海外華人回國謀發展
A growing number of scientists and engineers who have worked abroad are seeking business opportunities in China after encountering career barriers overseas.
More than 200 overseas Chinese and representatives of 30 associations for Chinese abroad attended the two-day Conference on China International Exchange of Professionals at the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center, which ended on Thursday.
Some of them, who still had luggage with them, rushed to the venue in the morning eager to discuss project proposals with potential investors and partners.
Hui Wenhua was one of them. He has worked for an electronic chemical company in New Jersey, United States, for 18 years, climbing the ladder from researcher to chief scientist in the research and development department. The 62-year-old said he is not ready to retire.
"After reading media reports about severe chemical pollution in China, I realized that I can help with my expertise," he said.
The expert on chrome plating - a technique of electroplating a thin layer of chromium onto a metal or plastic object - said most workshops in China still use a conventional technique that contaminates the environment and increases workers' risk of lung cancer and leukemia.
"Many companies in China dump pollutants secretly, because they don't want to invest in pollution treatment to save money," he said, adding that there are numerous unregistered workshops apart from the thousands of registered ones.
Hui said the technique being used in the US, which he can help introduce to China, generates no pollution. It also saves on costs, energy, and improves product durability.
"About 15 people, including government officials and bosses of private companies, have shown interest in my business proposal," he said.
Hui said investment of 80 million yuan ($13 million) is needed to introduce the technique from the US and bring his team of five researchers to China.
Nicole Wu, a consultant at the North America Chinese Scholars International Exchange Center, said China has been viewed as an ideal place by increasing numbers of overseas Chinese to start a business thanks to its huge market and favorable government policies.
The exchange center, which is registered in the US and acts as a bridge between that country and China, organized the pavilion at the Shenzhen conference dedicated to overseas Chinese starting careers in China.
Most of those wanting to start a career are men in their 40s and 50s with a science and technology background, Wu said.
Rock Lau, assistant general manager at the Shenzhen branch of the Beijing Foreign Enterprise Human Resources Service, the conference co-organizer, said many overseas Chinese professionals encounter "glass ceilings" in their careers.
"For many Chinese scientists and engineers in Western countries, even those with achievements in their fields, their career paths are restricted to research," he said.
However, China is in great need of applied science in environmental protection, information technology, new materials and energy, and medical skills, so overseas Chinese with relevant expertise have an advantage, Lau said.
Zheng Mingjie, from Jilin province, went to Nagoya in Japan in 1990 for his PhD studies in engineering, settling there with his family and working as a researcher for an energy conservation design company in 1996.
Zhang planned to start an energy service company in China last year by sending his business proposals to local governments and venture capital companies in the country, but the competition for funding proved fiercer than he expected.
"I sent my proposal to a business plan competition staged by the government of Jiaxing, in Zhejiang province, but it did not pass the first round of 700 applications because I don't have the patent for the energy-saving technology," the 59-year-old said.
Zhang expected investment of 16 million yuan to set up his company. However, Chinese banks prefer to grant loans to projects that win government business plan competitions, while venture capitalists favor projects that generate quick money.
During the conference in Shenzhen, venture capital investors pledged financing of about 20 million yuan for 50 projects.
Most overseas associations also reached initial agreement for cooperation with domestic organizations, according to statistics released by the organizing committee.
The conference was staged by the State Foreign Expert Affairs Administration and the Shenzhen government.
On Wednesday, the Shenzhen government offered 40 million yuan in seed funding for 122 entrepreneurs who have studied overseas to start businesses in the southern city.
It has emerged as one of the most popular destinations for entrepreneurs who were educated overseas. Low business rents, seed funding and favorable tax policies have helped professionals to start businesses there.
The organizing committee says Shenzhen has 1,700 companies run by former students who returned from overseas. Almost all are high-tech companies, with about 30 firms having annual output worth more than 100 million yuan.在國外的職業發展面臨重重阻力之後，如今越來越多留洋工作的科學工作者和工程師開始回國尋找機會。
來自30個海外中國機構的200多名海外華人和代表齊聚一堂，參加在深圳會展中心舉辦的爲期兩天的國際人才交流大會，該會議已於11月7日閉幕。
有的與會者甚至還拖着行李箱，一大早就奔到現場，迫不及待地要與有意投資人士和合作夥伴討論項目方案。
惠文華（音）就是其中一員。他在美國新澤西的一家電子化學公司工作了18年，從一名普通研究員做到了研發部門的首席科學家，而現年62歲的他表示並沒打算退休。
“在看媒體報道中國嚴重的化學污染時，我意識到自己的專業知識能幫上忙，”他說。
這名鍍鉻（原作者注：電鍍一層薄薄的鉻到金屬或塑料物體表面）專家稱，大多數中國的車間還在用傳統的技術，不單污染環境，還增加了工人患癌症和白血病的風險。
“很多國內企業暗地裏排污，因爲他們想節省污染治理方面的投資，”他補充，除了大量合法登記的企業，同時還存在很多非法企業。
他說，自己可以將美國使用的技術引入中國，這種技術不會產生污染，同時節約成本、能源並提高產品耐用性。
“包括政府官員、私企老闆在內的15的人已經對我的商業計劃產生興趣”。
惠先生說，把美國的技術同他的5名研究人員團隊引入中國需要8000萬元的投資（合1300萬美元）。
吳女士是北美中國學者國際交流中心的顧問，她說，隨着越來越多的海外華人開始在國內創業，國內被視爲投資的理想之地，這得益於巨大的市場和優惠政府政策。
這家在美國登記註冊的交流中心扮演着美國與中國之間溝通橋樑的角色，此次組織深圳國際人才交流大會意在協助海外華人回國工作發展。
據吳女士介紹，想回國工作的人羣中以40歲至50歲上下、具有科學技術背景的男士居多。
作爲此次會議的協辦方的北京外企人力資源服務中心深圳分部的總經理助理劉先生說，很多海外華人專業人士都遭遇了職業生涯的瓶頸。
他說，“西方國家中很多中國科學工作者和工程師的職業生涯侷限於研究員，即便是在專攻領域有所建樹。”
劉先生提到，相比而言，中國對於環境保護、信息技術、新材料和能源、醫藥技術方面的應用科學仍有很大需求空間，因此具有相關專業知識的海外華人具有優勢。
來自吉林的張先生在1990年前往日本名古屋攻讀工程學博士學位，並與家人在此定居。1996年起，在當地一家節能設計公司做研究員。
張先生去年計劃在國內成立一家節能服務公司，並向地方政府和風險投資公司遞交了商業策劃方案，但是對於籌款的競爭比他想象的還要激烈。
“我向浙江省嘉興市政府發起的一場商業計劃競標遞交了申請書，但並沒有從700多份申請中通過第一輪篩選，原因是我沒有節能技術的專利，”現年59歲的張先生說。
張先生期望取得1600萬元的撥款以成立自己的公司。然而，國內的銀行更青睞向贏得政府商業計劃競標的項目放貸，而風險投資家偏好回錢快的項目。
深圳的交流大會中，50個項目拿到了風險資本投資家許諾的約2000萬元的融資。
據組委會公佈數據顯示，多數海外機構也已初步達成與國內機構的合作。
本次大會由國家外國專家局和深圳市政府聯合發起。
11月6日，深圳市政府爲122個留洋企業家在本市成立公司提供了4000萬元的種子基金支持。
深圳已成爲留洋企業家首選目的地之一，低價商業租金、種子基金和稅收優惠政策助力專業人士的創業。
據組委會透露，深圳擁有1700家“海歸”創辦的企業，多數是高新技術企業，其中有30多個公司年產值過億。
