About 500 people, including Kunming officials, representatives of national and provincial development zones, local universities and scientific research institutes, attended the 2012 Science and Technology Awards Conference at Kunming's municipal administrative center on Sept 23.

During the event, several units received the title of National Hi-Tech Industrial Base or National Engineering Technology Research Center.

And promising academic and technology leaders were also awarded certificates. In addition, officials also revealed the list of 2012 Kunming Scientific and Technological Reward Projects.

Kunming's technological innovation capacity is said to be relatively weak. For example, the city's research and development spending in 2012 accounted for only 1.75 percent of its GDP, which is lower than the 1.97 percent national average level.

Kunming intends to form a regional innovative system by 2017, with a focus on enterprises and with markets as the guidance, in a bid to realize its goal that scientific and technological development should contribute to 60 percent of the city's economic growth.

Edited by Niva Whyman