ChemChina's anti-osmosis seawater desalination technology has been used in more than 70 percent of China's seawater desalination equipment.[Photo/China Daily]

China's leading manufacturer of chemical products says it sees innovation and intellectual property rights as the force behind sustainable development and is working hard in that direction, according to a company report in June.

The State-owned China National Chemical Corp (ChemChina) concluded that, for this purpose, it wants to "promote the commercialization of technologies", in its 2010 Sustainability Report.

ChemChina was founded in 2004 and reports that it has completed more than 1,600 major national scientific and technological projects. In 2009, it was in the top three on China's "100 top innovative enterprises" list.

The company has its own science and technology operation at its headquarters, responsible for the technological innovation and R&D systems, with a similar setup at all of its subsidiaries.

ChemChina is "a leader among all centrally-controlled State-owned enterprises in technology research", the report stated.

The company has 24 State-level research institutes, two key national laboratories, nine engineering research centers, and more than 40 technical research centers. And it has been involved in setting up strategic national alliances for technological innovation.

Seven of its subsidiaries, which include Aeolus Tyres, Guilin Rubber, Yiyang Rubber, and the Xinghuo Organic Silicon Co, are national technology centers.

The State has approved postdoctoral R&D workshops at nine of its subsidiaries, for example, the Tianhua Institute of Chemical Machinery and Automation, BlueStar Chengrand Chemical, the Ocean Research Institute and Hebei Shenghua Chemical.

In this way, it has been able to "introduce some outstandingly innovative personnel with foresight and strong research and application abilities", the report noted.

By the end of last year, the company had nearly 17,800 engineers and technicians, and more than 5,000 people in R&D.

Under the 11th Five-Year Plan (2006-2011), ChemChina put more than 12 billion yuan ($1.9 billion) into technology research, an annual increase of 14.5 percent.

 

Encouraging innovators

ChemChina is "committed to technological progress in the chemical industry", the company general manager, Ren Jianxin, remarked recently. In doing so, it has funded two national programs to encourage technological innovation in the industry.

Back in 2005, the company started its Chemical Science and Technology Fund, which had provided funds for 36 projects by the end of last year.

In addition, the ChemChina Science & Technology Award, founded in the same year, has been used to recognize organizations and individuals that have made a significant contribution to research and technological development in chemical industry.

The company encourages its people to apply for patents, and holds more than 2,800 patents itself. Last year alone, it applied for patents on 825 products and technologies, and at least 500 of them were approved.