main axis, which is home to achievement transformation projects in colleges and universities and “hard technology” enterprises set up by teachers and students. “O” refers to the “Opening” area, including Zizhu and Jiangchuan Riverside, with a focus on further supporting and empowering growing enterprises.“5” is to actively implement the five major action plans, which include 22 policy measures. First, it’s the action to strengthen the functional base of innovation and empowerment. It will improve the ability of basic research and original breakthroughs, boost strategic scientific and technological strength, build a batch of functional platforms and new R&D institutions, and give full play to the role of leading enterprises as the main entities for innovation. Second, it’s the action to accelerate the transformation of scientific and technological achievements. It will deepen the construction of the transformation system of scientific and technological achievements and the core functions of university-based science and technology parks. It will guide colleges and universities to open and share innovation resources, improve the scientific and technological financial services system, and create a full-life cycle transformation incubation service chain. Third, it’s the action to lead cutting-edge emerging industries. It will focus on the three leading industries of biomedicine, artificial intelligence, and high-end equipment, as well as new growth areas for future-oriented industries such as digital economy, green and low-carbon sector, and metaverse, with an aim to cultivate and form multiple high-level industrial clusters. Fourth, it’s the action to gather innovative and entrepreneurial talents. It will implement the talent-led development strategy, explore innovative mechanisms to attract, educate and use talents, and improve the “people-oriented” services. Fifth, it’s the action to bolster scientific and technological innovation carriers. It will follow the principles of high-level planning, highly intensive innovation, high people traffic, high-level services, and high-quality life to create scientific and technological innovation carriers with various functions in a bid to meet the needs of various innovations and entrepreneurships.In order to ensure that the “3+3+5” initiative leads to practical results, four supporting measures will be launched at the same time. First, set up the work promotion mechanism. At the municipal level, relevant departments, Minhang District, colleges and universities will hold regular meetings to study and solve important matters. At the district level, Minhang District will play the leading role to establish the Grand Neo Bay Administration, and work together with universities, institutes and enterprises in the region to jointly promote the construction of key projects. Second, offer more policy support. It will make good use of the national and municipal pilot policies for the transfer and transformation of scientific and technological achievements, incorporate Grand Neo Bay into Shanghai’s overall plan to accelerate the construction of a high-level talent highland in the new era, explore the establishment of Grand Neo Bay Special Support Fund, guide and encourage college alumni and various social forces to establish the Grand Neo Bay Special Fund, and promote efforts to help talents have better access to various industrial policies. Third, strengthen resource support and guarantee. It will actively strive for support from major national science and technology projects, and improve the coordination of innovative resources such as key disciplines, high-quality industrial projects, and major facility platforms. It will improve surrounding supporting facilities such as transportation, housing, education, and medical services, promote the in-depth integrated development of campuses, parks and communities, and create an open scientific and technological innovation cluster suitable for living and working. Fourth, improve regular monitoring and evaluation. It will establish mechanisms for the implementation of annual task divisions, regular evaluation, scientific monitoring and feedback and adjustment, in a bid to reasonably optimize and adjust development goals and promotion mechanisms according to the assessment results.