After Tsinghua, he helped build a global innovation practice at a management consultancy before running Glorad, which has a base at Shanghai's Tongji University.

One area where China arguably has not been as fast as the US is in space exploration. American Alan Shepard went into space in 1961 and it took just eight years for Neil Armstrong to be the first man to walk on the moon. China had its first man in space in 2003, but is not expected to land an astronaut on the moon until 2023.

"I suppose it is like Christopher Columbus sailing to America. After he had done that, it was hard to replicate.

"The purpose of going to the moon now is not the achievement itself but the commercial aspects of space exploration. It is not about planting a flag but about having permanently manned stations on the moon."

Many believe that China is likely to be the first to land a person on Mars by, according to some estimates, 2060. The return journey may take at least 21 months.

"I wouldn't be surprised if China gets there first," he says.

Despite the massive investment in research and development in China, some argue that creativity here is stifled by hierarchical structures.

Yet, he says, there's emphasis on education, which in turn can drive innovation.

"And, that is where China's advantage currently lies."

Contact the writer at andrewmoody@chinadaily.com.cn