Summary:
In a circular published by China’s State Council in May, an initial total of 28 districts, companies and higher education institutions were designated as mass entrepreneurship and innovation demonstration bases. The circular sets out plans to improve platforms to support entrepreneurship through these bases, in order to facilitate the development of innovative start-ups.

The four universities designated as demonstration bases were Tsinghua University, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Nanjing University and Sichuan University. All are members of the elite “Project 985” group of leading Chinese universities. Specific priorities for these institutions are:
- improve entrepreneurial innovation education and training systems, to attract more overseas high level entrepreneurial innovation talents
- accelerate the commercialisation of scientific and technological achievements, to encourage more specialists in scientific research to start up their own businesses
- develop support and service mechanisms for student entrepreneurship and allow students to retain their status while undertaking entrepreneurial activities
- promote venture capital and business incubation in combination with transferring research outcomes into industrial products; and develop platforms for intellectual property transfer, technical exchanges, collaborative innovation and openness and sharing, 　　

Meanwhile, seven companies were also designated as demonstration bases and are expected to use stocks and dividends to encourage employees’ entrepreneurial spirit and creativity. The circular encourages expansions in investment and financing channels for mass entrepreneurship and innovation, and also calls for both the central government and local governments to boost financial support and adopt preferential taxation policies, facilitate personnel mobility, and promote innovative resource sharing.

In the first half of 2016, the first batch of demonstration bases are to take their situations into consideration and set clear goals and timetable as required. The National Development and Reform Commission and related departments has conducted examinations and supervision along with third-party assessment of the demonstration bases in the first half of 2017, preparing for the further expansion of the bases in the next half of the year.

* List of mass entrepreneurship and innovation demonstration bases

1. 17 regional demonstration bases
1) Haidian District, Beijing
2) Binhai New Area Central Business District, Tianjin
3) Hunnan District, Shenyang, Liaoning Province
4) Yangpu District, Shanghai
5) Wujin District, Changzhou, Jiangsu Province
6) Yuhang District, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province (Zhejiang Hangzhou Future City of Science and Technology)
7) High-tech Development Zone, Hefei, Anhui Province
8) New District, Fuzhou, Fujian Province
9) Airport Economic Comprehensive Experimental Zone, Zhengzhou, Henan Province
10) East Lake New Technology Development Zone, Wuhan, Hubei Province
11) Xiangjiang New District, Hunan Province
12) High-tech Industrial Development Zone (Science City Park), Guangzhou, Guangdong Province
13) Nanshan District, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province
14) Liangjiang New Area, Chongqing
15) Pi County (Pi Xian), Chengdu, Sichuan Province
16) Gui'an New District, Guizhou Province
17) Xixian New Area, Shaanxi Province

2. Four demonstration bases in universities and scientific research institutions
1) Tsinghua University
2) Shanghai Jiaotong University
3) Nanjing University
4) Sichuan University

3. Seven enterprise demonstration bases
1) China Telecom Group Corporation
2) China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation
3) China Merchants Group Co., Ltd.
4) Haier Group
5) CITIC Heavy Industries Co., Ltd.
6) KOCEL Group Ltd.
7) Alibaba Group

Analysis by Kevin Prest and Liu Xiaoxiao:
This may create more opportunities for cooperation with UK educational institutions, particularly in the field of industry-academia collaboration and innovation. This may include opportunities to work with HEIs to enhance the curriculum and introduce teaching and practical training related to entrepreneurship and innovation. It might also include opportunities with regional demonstration bases such as setting up incubation centres / R&D centres for China-UK joint research or joint entrepreneurship programmes.

Sources:
1. State Council’s Circular for building of national mass entrepreneurship and innovation demonstration bases (Chinese): http://www.gov.cn/zhengce/content/2016-05/12/content_5072633.htm
2. http://www.gov.cn/xinwen/2016-05/13/content_5072961.htm
3. Inforgram: http://www.gov.cn/xinwen/2016-05/12/content_5072839.htm
4. Press Conference held by the NDRC about the progress of developing demonstration bases (successful experience sharing of pilot bases): http://www.gov.cn/xinwen/2016-09/03/content_5105011.htm
5. http://www.gov.cn/xinwen/2016-08/26/content_5102450.htm