The Department of Economy and Information, along with five other provincial departments, recently released the complete list of Sichuan provincial enterprise technology centers and the list of newly recognized ones by the province for the year 2024. A total of 238 enterprise technology centers, including the Southwest Electric Power Design Institute Co., Ltd. of the China Electric Power Engineering Consulting Group, have been newly recognized as Sichuan provincial enterprise technology centers for the year 2024. As of now, Sichuan hosts 1,724 enterprise technology centers that have received provincial-level recognition.

Enterprises are the most important force of innovation. Enterprise technology centers are technological research and development (R&D) and innovation institutions established by companies to meet market competition demands. Their responsibilities include developing technological innovation strategies for enterprises, undertaking industrial R&D, creating and applying intellectual property rights, establishing technical standards, nurturing and pooling innovative talent, building collaborative innovation networks, and driving the full-process implementation of technological innovation.

Upon analyzing the list of the newly recognized 238 provincial-level enterprise technology centers by regional distribution, it was noted that Chengdu accounts for more than half of the total, with 131 centers. Mianyang has 18, and Yibin has 12 centers. The centers are affiliated with enterprises from various industries, such as electronic information, equipment manufacturing, food and light textiles, energy and chemicals, advanced materials, and pharmaceutical health. These enterprises all have significant development and competitive advantages in their respective sectors, as well as strong capabilities for technological innovation.

Additionally, the Measures for the Recognition of Sichuan Provincial Enterprise Technology Centers issued in 2021 set a baseline for enterprises applying for obtaining such recognition, with criteria encompassing aspects such as mechanisms for technological innovation, R&D investment, and the conditions for conducting research, development, and testing activities. For instance, the Measures stipulates that the annual expenditure on research and testing development must not be less than three million yuan, and the original value of technical development instruments and equipment should also not be less than three million yuan.

Once recognized, the provincial enterprise technology centers will receive support from the Department of Economy and Information to facilitate their growth in accordance with their respective development paths. This support aims to continuously improve the independent innovation capabilities of enterprises, reinforce their leading role in innovation, promote the comprehensive integration of industry, academia, research, and application, and foster the convergence of various innovation elements within enterprises.