Huzhou city launches new scheme to attract talented people

Huzhou, Zhejiang province, is located south of Taihu Lake. [Photo/IC]

Huzhou in East China's Zhejiang province recently rolled out an action plan named South of Taihu Lake for talent recruitment in 2019, showcasing its determination to strengthen talent drives for city development.

According to the scheme, the city, located south of the Taihu Lake and in the central region of the Yangtze River Delta, will give up to 100 million yuan ($14.88 million) in subsidies for outstanding professionals, teams and projects.

The South of Taihu Lake talent scheme, initiated in 2008 to address the aftermath of the global financial crisis, has been upgraded annually for 12 consecutive years.

In 2008, influenced by the global crisis, the coastal province of Zhejiang, known for its open economy, was stuck with a downturn. Huzhou was economically inconspicuous in the province, but was the first city that figured out a substantial way to stimulate economic growth.

Huzhou released the first edition of South of Taihu Lake in 2008, targeting domestic and international high-caliber professionals and innovation teams, especially those from the fields of biomedicine, environmental protection, electronic information and new materials, for its economic upgrading and transformation.

So far, the scheme has helped the city introduce over 1,000 leading figures and teams in innovative work, and more than 20,000 high-end talented people.

An innovation center on the recycling economy affiliated with Guangzhou Institute of Energy Conversion, Chinese Academy of Sciences, was set up in Huzhou in 2017. Zheng Tao, executive director of the center, was on the list of introduced talents under the 2016 South of Taihu Lake scheme.

Zheng appreciated the considerate services the government has provided to facilitate the talents' work and life in the city. "Thanks to the government services, our projects are going very well," he said.

"Now is the crucial time for Huzhou's high-quality development and we are in need of more professionals," said Xu Zhongyi, director of the city's organization department.

Ma Xiaohui, Party chief of Huzhou city, said talents will always be the tower of strength in reform and development and should be given paramount status.

With strong efforts over the recent years, Huzhou has been gathering more talented people from around the world and the services for these people, such as housing and education for their children, are being optimized constantly.

In the future, Huzhou will seize the opportunities for integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta and turn itself into a popular destination for global professionals, the municipal government said.