Cooperation between business and educational facilities is enabling suppliers to improve their design, technology and manufacturing skills, and students to gain employment.
Companies from various export industries in China are forming partnerships with universities, vocational colleges, and research institutes not only to boost R&D and manufacturing capacity, but also to upgrade their workforce.
Such relationships exist in both mature and nascent industries, including clothing, furniture, home appliances, photovoltaics, LED lighting, and electric cars. Most of the suppliers that venture into these alliances are medium and large companies that generate more than $1 million in annual export sales, of which at least 3 percent is invested in R&D.
Local governments encourage these joint ventures, freeing up grants for both companies and research organizations. Every year, for example, Zhejiang Jinfei Machinery Group Co. Ltd and Jinhua College of Vocation and Technology receive funding from the provincial government for their research projects.
One of the most common types of partnerships involves a research center built jointly by the manufacturer and the university, with the former applying any developments or advances to production.
Professional massage product manufacturer Zhejiang Haozhonghao Health Product Co. Ltd worked with the Yangtze Delta Region Institute of Tsinghua University to build the Shengli Research Center in 2006. Zhejiang Haozhonghao provides the funding for the center, which develops the technology that the company uses in manufacturing. This relationship also allowed the manufacturer to gain prestige in both the international and national markets. It is now one of the top five exporters of massage products in China and is among the companies selected to write the national standard for the line.
symbiotic relationships
In some associations, the main objective is to recruit talented students rather than to improve R&D or manufacturing capacity. The companies sign contracts with the universities, which then open courses and research topics according to the needs of the former. Mesnac Co. Ltd, a supplier of digital equipment for rubber tires, sends its tire and rubber machinery experts to give lectures at Qingdao University of Science and Technology. Scholarships, internships, and job opportunities are also offered to graduates of the university. By doing so, you can recruit outstanding graduates to work for the company.
Neo-Neon LED Lighting Intl Ltd, a provider of decorative lighting, has a similar partnership with universities such as South China University of Technology, Fudan University, and Wuyi University. The company allows its production workshop to be used for the practical training of Wuyi University students. Meanwhile, the university’s department of materials and applied physics opened some LED lighting courses designed to fit Neo-Neon’s requirements. Qualified graduates are given hiring preference.
Jinhua College of Vocation and Technology has a special machine and equipment manufacturing technology class since 2002. Known as the Jinfei class, all the lectures are tailored to the needs of Zhejiang Jinfei. Members of the company’s technical team sometimes teach as guest speakers. Students can also use Zhejiang Jinfei auto accessories production workshops for hands-on training.
The school, for its part, shares its teaching and research instruments and equipment with the company. It also provides short-term training for Zhejiang Jinfei workers. In addition, some of the teachers are invited to join the production and management staff of the company.