Xi’an Shaangu Power Co., Ltd.: Improving IPR Management System to Enhance Scientific and Technological Innovation Competitiveness

Company Profile

 
Xi’an Shaangu Power Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Shaangu Power”), a sub-company of Shaangu Group, was established in June 1999. Shaangu Power was listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange in April 2010 with 8 shareholding subsidiaries. The company is committed to being the solution and service provider in the field of green power system, and providing service for the pillar industries of the national economy such as metallurgy, petroleum, chemical engineering, pharmaceutical, urban construction, and environmental protection. From 2001 to 2011, the company maintained high-speed growth in operating performance, and its operating revenue increased from 337 billion Yuan to 5.15 billion Yuan.
 
Challenges
 
As a large power equipment innovative enterprise, Shaanggu Power has also confronted a series of problems such as the construction of intellectual property right (IPR) system, the confidentiality of information, and technological innovation. How to enhance its innovation capacity has become a challenge that Shaangu Power has to meet to realize sustainable development.
 
Solutions
 
Shaangu Power has taken the market demand as the guide, taken the technological innovation as the means, and taken the IPR strategy as its blue print. Through turning independent innovation achievements into intellectual property rights, the Company has gradually transformed from a traditional enterprise that is only engaged in the machinery manufacturing into a large-scale equipment manufacturing enterprise that takes energy-conversion equipment manufacturing as its core business, and provides customers with systematic power and service solutions.
 
Establishing IPR management system in combination with the needs of corporate development
 
Shaangu Power has gradually established and improved IPR management organization and system. The Company has established IPR Management Committee, and its permanent body is IPR Management Office with a director, and several full-time and part-time administrators to manage and protect the company's intellectual property rights in the day-to-day work.
 
The Company has adopted centralized and decentralized management in intellectual property rights. The IPR Management Office manages the company-wide intellectual property rights in a united way, including patent, trademark, copyright, computer software copyright, business secrets, and scientific and technological achievements.
 
Each year the Company prepares IPR working plan, allocates special funding, and carries out relevant work. The Company has issued Regulations on IPR Management, Administrative Measures on Patent Management, Administrative Rules on Trademark Management, and other documents, to further regulate its operation of IPR management system.
 
In the meanwhile, the company has maintained good partnership with several well-known IPR offices to provide long-term support and protection for its intellectual property right work.
 
Actively conducting IPR training and publicity to enhance the awareness of employees
 
The Company has actively organized IPR protection activities such as “Secret Month”, “IPR Knowledge Contest” and the like. Through the propaganda platforms like Shaangu Power Newspaper, Shaangu Power Cable TV, radio and cell phone newspaper, the Company has publicized IPR protection and the related legal knowledge to employees to raise their awareness.
 
The Company has set up a special fund for IPR training, and imposed strict regulations on the number of annual training for IPR management personnel. Each year the Company invites industry experts and governmental leaders to give the training on patent and trademark knowledge to management personnel and technicians. In combination with its actual situation, the Company researches the relevant countermeasures and strategy that adapts to its development, and moreover, it sends dozens of IPR management personnel to attend the training courses organized by Patent Protection Association of China, China Intellectual Property Society, and other organizations to improve their business quality and professional knowledge.
 
In addition, the Company organized employees to sign personal letter of commitment and confidentiality agreement, and incorporates “no infringement on the intellectual property rights of other companies” into Shaangu prohibitory regulations to enhance employees’ consciousness of IPR protection responsibility.
 
Building innovation culture and creating an innovation atmosphere for all staff
 
Facing with the changing markets, Shaangu Power persists in developing by innovation and making progress by technology, and strives to create the innovation culture that involves all employees in inside the company. This has pushed the company onto a path of sustainable development that relies on technological research and development and integrates the production, study, research and cooperation into one body.
 
Based on the understanding of the concept “problem is the resource”, the Company has established a sound innovation management system, and incorporated technology innovation, management innovation, cultural innovation, institutional innovation, QC quality research, job Innovation and effectiveness, and external innovation into the management system. The Company has also introduced a number of incentive policies like Regulations on Selection of Technological Innovation Projects and Employment of Senior Technical Experts. According to the national annual spirit of scientific and technological development and the market demands, the Company prepares a special R & D plan, forms a comprehensive and systematic operating system, and encourages employees to make innovation in the technology, management and quality to create continuous value for customers.
 
Achievements
 
The effective use of IPR system and the construction of innovation culture have brought fruitful results to Shaangu Power. By the end of 2011, Shaangu Power achieved 102 authorized patents. During the 11th Five-year Plan, Shaangu Power invested nearly 1 billion Yuan, of which 432.48 million Yuan was invested in 2011, accounting for 8.48% in the sales revenue, and much higher than the average level in the industry.
 
The systematic IPR strategy has brought great change to the IPR awareness among the employees, and has effectively inspired their enthusiasm to make independent innovation and apply for patents. By the end of 2011, the Company achieved more than 149 prizes including 5 National Prizes for Scientific and Technological Progress, 58 provincial or ministerial science and technology awards, and 86 municipal science and technology awards. Shaangu Power’s complete set of nitric devices reached the international advanced technology level, and fill the gap in China. Its self-developed sintering heat recovery technology (STRT) became the first in the world.
 
In addition, the Company was also involved in the formulation of several national or industry standards such as Top Gas Pressure Recovery Turbine Expander, Thermodynamic Performance Testing for Blast Furnace Gas Energy Recovery Turbo-expander, and Industrial Off-gas Energy Recovery Turbine Expander, and revised JB/T7258-2006General Purpose Centrifugal Blower, JB/T7259-2006CentrifugalBlower for Sintering Plant, and other standards.
 
In addition, the Company was also involved in the formulation of several national or industry standards such as Top Gas Pressure Recovery Turbine Expander, Thermodynamic Performance Testing for Blast Furnace Gas Energy Recovery Turbo-expander, and Industrial Off-gas Energy Recovery Turbine Expander, and revised JB/T7258-2006General Purpose Centrifugal Blower, JB/T7259-2006CentrifugalBlower for Sintering Plant, and other standards.
 
By establishing IPR system and particularly possessing the IPR for key technology, Shaangu Power has maintained its competitive advantages of leading products in the markets. At present, the Company has sold its leading products such as axial compressors and energy recovery turbine units, all over China, and exported them to US, Germany, Russia, Japan, Spain, Brazil, India, Iran, Korea, Sudan and other countries and regions.
 
Prospect
 
At present, the Company’s IPR system is still not perfect, especially in terms of IPR-oriented system. The Company needs to formulate the incentive and guiding systems to closely combine technology research and development with independent intellectual property rights. In the meanwhile, the company needs to further strengthen the linkage between IPR construction and brand building. In future, Shaangu Power will make greater efforts in the publicity, guidance and practice, drive the brand building with the IPR construction, promote and apply patented technology as soon as possible to turn them into productive forces and increase the business profitability.