The 1st "Innovative Zhuhai" Science & Technology Progress and Independent Innovation Promotion awards will begin accepting applications in late May, with prize money ranging from 10,000 ($1,414) to 200,000 yuan ($28,276).

This year's Science & Technology Progress Awards will go to two 200,000-yuan grand-prize, five 50,000-yuan ($7,069) first-place, and ten 30,000-yuan ($4,241) second-place winners. The higher-rated projects will be submitted for Guangdong Science & Technology Progress Awards, it was announced at May 8.

The awards are primarily for technical innovation, sci-tech transformation, and sci-tech fundamental or public-welfare application research that have generated sound economic or social benefits in Zhuhai.

Press conference [Photo by Zhong Fan / Guanhai App]

The 10,000-yuan Independent Innovation Promotion awards, meanwhile, are for 10 individuals and teams with pioneering, forward-looking, and demonstrative sci-tech projects that elevate Zhuhai's independent innovation and propel socioeconomic development.

The selections will be made annually by the Zhuhai Science & Technology Development Promotion Association with funding solicited from its members under the guidance of the Zhuhai Science & Technology Innovation Bureau and supervision by the Red Cross Society of Zhuhai. The intent is to motivate sci-tech talents along with government and social organizations and capital to promote the city's high-quality development.

Applicants must be Zhuhai-registered independent legal entities and tax-paying organizations that have operated here for more than two years. Their projects should be developed, applied, and promoted in Zhuhai or jointly developed by local individuals or institutions in collaboration with domestic or foreign peers.

Moreover, the projects should have independent intellectual property rights, be registered as sci-tech achievements over the past five years and be recommended by district sic-tech innovation authorities or municipal industrial associations and chambers of commerce above AAAA level.

This year's application period runs until August. A jury of renowned scholars, experts, sci-tech award winners, industrial leaders, and government officials will then conduct technical and comprehensive assessments, according to Deng Wei, vice executive president of the Zhuhai Science & Technology Development Promotion Association.