IN a significant move to bolster its innovation ecosystem, Nanshan District launched two major policy packages Nov. 18: an upgraded version of its “Six Ones” talent initiative and a new “Six Vouchers” program for businesses. The complementary policies are designed to support individuals in innovation and entrepreneurship and assist companies throughout their development lifecycle, providing targeted support to foster new quality productive forces. The “Six Ones” policy, a core strategy for attracting and nurturing talent first introduced in March this year, has received a comprehensive upgrade based on practical experience. The new version lowers thresholds, expands coverage, and increases support levels. A spokesperson for the Nanshan District Science, Technology, and Innovation Bureau highlighted key improvements. Age limits for key industry talent and young leading entrepreneurs have been relaxed from 40 to 45 years old, with academic and company tenure requirements also eased. The policy’s scope now includes support for cultivating high-tech enterprises, with eligible firms able to receive up to 1 million yuan (US$138,000). Entities participating in open-source ecosystems can access up to 10 million yuan in comprehensive support, and key talent in the gaming industry can receive subsidies of up to 600,000 yuan. Support intensity has also been boosted. Dedicated incubator space for the “Model Camp” AI Ecosystem Community has been doubled to 100,000 square meters. Outstanding graduating companies can receive a combined 1 million yuan grant and a 30-70% discount on market-rate rents for industrial space. Housing support for young talent has been extended to include one year of free rent followed by two years of subsidized rent. “We hope that through this policy upgrade, more talent can settle down, live comfortably, and pursue innovation and entrepreneurship in Nanshan,” the spokesperson said, emphasizing the district’s commitment to optimizing its talent service environment. The newly introduced “Six Vouchers” program, with a total budget of 584 million yuan (including 262 million yuan in new funding), addresses pain points across six core business stages: R&D, financing, production, promotion, global expansion, and consumption. The vouchers are tailored to different developmental needs. The “Model Voucher” subsidizes 30-50% of costs for using large AI models, with a quarterly cap of 1 million yuan. The “Interest Subsidy Voucher” offers support on loans for tech SMEs (up to 50%), supply chain companies (up to 30%), and financing leases (up to 8%), with an annual cap of 30 million yuan per enterprise. Other vouchers include the “Tech Upgrade Voucher,” providing a 1% subsidy on technical transformation projects; the “Traffic Voucher,” offering a 5% rebate on marketing spending; the “Insurance Voucher,” covering 30% of export credit insurance premiums; and a “Consumption Voucher” to be issued during holidays to stimulate retail demand in sectors like automotive and catering. “The ‘Six Vouchers’ are not just subsidies; they are a combination of resources and a commitment,” a relevant official stated. The “issue first, reimburse later” model is designed to deliver benefits to enterprises quickly. The district expects to disburse approximately 152 million yuan through the program in 2025 and will continue to optimize the policies based on their implementation.(Zhang Yu) | 