China's agricultural product processing technology R&D system shifts from construction to application
In order to adapt to the new situation in the development of the agricultural product processing industry, solve problems such as research institutions working alone and separately, poor information channels, and duplication of research topics, and around accelerating the resolution of major common technical problems constraining industry development, the Ministry of Agriculture has achieved fruitful results since launching the construction of the agricultural product processing R&D system in 2007. The construction of the agricultural product processing technology R&D system has initially realized the shift from construction to application.
According to the relevant person in charge, the Ministry of Agriculture has successively recognized one national center and 261 specialized sub-centers, and accordingly established 9 professional committees, gathering a group of capable and influential research institutes, universities and leading enterprises in China's agricultural product processing field, and initially building an agricultural product processing technology R&D system covering grain and oil, fruits and vegetables, livestock products, specialty agricultural products, aquatic products and processing machinery. The 261 specialized sub-centers are distributed across 31 provinces (municipalities and autonomous regions) nationwide, including 135 in the eastern region, 58 in the central region, 50 in the western region and 26 in the northeast region, accounting for 50%, 22%, 18% and 10% of the total respectively. They encompass more than 80% of the national and provincial/ministerial key laboratories in China's agricultural product processing field, bring together most of the leading enterprises in the processing industry, and undertake all industry research special projects and major technology extension projects in the agricultural product processing field.
With the new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, China's agricultural product processing industry has entered a critical period of transformation and upgrading, providing a rare historical opportunity for implementing the strategy of innovation-driven science and technology development. After years of effort, the construction of the national agricultural product processing technology R&D system has initially realized the shift from construction to application, has become an important force in agricultural product processing scientific and technological innovation, and plays an important supporting role in promoting the sustained and healthy development of the agricultural product processing industry.
In terms of technology extension, demonstration and industrial upgrading, it has carried out the collection of industry common key technology needs and the screening of mature technologies, compiled the "Handbook for the Extension of Major Key Common Technologies in the Agricultural Product Processing Industry," and promoted them through various methods such as enterprise demonstration, online publicity, technical services and science-enterprise matchmaking, achieving good demonstration and guiding effects. In addition, it has cumulatively released more than 2,000 agricultural product processing technologies to the industry and extended more than 800 common agricultural product processing technologies, comprehensively raising the industry's technical level in process links such as agricultural product processing, logistics, preservation and machinery, truly playing an important role in technology-driven industry development.
In terms of improving technical training and serving the overall level of the industry, in accordance with the requirements of the R&D system to support industry development and raise enterprise technical levels, through technical training, technical services and other methods, it directly delivers applicable agricultural product processing technologies urgently needed by enterprises into enterprises; targeting different needs such as management, technology and quality, it carries out technical training on explanation, demonstration, operation and quality safety. In 2013 alone, the agricultural product processing technology R&D system carried out more than 1,000 enterprise technical guidance services, held 230 training sessions, and trained up to 20,000 person-times.
In terms of building a science-enterprise matchmaking "industry-university-research-extension-application" cooperation platform, the national center took the lead in founding the "National Agricultural Product Processing 'Hundred Enterprises, Hundred Institutes' Matchmaking Activity," which each year attracts more than 300 agricultural product processing research institutes, higher education institutions and leading agricultural product processing enterprises from across the country to participate. Through various methods such as technology release, cooperation negotiation, achievement display and academic reports, the activity builds a cooperation platform for research institutes, higher education institutions and agricultural product processing enterprises. Since the activity was launched, the cumulative contracted amount has exceeded 1 billion yuan. The 9 professional committees, in accordance with the six-in-one working approach of "achievement release, information sharing, science-enterprise matchmaking, product display, academic exchange and work discussion," each hold one professional technical matchmaking activity every year. In 2013, the 9 professional committees achieved a total of 135 technical matchmaking items, with a contracted amount of 330 million yuan.
The "industry-university-research-extension-application" cooperation platform provides practical new technologies for small, medium and micro agricultural product processing enterprises, provides strong support for breaking through development technology bottlenecks, and also opens up a path for the transformation of scientific research achievements of research institutions.
In terms of promoting joint technical tackling of key problems and supporting industry development, targeting the technical "bottleneck" problems constraining the development of China's agricultural product processing industry, the R&D system organizes experts and enterprises in relevant industries to actively undertake projects such as public welfare agricultural industry research special projects, 948 projects and agricultural industry standards, and various research institutions and enterprises within the system carry out major collaboration and joint efforts in technical tackling of key problems, and apply the technical achievements produced by the projects to actual production, playing an important technical supporting role for industry development.