"Chengdu has a very strong R&D sector for the rail transport industry. We need to integrate scientific fruits into the industry and turn them into economic growth," said Huang Xinchu, Chengdu's Party chief.

Huang visited Southwest Jiaotong University in April.

The university is a hub for the city's rail transport engineers and is known for a rail transport technology research and its development lab.

The lab, which was set up 25 years ago, turned its focus to high-speed trains in 2010 and in the same year it launched a project on railroad switch.

The specific technology was applied to most trains on the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway, which saved about 540 million yuan ($86 million).

The lab started research on high-temperature superconducting maglev trains in 2011 and experts built the country's first experimental manned loop routine for the maglev.

Normally maglev trains need superconducting materials with very low temperatures. The high-temperature magnetic levitation technique only requires materials with a relatively higher temperature, which are much cheaper and easier to control.

"Academic institutions like Southwest Jiaotong University are very valuable for the city's restructuring and economic development. They are the brand and image of the city," said Huang during his visit.

The university's lab is one of 10 State-level major labs in Chengdu and was the city's response to the country's focus on high-speed railways.

Earlier this month, Premier Li Keqiang talked about building high-speed railways in Africa and the premier attended a high-speed railway expo in Thailand last year.

Huang said that Chengdu has a large market and a well-developed industrial chain for the rail transport industry, especially a strong research sector.

"These are our strengths and also where we should start. There should be more projects to support the research foundation and transfer technique breakthroughs into economic development," he said.

A production base for rail transport materials was built in 2011 by Southwest Jiaotong University and Xinjin county of Sichuan province. It was the largest of its kind in West China.

In 2012, 65 projects worth 46.4 billion yuan were agreed and in the same year. Revenue generated by enterprises in the base reached 20 billion yuan.

The China Railway Engineering Corporation, a State-owned construction company, developed a high-tech science park for rail transport companies.

The 6 billion yuan park is still under construction and when complete it will be the world's first high-tech park for the rail transport industry.

The subordinate company of China Railway Engineering Corporation in Chengdu has been working with Southwest Jiaotong University on a range of projects to bring a series of rail transport technologies from the lab to the production line.

Zhang Qiang, vice chief of the subordinate company, China Railway Engineering Second Corporation, said that the company invested about 300 million yuan in R&D every year, during an interview with Chengdu Daily. He said a sixth of the investment went to projects with Southwest Jiaotong University. The high-tech science park is due to be finished at the end of this year and more than 40 companies and institutions have already registered for the park, said Zhang.

"Research institutions have talent while companies know the market. They should never be separated. There should be a targeted market already before the technology comes out," said Zhang.

During his visit to Southwest Jiaotong University, the city's Party chief said that most technologies from local institutions are applied in companies of coastal cities and regions.

"Meanwhile we are looking for investors and projects all over the world. We should work out a better system for technological innovation," he said.

fuchao@chinadaily.com.cn

The country's first experimental manned loop routine of the high-temperature superconducting maglev in Southwest Jiaotong University. Provided to China Daily