Changchun is known as the cradle of new China’s automobile industry, optoelectronics technology and biological technology, applied chemistry and so on. It ranks predominantly China in terms of the research and development on optics, exactitude apparatus, laser technique, macromolecule material, biological products, superconduct and automobile, etc. It is also the birthplace for many “New China’s Firsts”----The first home-made Hongqi saloon, the first heavy truck, the first railway passenger car, the first subway carrier, the first optical glass, the first ruby laser generator, the first electron microscope, and the first synthetic rubber, etc.

In 2004, there were 637 development projects listed as the key science and technology projects at the municipal development planning level. Of them, 120 went to national development planning level, 227 to provincial level, and 290 to municipal level. The amount of patent authorization was increased to 1277 in 2004 from 779 of the previous years, up 63.9 percent, and 234 projects were appraised, checked and authorized as the scientific findings, among which 102 projects were awarded as the ones over municipal level , 1 at national level and 101 at provincial level.

At the end of 2004, among all the scientific personnel, 25 were two academy academicians, and 486 enjoyed the special allowance of the State Councils and Changchun Municipal people’s Government. There were 97 independent scientific research and development institutions in Changchun, 61 of which dealing in the research and development of natural science and technology, 17 in social science and humanities, 5 in information technology and literature, and 14 in other research and development field.

The number of service organizations in technology development, consultation, transformation and so on amounted to 2,555 units, thereby generating a total of trade value on scientific findings of RMB 710 million. The municipal science and technology administration departments put RMB 36 million funds into scientific research.

In 2004, another 53 hi-tech enterprises were approved. All hi-tech enterprises realized a total of industrial output value of RMB 65 billion, increased by 25 per cent from the previous year. The number of the hi-tech enterprises with a yearly production value of more than RMB 100 million reached 67.