Representatives of outstanding sci-tech enterprises receive checks at a conference held by the local government in Binhu district, Wuxi on May 11. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Wuxi's Binhu district held a conference on sci-tech innovation and talent development on May 11, gathering more than 250 enterprise representatives and officials from related government departments.

The conference aims to encourage innovation among enterprises, promote the commercialization of sci-tech achievements and the development of strategic emerging industries and high-end manufacturing, according to the host of the event.

During the conference, representatives of outstanding medium and small sci-tech enterprises, enterprises expecting to be listed, and enterprises with patents received certificates of honor and checks from district governors.

Zhang Yang, general manager of Wuxi Origene Biotech Co, expressed gratitude for new supporting policies issued by the local government last year propping up the health industry, which brought subsidies to the company at the beginning of this year.

Zhang spoke highly of the conference and policies to support their development. "In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, government support is more important than ever."

During the conference, the local government announced 30 measures to promote innovation by introducing and incubating sci-tech enterprises, helping them boost production, and helping them go public.

The measures also encourage the industrialization of institutes in the district, as Binhu is home to more than 85 percent of provincial-level scientific research institutes in the city.

A fund worth 1 billion yuan ($140.92 million) for the development of the sci-tech innovation industry was set up during the conference, aiming to attract more investment into the development of innovative enterprises and deeply integrate finance with technology.

An alliance of sci-tech innovation entrepreneurs was established during the conference by eight sci-tech enterprises and Wuxi's service association for enterprise innovation.

The Binhu Sci-tech innovation Promotion Center was unveiled during the conference, which will provide services in attracting investment, talent introduction, sci-tech instrument sharing and international cooperation, serving as a bridge between innovative enterprises and sci-tech innovation resources.