BEIJING, April 27 -- The Forum on Promoting University Technology Transfer opened on Saturday at the Beijing University Of Technology.

As the first event of its kind to be held during the 2024 Zhongguancun Forum (ZGC Forum) annual conference, it has attracted representatives of hundreds of domestic and overseas universities and enterprises to explore new models to enhance the transformation of scientific and technological achievements.

Facilitating the transfer of original and disruptive technological innovations -- from academia to industry, from laboratories to production lines, and from shelves to markets -- is crucial to driving industrial innovation through technological advancement, said Shan Zhongde, vice minister of industry and information technology.

He noted that it is a significant measure in advancing the development of new industrialization and new quality productive forces.

The China National Intellectual Property Administration, along with seven relevant government departments, initiated patent inventory work at the beginning of this year, and over 1,700 universities and research institutions in China have compiled an inventory of 914,000 patents to date.

The three-day Forum on Promoting University Technology Transfer has gathered more than 500 university sci-tech achievements. The event saw the release of a compilation of outstanding cases of sci-tech achievement transformations among universities.

The ZGC Forum kicked off on Thursday in Beijing. It focuses on cutting-edge fields from artificial intelligence to life sciences and new materials over the course of the five-day session, scheduled to close on Monday.