Published by ChinaMNC · Huixian

Yuanyang Food Industry Links with Universities to Boost Commercialization: A Guide for Foreign Founders

Learn how Yuanyang County's food industry collaboration with universities creates opportunities for foreign founders in China's food sector, with practical insights for registering and operating a company.

Yuanyang Food Industry Links with Universities to Boost Commercialization

For foreign founders considering China's food and agriculture sector, understanding local industry ecosystems is crucial. A recent event in Yuanyang County, Xinxiang City, Henan Province, highlights how local governments are fostering innovation through university-industry partnerships. This article summarizes the key facts from an official government report and offers practical guidance for foreign entrepreneurs.

Event Overview

The Xinxiang University-Industry-Locality Cooperation Food Industry Chain Matchmaking Event (Yuanyang Session) was held in Yuanyang County. Over 240 participants attended, including experts and scholars from more than 16 key universities and research institutes in the food sector, such as Tongji University, Jiangnan University, Zhengzhou University, and Henan Agricultural University, as well as leaders of key food industry chain enterprises from across the city.

The event, themed "Talent Gathers in Yuanyang · Food Creates the Future—University-Locality Synergy for Intelligence, Science and Innovation Empowering the Food Industry," aimed to advance the integrated development of education, science and technology, and talent; facilitate university-industry-research matchmaking in the food industry chain; promote the commercialization of university research outcomes; and empower high-quality development of the city's food industry.

Yuanyang's Food Industry Profile

Yuanyang County is a leader in Xinxiang's food industry. It has been ranked among the "Top Ten National Pre-made Meal Industry Bases" for two consecutive years. The Jiangnan University Technology Transfer Center Yuanyang Branch is located there, accelerating the transformation of the "Central Plains Granary" into an "Innovation Kitchen." Currently, Yuanyang's food industry is at a critical stage of transitioning from "quantity" to "quality" and from "manufacturing" to "creation," with an urgent need for talent and innovation.

As the county's primary leading industry, the green food industry aims to build a 100-billion-yuan industrial cluster. The industrial park has attracted 159 well-known food enterprises, including Jiuduo Rouduo, Yuxuan, and Tongle. The county has over 200 green food production enterprises, with total industrial chain revenue exceeding 30 billion yuan, and multiple products rank first in national sales.

Collaboration Achievements

The county treats university-industry-locality cooperation as a core strategy to overcome technical bottlenecks and cultivate new quality productive forces. It has established the Jiangnan University Technology Transfer Center Yuanyang Branch and co-built the Yuanyang Industrial Innovation Research Institute with the University of Jinan. It has introduced provincial and municipal "Science and Technology Vice Presidents," dispatched 67 science and technology commissioners at various levels, signed over 20 university-industry-locality cooperation projects, newly cultivated 11 national high-tech enterprises, 2 national-level specialized and sophisticated "Little Giant" enterprises, and 4 provincial-level specialized and sophisticated SMEs. Technology contract transaction value has exceeded 1 billion yuan.

Event Highlights

At the opening ceremony, the Yuanyang County Food Industry Development Service Center gave a special presentation on the county's conditions and food industry development. A centralized university-enterprise cooperation matchmaking ceremony was held, with project matchmaking advanced in three batches. University expert representatives shared keynote speeches on discipline construction, university-industry-research cooperation models, and typical case studies.

A negotiation zone was set up for face-to-face exchanges between university experts and enterprise representatives to precisely identify enterprise technical pain points and match cooperation matters such as achievement transformation, technical breakthroughs, platform co-construction, and talent training. The county Science and Technology Bureau compiled a "Compilation of University Scientific and Technological Achievements" containing over 40 achievements, which was distributed to participating enterprises, building a bridge for precise matching of technical needs and research outcomes. According to statistics, more than 15 projects in technical breakthroughs, achievement transformation, and platform co-construction were matched at the event.

Expert and Enterprise Perspectives

Professor Lou Yang from the School of Chemical and Material Engineering at Jiangnan University, a native of Yuanyang, brought not only technology but also a sense of hometown affection. He stated that Jiangnan University will combine with Yuanyang County's industrial needs to conduct joint technical research on challenges such as deep processing, preservation and storage, quality safety, and intelligent production. They will integrate research, pilot testing, and application to transform more scientific achievements into new products, processes, and benefits, and provide continuous talent support through co-building internship and training bases and joint talent cultivation.

Enterprises felt the impact directly. Hou Huibin, General Manager of Debang Canliao (Xinxiang) Food Technology Co., Ltd., admitted that leveraging the platform to connect with top universities and promote research project implementation will greatly enhance the company, and they will cooperate with universities in technical cooperation and talent training.

Zou Jian, Dean of the School of Food and Bioengineering at Henan University of Animal Husbandry and Economy, introduced that the school's disciplines are highly aligned with Yuanyang County's complete industrial chain from primary production (planting and breeding) to secondary processing and tertiary services. Since 2017, the school has conducted deep cooperation with Yuanyang food enterprises in technology transformation, technical breakthroughs, product development, and standard improvement. The signing of contracts with three enterprises at the event was based on solid prior cooperation, and more substantive industrial outcomes are expected.

On-Site Visits

In the afternoon, university expert teams visited six representative food enterprises in Yuanyang County, inspected production processes on the front lines, learned about technical bottlenecks and development plans, conducted on-site "diagnosis," and negotiated technical solutions one-on-one, moving university-industry cooperation from the conference hall to the production workshop.

Next Steps

The matchmaking event further opened up the channel between university research outcomes and local industrial development. Next, Yuanyang County will continue to deepen the university-industry-locality cooperation mechanism, regularly build matchmaking and exchange platforms, empower industrial upgrading with scientific and technological innovation, consolidate development foundations with talent cultivation, and strive to promote the scaled, high-end, and intelligent development of the green food industry, continuously enhancing Yuanyang County's green food industry brand.

Practical Takeaways for Foreign Founders

For foreign founders looking to enter China's food industry, Yuanyang's model offers several insights:

• Leverage local government platforms: Events like this matchmaking session provide direct access to university researchers and local enterprises. Foreign founders can participate or monitor such events to identify partners.
• Utilize technology transfer centers: The presence of Jiangnan University's technology transfer center in Yuanyang indicates available resources for commercialization. Foreign companies can collaborate with these centers to adapt research for market needs.
• Engage with industrial clusters: Yuanyang's green food industrial park hosts numerous enterprises and aims for a 100-billion-yuan cluster. Registering a company in such clusters can provide supply chain advantages and access to skilled labor.
• Tap into talent programs: The county has introduced "Science and Technology Vice Presidents" and science commissioners. Foreign-invested enterprises may benefit from similar talent support policies.
• Understand local industry priorities: Yuanyang focuses on pre-made meals and green food. Aligning your business with these priorities can facilitate government support and partnerships.

When registering a company in China, foreign founders should consider local industry policies, university collaborations, and government matchmaking initiatives. Working with local partners and understanding the ecosystem can smooth market entry.

This summary is based on information published by the relevant Chinese government website and is general information, not legal or tax advice.

For assistance with registering and operating a company in China, foreign founders can contact ChinaMNC on WhatsApp / WeChat at +86 153 1898 8535.