A bird's-eye view of Suzhou New District. [Photo/WeChat account: snd-szgxqfb]
Suzhou New District in East China's Jiangsu province applied for the establishment of its first postdoctoral research station in 1999, making it the first entity other than universities and research institutes to do so.
SND is currently home to 55 postdoctoral stations ranked at the provincial level or higher, of which 30 are at the national level, covering the district's competitive or strategic emerging industries such as new-generation information technology, medical devices and biopharmaceuticals, and integrated circuits.
SND has also been taking advantage of its postdoctoral work to develop itself into a more attractive destination for high-caliber talent.
Statistics show that the district has so far gathered around 275 postdocs, with the number ranking the second highest among cities and districts administered by Suzhou. A total of 37 people won the honorary title of Jiangsu provincial innovation and entrepreneurship talent, three were named Suzhou leading talent, and 16 were named SND's leading talent in scientific and technological innovation and entrepreneurship.
More than half of postdocs have chosen to stay in Suzhou to pursue innovation and entrepreneurship after graduation, ranking first in the city.
The commercialization of scientific research achievements by postdocs has generated more than 1.7 billion yuan ($251.43 million) in direct economic benefits, playing an increasingly significant role in promoting local economic and social development.
