Ningbo plans to introduce scientific and technological talent, including in the field of magnetic materials, with total R&D investment expected to exceed 5 billion yuan

On May 30, it was reported that the Ningbo Municipal Science and Technology Bureau held a major project promotion conference for the “Science and Technology Innovation 2025” initiative in Beijing, issuing a nationwide call for participation. The event introduced the major projects launched under Ningbo’s “Science and Technology Innovation 2025” program this year, with total R&D investment expected to exceed 5 billion yuan.

Specifically, on April 28, the Ningbo Municipal Science and Technology Bureau officially released the 'Announcement on the Application for the First Batch of Projects (Topics) under the Ningbo Science and Technology Innovation 2025 Major Program.' The announcement covers eight key areas: new energy vehicles; smart devices, advanced semiconductor chips and application software; advanced materials; high-performance motors and high-end CNC machine tools; robotics and high-end equipment; biomedicine and high-performance medical devices; new energy and energy conservation & environmental protection; and critical basic components.

Each area includes three categories of projects: industrial demonstration projects, technology breakthrough projects, and frontier exploration projects, totaling 125 projects (topics). The total R&D investment is expected to exceed 5 billion yuan.

According to reports, the implementation of the “Science and Technology Innovation 2025” major initiative in Ningbo aims, over the course of 3 to 5 years, to achieve breakthroughs in 200 critical core technologies, launch 100 strategic innovative products, and form several advantageous technology chains. The initiative is expected to foster the development of emerging strategic industries with annual outputs in the hundreds of billions of yuan—such as third-generation semiconductors, intelligent terminals, new energy vehicles, and robotics. It will also drive the growth of multiple industries with outputs in the tens of billions of yuan, including green petrochemicals, key basic materials (such as high-end metals and magnetic materials), energy conservation and environmental protection, marine engineering materials and equipment, as well as biomedicine and high-performance medical devices. The broader goal is to comprehensively strengthen innovation resources such as enterprises, talent, and platforms, establish a superior regional innovation ecosystem, and elevate the city’s scientific and technological innovation capacity to new heights.

Applications for the “Science and Technology Innovation 2025” major projects are open not only to legal entities registered in Ningbo but also to individuals or teams from outside the city. To ensure quality, Ningbo has established a scientific and rigorous selection process based on the principles of fairness, impartiality, and transparency, and will prioritize support in four key areas:

1. 1.Encouraging collaborative innovation among industry, academia, and research institutions—especially projects led by enterprises working with upstream/downstream or affiliated companies, and those that involve partnerships with domestic or international universities and research institutions.
   
2. 2.Supporting applications from top-tier innovative talent, including academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering, foreign academicians, renowned scientists with experience leading major national innovation initiatives, experts who have served as chief R&D leaders at prestigious global institutions or high-tech companies, and talent from the national and provincial “Thousand Talents Program,” the “Ten Thousand Talents Program,” or those with overseas study backgrounds.
   
3. 3.Encouraging technology transfer and commercialization in Ningbo—specifically for individuals or teams from outside Ningbo who have already achieved significant preliminary results, with a certain level of technological maturity and readiness for industrial implementation.
   
4. 4.Promoting international cooperation—supporting collaboration with countries along the Belt and Road Initiative, as well as with developed nations and regions such as the U.S., Europe, Japan, and Hong Kong/Macau/Taiwan, provided the partnerships bring relevant technologies and talent to Ningbo and facilitate local transformation of the results.
   

For selected projects, once a project (topic) task agreement is signed, financial support will be provided by the government. For industrial demonstration projects, government funding will generally not exceed 50 million yuan, and sub-projects will be funded at a maximum of 10 million yuan each. For technology breakthrough and frontier exploration projects, each sub-project will be funded up to 10 million yuan; exceptionally outstanding projects may receive additional support on a case-by-case basis during implementation.

Furthermore, the Ningbo Science and Technology Bureau will offer additional services to support the implementation of approved projects, such as recognition of innovation teams, project matchmaking, assistance with enterprise registration and setup, and financing facilitation, to ensure smooth landing and execution of the projects.