5 of the GDP dedicated to R D activities

"We will be at the level of the France and the Germany as of 2010 and close to the United States by 2020." The plan "research" recently announced by the Chinese authorities confirmed what we already knew: the Middle Kingdom intends to become a scientific and technological leading power. The Prime Minister, Wen Jiabao, recently posted the new ambitions of Beijing: "China between in an era of its history where it must enhance its efforts in science and technology." The Chinese leader also believes that innovation and technological progress "will fuel economic development and social progress" for the next years. This very conventional speech is followed by strong political acts. This year, the budget for R & D in the country should increase by 20. No doubt, "factory of the world' status no longer enough to ensure the growth of the most populous country in the world.

China set three main levers to achieve these goals. First, a substantial increase of its research budget. Close to 1.5 of GDP in 2005, he expected to reach 2 in 2010. This indicator is currently 2.2 in France of 2.5 in Germany, from 2.8 in the United States and it exceeds 3 in the Japan and some Scandinavian countries. This parameter, used in international comparisons, aggregates and private expenditures incurred by a country in R & D. Since basic research (rather funded by public funds) to the development of innovative products (in General provided by the companies). The horizon of 2020, the Chinese are the global Top 5, with approximately 2.5 of the GDP dedicated to R & D activities.

Inspired by American clusters

Second positive argument, settlements in industrial research centres. The country House today 750 centres of this type against 200 four years ago. These units are majority foreign companies attracted by a market of 1.2 billion potential consumers. The Chinese authorities have understood that it doesn't attract the capitalist industrial with beautiful slogans. In recent years, the State and the regions finance infrastructure in drawing openly American clusters model. The city of Shanghai and aims to become the Chinese capital of biotechnology and pharmacy.

Result, the attractiveness and the scientific image of the country are an extraordinary boom. According to a survey of the United Nations, China has become the preferred destination of Western industrialists who wish to globalize their R & D. More than 61 of surveyed patterns put China at the top of this list, far before the United States (41), India (29) and Japan (14). By comparison, the Europeans are pale figure: the United Kingdom gets 13 of the vote before the Russia (10), France (8.8) and Germany (5.9).

The third strong point is crucial at a time where students from developed countries shying away from science. China has battalions of docile researchers from the universities of the country and a good scientific diaspora formed in the United States. Number of these migrant post-doc had in fact moved across the Atlantic. These expatriates of knowledge seem now willing to return to the country to accompany the "great leap forward of Chinese science." But then again, it doesn't attract the best with Labs built at the time of Mao. At the time, the first beneficiaries of this scientific frenzy are German and American manufacturers of laboratory equipment.

Shanghai, the defectors from Stanford or MIT found conditions of work and high-end equipment to which they are accustomed. In addition to insurance play in the first division of world science, it promises rapid change of career and responsibilities. Most talented receive treatment American. " They are free to form their teams and to choose their areas of research. The system is therefore totally built on elitism and excellence. Only flat, urban delirium of the coastal town which reminds more hell car in Manhattan as the Oceanic Art of living in San Diego.

According to official data, China will have a pool of researchers 860,000. This total places the country in the world's second largest behind the United States (1.26 million researchers), but before the Japan (646.000), Germany (264.000), France (177.000) and United Kingdom (157.000). According to the Unesco report published at the beginning of year (), Asia (including Japan) is the most dynamic continent research investment. The gross amount of R & D spending was 27.9 of the total world in 1997 reached 31.5 in 2002.

According to this report, China has seen a yet more rapid progression: 1.23 of the GNP injected into R & D in 2002 compared with 0.83 in 1999. The country would have spent 75 of these budgets to technological development, 19.2 to applied research and 5.8 for basic research. But it is difficult to judge the reality of these data, especially in view of the weight of military spending. The Government retained six priority areas: information, biotechnology, new materials, aeronautics, space technologies and advanced manufacturing technologies. Chen Zhu, one of the Vice-Presidents of the Academy of sciences Chinese summarizes a phrase the new paradigm of R & D of his country: "more and more foreign companies realize that China is not only a market but a country with a huge amount of talent."