Ningbo awarded for S&T achievements

Ningbo in East China's Zhejiang province was recognized with four national awards for outstanding contributions to scientific and technological innovation at an award ceremony held in Beijing on Jan 8.

The 2017 China State Science and Technology Awards, aimed at encouraging scientific and technological progress, are believed to be the most prestigious awards in the sector of science and technology in China.

The four awards received by Ningbo were attributed to the four scientific and technological projects the city has contributed to.

Jiaolong, the first manned submersible developed by China, won the first prize of the Science and Technology Progress Award. Ningbo companies – Ningbo Acoustics Technology Co Ltd and Xingjian Space – were participants of the important valve system of the submersible.

"Our team keeps close pace with Jiaolong's development from model design through to a series of tests," said Gao Zepu, a senior engineer at Xingjian Space. The company is also working on the other submersibles and deep-sea projects of the country, according to Gao.

Ningbo Jianxin Group, specializing in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), is a main participant of an innovative project on the key technologies and imaging methods of enhanced NMR, as well as the winner of the second prize of National Award for Technological Invention.

Xu Jianyi, chairman of Jianxin, said that in the future they will promote the commercialization of the technology, which is expected to greatly reduce the maintenance cost of domestic NMR equipment.

Another winner of the second prize of National Award for Technological Invention was a type of upgraded digital printing equipment of which a team from Ningbo University was a major participant. The product is being applied in the textile printing industry and has been exported to over 20 countries and regions.

Zhenhai Refining & Chemical Co Ltd, the most profitable company under Sinopec Group participated in the technological innovation regarding the hydrocarbon molecules for higher energy potential which was awarded the second prize of the Science and Technology Progress Award.