The 19th edition of "People's Daily" on May 29, 2023, with the title "Shandong Longkou Adheres to the Deep Integration of Industries and Talents, and Enhances Corporate Innovation Capabilities-talents Revolve around Industries and Rely on Talents to Prosper", praised the innovation of Dawn Group story.

At the 2023 Chinaplas held not long ago, the hydrogenated nitrile rubber exhibited by Dawn Group Co., Ltd. from Yantai, Shandong Province received widespread attention. Four years ago, it was this small piece of hydrogenated nitrile rubber that made China the third country in the world to fully own the independent intellectual property rights of this material preparation technology after Japan and Germany.

Hydrogenated nitrile rubber is a special elastomer obtained by catalytic hydrogenation of nitrile rubber. It is widely used in aerospace, new energy batteries, automotive manufacturing, rail transportation, oil field extraction, and other fields. Due to its complex production process and the absence of ready-made production equipment, coupled with the high difficulty in catalyst preparation, domestic industrialization has not been achieved. In 2009, Dawn Group located in Longkou City, Shandong Province, discovered relevant new technologies from Beijing University of Chemical Technology. Subsequently, they collaborated with the university and spent 10 years overcoming technical challenges such as highly selective and efficient catalysts and efficient catalytic hydrogenation processes, finally producing qualified products.

"Talent is the primary resource, and innovation is the driving force. Without excellent talents, we cannot overcome this ‘bottleneck' technology," said Yu Xiaoning, Chairman of Dawn Group, when talking about the R&D process. Upholding the belief that "the height of talent determines the height of the enterprise," Dawn Group has established a green, low-carbon, high-polymer materials research and development platform. On this platform, a group of innovative talents who are willing and capable of making a difference have emerged, and Tian Hongchi is an outstanding representative among them. At Dawn, he holds various positions such as the Director of Shandong Key Laboratory of High-Performance Thermoplastic Elastomers and has led the development of several new products at the international advanced level, earning him the National Technology Invention Second Prize. "The favorable innovation environment and atmosphere here, along with the respect for scientific and technological talents, allow me to fully showcase my abilities," said Tian Hongchi.

Dawn's innovative practice is a microcosm of "gathering talent through production and promoting production with talent" in Longkou City, Shandong Province. In recent years, based on the advantages of its industrial foundation, Longkou City has made every effort to promote the deep integration of the innovation chain, industry chain, capital chain, and talent chain, forming a virtuous circle of "talents revolve around industries, and industries rely on talents to prosper".

According to Ren Wu, the Director of Longkou City Science and Technology Bureau, the city has focused on industries such as high-end chemicals and high-end aluminum materials to establish industry chains. They have deployed over 700 enterprise service officers who regularly visit companies, updating the talent demand catalog in a dynamic manner. More than 120 companies in the city have established collaborative relationships with various universities and research institutes, attracting over 30 organizations to set up joint laboratories or technology transfer bases in Longkou. Additionally, Longkou City has facilitated talent aggregation through activities such as high-level talent entrepreneurship competitions, industry-talent integration conferences, and the establishment of talent recruitment stations. "Deepening industry-university-research cooperation is an important approach to accelerate the gathering of high-level innovative talents, enhance enterprise technological innovation capabilities, and promote the transfer and commercialization of scientific and technological achievements," Ren Wu stated.

In Longkou City, there are numerous examples of such initiatives. Tianlan Pigment Company, specializing in the research and production of phthalocyanine pigments, developed a new product and achieved a leading production process within just six months after introducing an expert team from South China University of Technology. Shandong Zhongji Intelligent Equipment Co., Ltd., produces manufacturing equipment for new energy vehicle motor windings and efficient energy-saving motor winding equipment, which has been favored by many companies. The aluminum industry chain in Longkou City has attracted a large number of experts, giving rise to four national specialized and new "Little Giant" enterprises, six manufacturing "single-item champions," as well as dozens of national-level high-tech enterprises and technology-based small and medium-sized enterprises.

Currently, Longkou City is continuing to refine its industrial and talent policies to promote innovation. In Longkou City, there are numerous examples of such initiatives. Tianlan Pigment Company, specializing in the research and production of phthalocyanine pigments, developed a new product and achieved a leading production process within just six months after introducing an expert team from South China University of Technology. Shandong Zhongji Intelligent Equipment Co., Ltd., produces manufacturing equipment for new energy vehicle motor windings and efficient energy-saving motor winding equipment, which has been favored by many companies. The aluminum industry chain in Longkou City has attracted a large number of experts, giving rise to four national specialized and new "Little Giant" enterprises, six manufacturing "single-item champions," as well as dozens of national-level high-tech enterprises and technology-based small and medium-sized enterprises.

To optimize the aggregation of resources, Longkou City has implemented various measures. According to Ren Wu, under the revised "Management Measures for Science and Technology Research and Development Plans in Longkou City," the city will annually support 35 science and technology research and development plan projects every year through the form of unveiling the list and taking command, with each fund not less than 5 million yuan; preparing for the establishment of science and technology project management experts During the project implementation period, let experts conduct performance evaluation and acceptance of technology projects, and let professional people do professional things. The city has also reached an agreement with many domestic colleges and universities to implement the same stage comparison and selection in terms of achievement transformation, pilot school-enterprise venture capital cooperation in research and development, and carry out school-enterprise co-cultivation and two-way selection in talent introduction.