Yiwu, a county-level city in East China's Zhejiang province, has stepped up efforts in establishing postdoctoral stations at local companies and research institutes in recent years.

The city is currently home to 17 postdoctoral stations, four of which are national-level ones and 13 holding provincial-level status. These stations hire a total of 28 postdoctoral researchers.

Yiwu authorities have been collaborating with tech companies in key fields such as photoelectricity, environment protection, and machinery to learn about their qualifications and willingness to set up postdoctoral stations.

The authorities have also sought to connect prestigious universities such as Fudan University and Southeast University with local companies to establish postdoctoral stations focused on research topics that interest both parties.

Staff members of the Yiwu Administration of Human Resources and Social Security recently learnt that a local solar energy tech firm is aiming to establish a postdoctoral station to fuel its research and development activities, but has not fulfilled one mandatory prerequisite - at least one employee must possess a professional title beyond vice-professor.

In light of this, the administration staff evaluated the firm's reserve of high-profile talent and found that one of its employees was in fact a postdoctoral researcher before joining the firm. As such, the administration facilitated the application of the vice-professor title, which was quickly approved. The firm has now applied to set up a postdoctoral station.

Last year, Yiwu authorities invited 45 companies to attend seven matchmaking events that were attended by research degree holders and senior researchers.

Yiwu authorities have also stipulated the standards for subsidizing local postdoctoral stations. A new provincial-level postdoctoral station is eligible to apply for a maximum subsidy of 500,000 yuan ($78,550) and a one-off subsidy of one million yuan when it is upgraded to the national level.

Postdoctoral researchers also get a comprehensive welfare package with benefits related to matters such as housing, child education and job opportunities for spouses.