 |
|
Jiangnan University National University Science Park (J-Park) |
After being set up in 2007 with a modest 100,000 yuan ($15,015) in registered capital, clothing manufacturer MATI Fashion's sales revenue figures were more than 8 million yuan ($1.2 million) a year in 2013.
MATI Fashion was the first ever company to settle at the Jiangnan University National University Science Park (J-Park), which was established to incubate and foster startup companies.
After almost a decade at the park, MATI has achieved many milestones, such as owning 520 fashion patents and designing the clothes worn by hydronauts aboard China's deep sea submersible, Jialong. It also exhibited at the 2015 London Design Festival.
MATI Fashion is not the only success story to come out of the J-Park, with another 130 startups having benefitted from its business guidance and support. Some 96 of the companies established at J-Park have been started by college graduates, said Yin Xueyan, vice-general manager of J-Park.
 |
|
Technology company Baohudoudou specializes in sex education for children. Located on J-Park, it was shortlisted for the British Embassy’s Social Investment Platform in 2015. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn] |
The park now encompasses three incubation districts, Wuxi National Hi-tech District (WND), Wuxi Taihu International Science and Technology Park and the Wuxi Taihu Science and Education Industrial Park, which in total covers an area of 38,000 square meters.
A core initiative at J-Park is to make deep connections with Jiangnan University in order to allow students the chance at making the jump from study to business as soon as they graduate.
For example, J-Park made a deal with the Hong Kong-based diversified conglomerate Sun Wah Group this June to build an incubation center for health products, backed by Jiangnan's School of Food Science and Technology and School of Biotechnology. So far, six startups have already settled.
 |
|
Innovative coarse and black rice, which is easier to cook than normal rice, is the result of hard work by associate professor of Jiangnan University, Li Yongfu, together with his team, located on the park. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn] |
Over the past two years, J-Park has launched 50 entrepreneurial activities for 227 startups and 3,200 attendees, aiming at creating a strong entrepreneurial atmosphere.
J-Park employs experts to help guide and support startups, as well as some 20 third-party service institutions which offer services covering counseling, intellectual property, accounting and law. A total of 67 startups on the park have received support to apply for government subsidies.
To help expand markets, the park also arranges for its startups to attend exhibitions and conferences in order to network and increase their sales base, which so far has resulted in more than 2 million yuan in contracts.
 |
|
Staff at the local tax bureau interprets policies for entrepreneurs. J-Park has launched 50 entrepreneurial activities of this kind in the past two years. [Photo from Jiangnan University] |
J-Park has been recognized for its incubation by government departments in recent years, honored with titles such as "National Maker Space" by the Minister of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Education.
J-Park will lay a solid foundation for the city to develop into a national entrepreneurial city, Yin said.
