- More than 70% of the province’s winning projects involved partnerships between universities and companies
- The results highlight a model designed to move research from laboratories to factory floors
Zhejiang Province achieved its strongest-ever performance at China’s 2025 National Science and Technology Awards, with 23 projects led by local institutions receiving national honors.
The awards, announced in Beijing on July 8, included six second prizes in Natural Science, two second prizes in Technology Invention, two first prizes in Scientific and Technological Progress, and 13 second prizes in the same category.
Among the top winners were a project on engineering rock slope stability led by Ningbo University and a green, intelligent polyester manufacturing project led by chemicals producer Tongkun Group, both of which received first prizes for scientific and technological progress.
Universities meet industry
Beyond the awards themselves, the results reflect Zhejiang’s growing emphasis on translating academic research into commercial technologies.
Zhejiang University, a top Project 985 university administered directly by China’s Ministry of Education, led all institutions with 12 award-winning projects.
Provincial universities collectively secured seven awards, the highest tally in nearly a decade.
More than 70% of Zhejiang’s winning projects were developed through collaborations between universities, research institutes and companies, underscoring the province’s efforts to integrate scientific research with industrial development.
An experiment in technology transfer
A key feature of Zhejiang’s innovation strategy is its “technology vice president” program, which assigns senior researchers from universities and research institutes to executive technology roles within companies.
Unlike traditional academic consulting, these researchers participate directly in product development, R&D planning and technology strategy, helping companies tackle complex engineering challenges while accelerating commercialization of research.
The province has appointed 1,787 such “technology vice presidents,” covering every county-level jurisdiction in Zhejiang.
Why it matters for global audiences
Governments around the world have long struggled to bridge the gap between scientific discovery and commercial application.
Zhejiang is testing one possible solution: embedding researchers inside companies rather than treating universities and industry as separate innovation systems.
The province describes the model as keeping academic positions at universities, conducting research on innovation platforms and commercializing breakthroughs through businesses.
Companies identify technical problems, public institutions coordinate resources, research organizations develop solutions and the market ultimately determines commercial success.
For international policymakers and innovation ecosystems, Zhejiang’s record performance suggests that institutional design—not just research spending—may play an increasingly important role in turning scientific breakthroughs into economic growth.
