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Innovation Showcase

National Innovation Center par Excellence

NICE's core mission is to promote key technology research across its key sectors, by way of the promotion, transformation, and industrialization of scientific and technological achievements.

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The National Innovation Center par Excellence (NICE) is a comprehensive innovation center jointly built by Shanghai municipality and Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui provinces.

NICE, headquartered in Shanghai, is a global platform with a mission to drive applied industrial R&D collaboration in several strategic fields, including Artificial Intelligence and Communications, Integrated Circuits and Micro-Nano Fabrication, Advanced Materials and Processing Technologies, Robotics and Intelligent Manufacturing, Biomedical Sciences and Pharmaceuticals, and Energy and Environmental Protection. NICE manages a network of 100+ specialized industrial technology research institutes, 200+ global academic institutions, and 500+ industrial partners, with a proven track record tested in China for over a decade in operating large-scale industrial R&D centers to transform proprietary science and technology into scalable industrial applications and commercialization. 

NICE brings together universities, enterprises, talents, and research institutes to build a global innovation network and ecosystem to support the sustainable development of the Yangtze Delta industry.

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What is NICE?

The Yangtze Delta region of China, comprising one city and three provinces (Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zheijang, and Anhui), is home to 236 million people and contributes to 8%+ of the global manufacturing output (UN Statistics Division, National Bureau of Statistics of China, 2022). NICE is building up an innovation ecosystem for this region’s industry, universities, and research organizations: having set up 500+ joint innovation centers with over 500 leading Chinese enterprises in segmented industries and identified and refined 3,000+ technological needs. NICE also is building an open and collaborative ecosystem, both domestic and internationally, with universities and research institutes to tap into global innovation resources.

NICE’s core business model is to drive cross-regional synergy, by incubating and cultivating industrialized tech expertise to meet the major technological needs of enterprises, and by developing the best talent at home and abroad – whether in theoretical or practical fields. NICE has a full-chain incubation investment model, all the way from proof-of-concept centers, a combination of grants and investment, and funding support.

NICE focuses on overcoming critical technological challenges in key sectors, including: Advanced Materials, Manufacturing & Equipment, Information & Communications, Biotech & Medicine, and Energy & Environmental Protection.

Why open innovation?

NICE has three key tenets to its activities:

  • Open Innovation – NICE embraces and constructs open innovation networks.
  • Cooperative Innovation – NICE is committed to promoting the integrated development of education, technology, and talents.
  • Social Innovation – Facing global development challenges head-on, NICE injects momentum into achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

By sharing the challenges faced and industrial needs of their innovation ecosystem with Innocentive, NICE aims to build a thriving community of innovators, organizations, and researchers changing the world, one idea at a time.

You could be a part of this journey!

NICE’s domestic and regional partners include the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, the World Association of Industrial and Technological Research Organizations (WAITRO), and multinational corporations like Panasonic, DOW, and Siemens.

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Based on the Yangtze River Delta region, NICE is forging a global industrial technology innovation system and ecosystem that integrates R&D organization, innovation resources and industrial demands, and features deep integration of industry, academia, research, and application.

Industry

Science and Technology

Headquarters

Shanghai, China

Key Numbers

  • 110+ specialized institutes
  • 700+ industrial partners
  • 180+ high-tech companies invested
  • 9,800+ joint-trained graduate students

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How does the Challenge process work?

Follow these steps to participate in Innocentive challenges and potentially win awards.

1

Register as a Solver

To register for a Solver account and join Innocentive:

  • Go to the Innocentive Challenge Center registration page.
  • Enter an email address, which will be used to login to your account.
  • Complete the remaining required fields including: (1) Name, (2) Display Name and (3) Location.
  • Create a password. You will be guided to ensure you create a strong password to protect your account.
  • Click the Register button.
  • After you complete the registration form, you will receive an email notification confirming your registration and containing instructions to activate your account.
  • Click the link in the email. You will be asked to accept the Innocentive Terms of Use to complete the account activation process.
2

Review the Challenge Agreement

The Challenge Agreement (formerly Challenge Specific Agreement or CSA) is a legal document that outlines a Solver's rights and responsibilities if they elect to submit a solution in response to an Innocentive Challenge. The Challenge Agreement specifies if and how IP will be transferred between Solver and Seeker; it may also specify any special rules, such as exclusionary rules for categories of Solvers, that apply to the Challenge.

You must accept the Challenge Agreement to be able to submit a solution to the Challenge. Be sure to read and understand the Challenge Agreement for each Challenge because you will be subject to the applicable Challenge conditions.

Challenge Agreements provide Solvers with clear details around participation, legal IP transfer (if applicable), and details around Prize and Scouting Challenges.

3

Submit a Solution

To submit a Solution to an Innocentive Challenge as a member of the Solver community:

  1. Go to the Innocentive Challenge Center.
  2. Select a Challenge.
  3. Click Register Interest & Accept Agreement.
  4. Agree to the Challenge Agreement.
  5. Click Add Solution.
  6. Enter any required information.
  7. Attach your solution files.
  8. Click Publish.

You will receive an email confirmation of receipt of your solution to your registered email address.

4

Win

Receive cash awards or collaboration agreements if your solution or proposal is accepted by Seeker organizations.

Your solution will be evaluated following the due date for submissions. You will then be notified via email as to whether your solution has been successful. In some challenges, you will also receive feedback on your submission.

Award Potential

We've awarded more than $60 million to thousands of Solvers from around the world.

The average award amount is approximately $20,000, but some challenges come with awards of over $100,000 or collaboration agreements.