The growth rate of scientific research personnel in Chinese cities has been notably rapid, with Shenzhen and Hong Kong leading the charge.
According to the "Global Innovation City Science and Technology Education Talent Collaborative Development Evaluation" project, which was unveiled at the 2024 X-Lake Forum during the 26th China Hi-Tech Fair, these two cities are recognized for having the fastest growth rates of scientific research talent among evaluated global innovation hubs.
The evaluation highlights Shenzhen's strong momentum in innovative development, ranking it among the top 30 major innovation cities worldwide across multiple indicators.
Jointly carried out by the International Science and Technology Information Center, the Center for Industrial Development and Environmental Governance, Tsinghua University, and renowned information analysis company Elsevier, the project aims to observe and track the degree of coordinated development in education, talent, and technological innovation in 30 major innovative cities, including Shenzhen.
According to the "Science and technology Education Talent collaborative development evaluation framework" (SET framework), the top 10 cities in SET are Boston, San Francisco, Beijing, New York, London, Los Angeles, Seattle, Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Tokyo. Shenzhen ranks 11th.
The evaluation found that Shenzhen has demonstrated significant progress in various fields. In terms of education, Shenzhen's STEM education quality in primary and secondary schools is excellent, with a compound annual growth rate of 18% in the number of research institutions, ranking first globally.
In talent development, Shenzhen has shown immense potential, with the fastest growth rate in scientific research talent and a high proportion of young talent. In technological innovation, Shenzhen has the highest growth rate of high-tech, influential patents among the 30 cities, and its scientific research quality is constantly improving.
Prof. Xue Lan, dean of Schwarzman College at Tsinghua University, explained that the report uses multiple growth rate indicators to showcase the competitive situation of innovation-oriented cities. "The collaborative development between education, talent, and technology benefits from a sound innovation ecosystem," Xue said.