A roadshow of the first 33 proof-of-concept (POC) projects in the field of smart devices from Zhongguancun Open Laboratory was unveiled on Nov 20 at the Zhongguancun Science and Technology Equipment Innovation and Entrepreneurship Base.

In 2006, the Zhongguancun Administrative Committee, together with the Beijing Municipal Commission of Development and Reform, the Beijing Municipal Science & Technology Commission and the Beijing Municipal Finance Bureau, jointly launched the Zhongguancun Open Laboratory Technology Service Project. 

Up to now, 11 batches of listings have been completed, and the number of listed laboratories in Zhongguancun has reached 243.

What is a POC project?

A POC project refers to projects such as those in the ZGC open laboratory that rely on key national R&D special projects and have undertaken basic research and achieved results.

Further demonstrations of technical and commercial feasibility are required for these projects to reduce the transformation risk and uncertainty.

The goal of the POC project is to pass a verification time of one to two years, which includes the formation of a prototype, application for a national invention patent and then cooperation with enterprises or registration of a new company.

The Zhongguancun Administrative Committee unites with other institutions to focus on the "first kilometer" of original innovation in basic research, aiming to "fill in" the gap between laboratory basic research and marketable results.

Prior to this, the Zhongguancun Administrative Committee launched the first batch of POC projects for seven fields, including artificial intelligence, 5G, virtual reality, integrated circuits, biomedicine and medical equipment, smart devices and new materials.

Thirty-three projects from Tsinghua University, Peking University, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications and other open laboratories in Zhongguancun were included in the roadshow after preliminary evaluation.

As project representatives went up on the stage to share their scientific research results, top industry experts, representatives of leading companies, and investors frequently asked questions about projects of interest. 

Scientists judged the technological advancement of the POC projects, industry leaders evaluated the application value of these technologies and professional managers evaluated the future planning of such projects.

"Verification of POC projects can attract different scientists to tackle key technical issues," said Wang Tianmiao, a professor at Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Wang added, "These POC projects all include cutting-edge technologies with high thresholds and market application value."

The key technologies and equipment of adsorption robots were created by the Beijing Key Laboratory of Precision and Ultra-Precision Manufacturing Equipment and Control, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University. 

The POC project was sought after by experts and companies as soon as it appeared.

"Five POC projects of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have joined the roadshow. Judging by the performance of these projects, companies are very interested in them," said Zhao Xiaoguang, director of the Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences. 

"The roadshow project verification we are currently participating in is at the forefront of industrialization and has resulted in a great number of foundations and applications. The research results, verified by the roadshow, clarify the goals for future scientific research, and also realize the early integration of the R&D system and the industrial system," Zhao added.

AUBO Robotics is an enterprise focusing on the research and development of collaborative robot products. Its robots are not only used in the 3C and automotive industries by companies such as Huawei and BMW but can also be used for catering services and in the medical and health fields. 

"Among the roadshow projects, some universities and research institutes have developed key technologies such as safety control of collaborative robots, human-computer interaction and physical therapy massage. These results can be jointly developed and quickly transformed by our company," said Wei Hongxing, chairman of AUBO Robotics. "Through this platform built by the Zhongguancun Administrative, our company can hand over the task of basic technology research to universities while focusing on product technologies." 

After the roadshow, the Zhongguancun Administrative Committee will prioritize projects that have received investment and joint R&D support from participating companies to accelerate the concept verification.

At the same time, the committee will build the Zhongguancun Robot Industry Innovation Center, which will provide these POC projects with hard technology incubation services such as agile manufacturing and shared laboratories, according to Liu Hang, second-level inspector of the Zhongguancun Administrative Committee.