The number of academicians working full time in Shenzhen reached 41 and the city accredited a total 2,547 people as high-level professionals in 2018, sources from Shenzhen Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau said.

Under the Peacock Program, launched by the city government in October 2010 to attract talents and professionals to work in Shenzhen, the city has accumulatively introduced 4,309 talents from overseas, and in 2018, 1,355 people were accredited as professionals from overseas.

Official statistics show 70 percent of the accredited professionals work at enterprises, making great contributions to the city’s innovation industry, said the bureau.

Shenzhen has formed a good enterprise-based innovation system, in which 90 percent of research and development (R&D) employees work at enterprises, 90 percent of R&D funds are invested by enterprises and 90 percent of patents and innovations are generated and owned by enterprises.

Shenzhen in recent years has introduced a series of preferential policies to lure talents to further drive the economic development of the city.

Subsidies have been set aside for talents who come to Shenzhen from overseas to start their businesses and to financially support post-doctoral researchers in their research.

The city government has designated Nov. 1 as Talents’ Day in Shenzhen. Shenzhen Talents Housing Group Co. Ltd., with registered capital of 100 billion yuan (US$14.49 billion) invested by the city government, has been set up to provide talents with housing welfare. It is responsible for the investment, construction and maintenance of the talent housing.