Providing Preferential Policies to Scientific Researchers Will Boost Economic Development

The policy of allowing researchers to retain basic benefits while starting their own businesses is a preferential treatment from the system, compared to other entrepreneurs. Some even feel this is unfair, seeing it as enjoying institutional "benefits." However, a closer analysis reveals that this "policy preference" is essentially a show of support for scientific and technological innovation; the beneficiaries are not only researchers but the entire society.

Encouraging researchers to "go into business" aims to improve the rate of technology transfer. The low rate of technology transfer is a problem and bottleneck not only in our province but also nationwide. Data shows that my country's technology transfer rate is only around 10%, far below the 40% level of developed countries. This mismatch between the scale of economic development and the actual situation is prevalent in universities and research institutions. Besides the disconnect between industry, academia, and research, another reason is that researchers lack the courage to "go into business" in the face of the enormous risks of innovation and entrepreneurship.

Starting a business is by no means a smooth road; it requires not only courage but also the willingness to bear risks. The management and commercial risks of starting a business are no less than the risks of failure in scientific research. Edison invented continuously throughout his life, yet his businesses frequently faced bankruptcy. Without the support of various sectors of society, Edison likely wouldn't have been inspired to make so many inventions.

Modern socio-economic development cannot be separated from the driving force of technological progress. As some economists have said, when quantitative growth reaches its peak and stagflation occurs, it is necessary to rely on increased technological content to shift towards an efficiency-based growth model. Only in this way can we break through the predicament and overcome the "middle-income trap."

Therefore, providing preferential policies to researchers and reducing their entrepreneurial risks is actually protecting the driving force of technological innovation and adding new momentum to economic development.