The Xiamen Torch Development Zone for High Technology Industries in East China's Fujian province strove to build a demonstration area featuring innovation-driven development and high-quality growth over the past year. In the same year, the Xiamen Torch Academy maintained its integrity and innovation, gained a strong foothold in the tide of competition, stepped forward with bravery, and made great achievements.

Training & empowering

1. Flagship programs upgraded

In 2022, the Xiamen Torch Academy joined hands with partners such as Renmin University of China to upgrade the spring session of its strategic leadership program. In its cultivation program for technologically advanced enterprises, Hermann Simon, the father of “hidden champions”, was invited to talk with Xiamen entrepreneurs, and Ning Gaoning, Huang Shizhong and other experts gave lectures. The academy held two sessions of the inter-disciplinary manager cultivation program and initiated four exchange activities in its professional competency program where young talents and entrepreneurs could be linked with high-potential professionals in the zone. It also launched three sessions of a patent capability improvement class, which effectively enhanced the intellectual property management of the zone’s enterprises.

Hermann Simon, the father of “hidden champions”, talks with Xiamen entrepreneurs. [Photo/WeChat account: Xiamen Torch Academy]

Young talents talk with outstanding entrepreneurs, executives and investors in the Xiamen Torch Development Zone for High Technology Industries. [Photo/WeChat account: Xiamen Torch Academy]

2. Internal circulation expedited

In the past year, students from the Xiamen Torch Academy’s strategic leadership program for outstanding entrepreneurs visited more than 20 model enterprises, including Schneider Electric, Mechanist Games, Unisound, Jiarong Technology, Xiamen Changelight Co Ltd, Kaistar Lighting (Xiamen) Co Ltd and Xiamen SET Electronics Co Ltd. Students of the spring session also visited five companies, including Xiamen Tianwei Technology Co Ltd, Xiamen Stone City Information Service Co Ltd and the Nanxing Research Institute. The cultivation program for technologically advanced enterprises of the academy toured six enterprises, including ABB, Tianma Microelectronics Co Ltd and Xiamen PVTECH Co Ltd, enabling students to gain more access to enterprises through extracurricular exchanges.

Students from the Xiamen Torch Academy visit outstanding enterprises. [Photo/WeChat account: Xiamen Torch Academy]

In 2022, the academy opened 18 classes for 921 students, held seven live classes which garnered 23,319 views, and served 313 government agencies, public institutions and 137 companies above the designated size, covering 25.1 percent of that category.

The academy also assisted the organization department of the CPC Xiamen committee and the management committee of the zone in offering seven special training courses and lectures to more than 600 cadres at all levels.

Industry-education integration

1. Industry-education integration

The Xiamen Torch Academy, together with the China Industry-University-Research Institute Collaboration Association, held the first Xiamen Industry-education Integration Forum. It built two vocational skill improvement centers with the Xiamen Institute of Software Technology and Xiamen Ocean Vocational College and created a new mode of training of highly skilled talents. As a site of the Xiamen Faculty Academy, the Xiamen Torch Academy integrated resources with the Xiamen Federation of Trade Unions, advocated lifelong learning in the society as well as constant value improvement of employees, and contributed to the empowerment of talents.

The Xiamen Torch Academy holds the first Xiamen Industry-education Integration Forum. [Photo/WeChat account: Xiamen Torch Academy]

The Xiamen Torch Academy is certified as a site of the Xiamen Faculty Academy. [Photo/WeChat account: Xiamen Torch Academy]

2. School-enterprise cooperation

The Xiamen Torch Academy initially set up a platform for industry-education integration and held campus tour activities which attracted nearly 30 senior executives of enterprises in the Xiamen Torch Development Zone for High Technology Industries to visit Huaqiao University. The academy organized nearly 20 enterprises to participate in the campus recruitment of the university, undertook the "talent bank" project launched by the management committee of the zone and confirmed its cooperation in technical exchanges and transformation of sci-tech achievements with the College of Chemical Engineering at Huaqiao University. It also propelled Southwest Jiaotong University to set up technology transfer workstations in the zone and boosted the establishment of more centers.

Nearly 30 senior executives of enterprises in the Xiamen Torch Development Zone for High Technology Industries visit Huaqiao University. [Photo/WeChat account: Xiamen Torch Academy]

Think tanks & services

1. Success in think tank services

The Xiamen Torch Academy served the growth of industries and enterprises through producing briefings and case analysis. It collected Selected Opinions and Suggestions at the Symposium on the First Anniversary of the Founding of the Xiamen Torch Academy, and wrote the Research Report on Talent Demand in the Xiamen Torch Development Zone for High Technology Industries and Accelerating the Cultivation of Industry-education Integrated High-tech Enterprises. The academy also published Beyond Excellence (2022), a case collection of senior executives, initiated Industrial Information Briefings and submitted the first issue to the management committee of the zone.

A meeting is held on the occasion of the first anniversary of the founding of the Xiamen Torch Academy. [Photo/WeChat account: Xiamen Torch Academy]

2. Think tank cooperation

The Xiamen Torch Academy visited Xiamen Hithium Energy Storage Technology Co Ltd, the Xiamen Enterprises and Entrepreneurs Association, the Xiamen Intellectual Property Association, the Domestic Cooperation Office of Xiamen University, the Xiamen Center of the Xi'an Jiaotong University National Technology Transfer Center, the Huixin (Xiamen) Science and Technology Innovation Research Institute, ijiwei.com, and Great Wall Strategy Consultants to explore relevant cooperation and expand its industrial think tank network.

Beyond Excellence (2022), a collection of cases involving senior executives in the Xiamen Torch Development Zone for High Technology Industries, is published. [Photo/WeChat account: Xiamen Torch Academy]

Exchanges & cooperation

1. Expanded forms of services

Over the past year, the Xiamen Torch Academy forged ties with 26 new partners, including universities, research institutions, consulting agencies and government bodies to facilitate the development of enterprises in the zone. It released more than 30 issues of weekly reports on talent training information, undertook the application and review of specialized and sophisticated projects that produce new and unique products, and discussed cooperation with Caohejing High-tech Park, Chuanghehui, and China Strait Talent Market, seeking more abundant industrial education and talent services. The academy also cooperated with ZhongyuTiancheng (Beijing) International Education Technology Co Ltd in training and qualification examinations in special operations and explored the establishment of a talent training mode valuing work-study integration skills and new business modes.

Students of the middle-level backbone ability-upgrading class of SOEs and public institutions pose for a group photo. [Photo/WeChat account: Xiamen Torch Academy]

2. Accurate and effective cadre training

To serve all-round training of cadres at all levels, the Xiamen Torch Academy launched the middle-level backbone ability-upgrading class of SOEs and public institutions, the promotion class for safety production and management, the training course on investment promotion of the organization department of the CPC Xiamen committee, the special training on maintaining and increasing the value of State-owned assets and the session to nurture CPC branch secretaries and Party affairs cadres as well as lectures on high-quality development of industries empowered by science and technology.

Attendees of a training course on investment promotion of the organization department of the CPC Xiamen committee. [Photo/WeChat account: Xiamen Torch Academy]

The Xiamen Torch Academy holds a special training on maintaining and increasing the value of State-owned assets. [Photo/WeChat account: Xiamen Torch Academy]

Looking ahead, the Xiamen Torch Academy will assist the Xiamen Torch Development Zone for High Technology Industries in building a highland of innovation-driven and high-quality development and help Xiamen take the lead in attaining socialist modernization.