[photopress:zones_huabei.jpg,full,alignright]The 2008 Patent Technology Recommendation Conference of China (Huaibei) has just been held in the city’s sports stadium.
Huaibei ZhongKuang factory, a machine-manufacturing factory that was founded in 1995 and is located in the DuJi economic development zone of Huaibei, is a regular patron of the conference.
At the first conference the factory spent RMB3 million to purchase a winch patent from the China University of Mining and Technology (CUMT). The patent created RMB70,000,000 in sales revenue for the factory in 2008.
At the second conference, a high-tech hydraulic prop patent also took ZhongKuang’s fancy, and the factory purchased it. Compared to the factory’s old hydraulic props, the advanced version made twice the profits.
Zong Ruiqing, deputy director of the DuJi economic development zone conference, said, ‘Several years ago, Huaibei had few high-end manufacturing businesses and our products had always been considered low technology and simply designed. But now, by using the high-tech patents, our products have yielded high added value and become more competitive. Our market has expanded to Shandong, Shanxi and even overseas.’
At this year’s conference, some 426 budding inventors from 29 provinces put on display 1,100 patented ideas or products. The organizers say that at least 262 items found interested buyers. These items cover a wide range of industries.
The State intellectual property office (SIPO) says patent applications reached 210,000 in 2007, a 20% increase year-on-year.
Source: Anhui News