Wazoku & NICE offer USD $4 million grants for tech in China

Wazoku and China's National Innovation Center par Excellence (NICE) have partnered to offer up to USD $4 million in grants and support to innovators seeking to launch technology projects in the Yangtze Delta region.

The initiative, called "Win Grants for Your Pioneering Projects and Launch in the Yangtze Delta," is open to startups, entrepreneurs, researchers, and enterprises with projects in five target fields: new materials, advanced manufacturing and equipment, information and communication technology, medicine and medical equipment, and clean energy and sustainability.

Applicants can access an initial working fund of up to USD $40,000 to develop their ideas, with the possibility of up to USD $4 million in further grants and strategic assistance from NICE for scaling and commercialisation in China.

The programme is intended for projects that are either capable of setting up a business entity in or already present in the Yangtze Delta, which includes Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Anhui provinces. Participants must submit a proposal detailing their technology or project, including a route to implementation and impact. Award winners will retain intellectual property ownership and may be invited to discuss future development agreements with NICE or other local entities.

The Yangtze Delta is recognised as a dynamic centre for technology and business innovation in China, and the cooperation is expected to help international projects establish a presence in this key market.

Schonning Eysturoy, Senior Director Innovation Ecosystems at Wazoku, said, "This partnership with NICE is a huge opportunity for innovators to not only secure funding and support, but also be embedded in one of China's most advanced innovation ecosystems. It's a significant step forward, serving as a bridge between NICE's industrial partners and our global community of solvers, startups, academia, and ecosystem partners."

"Together, we aim to increase the success rate of solving industry challenges via collaboration between NICE's ecosystem of researchers and Wazoku's global crowd of more than 700,000 innovators. This collaboration will give our solvers greater access to the Chinese market, while also opening up NICE's ecosystem to our global network of partners."

This collaboration is the first major partnership between Wazoku and NICE, an organisation created by the Shanghai municipality in partnership with Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui provinces. NICE focuses on scientific and technological advancement and connecting business, academia, and government to support innovation and economic growth.

A recent event in Shanghai, Innovation Without Borders: NICE x Wazoku x AI, brought together researchers and industry partners to highlight the benefits of cross-border innovation ecosystems, particularly in applying research to address local and global industry challenges.

Dr. Shi Gonggi, Vice President of National Innovation Center par Excellence, stated, "It is my great pleasure to invite Wazoku expert Schønning Eysturoy to share his insight and experience in open innovation. We gathered to explore new pathways for international cooperation and smarter enterprise services."

"NICE has been at the forefront of promoting technological innovation and the transformation of scientific achievements in the Yangtze River Delta region. We aim to provide a robust platform for the integration of industry, academia, and government, facilitating the development of key technologies and the growth of innovative small and medium-sized enterprises."

The Wazoku Crowd, a global network of more than 700,000 solvers, is a feature of the Wazoku platform that connects organisations with individuals who can tackle complex challenges. The network has previously contributed to NASA, Enel, and AstraZeneca outcomes.

The challenge remains open for submissions until 19 May 2025.