Talent Leads Technology; Innovation Fuels Development

(Our website reports) On February 24, a joint research team formed by the Feicheng City Leading Group Office conducted a special investigation into Nongda Feiye’s talent management and scientific‑technological innovation efforts. Zhang Peng, Director of the Science and Technology Bureau, along with three other members, visited the company’s exhibition hall and laboratories, carefully listened to work reports from Vice President Lu Shouzun, Human Resources Director Li Hongqiang, and Researcher Hong Pizheng, and, after gaining a thorough understanding of the company’s development trajectory, its innovative products, and its R&D capabilities, expressed full recognition of its achievements in talent recruitment and technological innovation, while also charting a clear path for its future growth.

The company leverages the research expertise and talent pool of scientific research institutes and higher education institutions, fostering close industry–university–research collaborations to maintain a leading position in scientific innovation. In 2016, it established research partnerships and exchanges with more than 30 universities and research organizations, including the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shandong University, Nanjing Agricultural University, and Shandong Agricultural University, jointly advancing the R&D and commercialization of next-generation fertilizers both domestically and internationally, thereby ensuring that scientific and technological achievements are swiftly translated into productive capacity.

The company has successfully recruited Dr. Hong Pizheng and Professor Xu Yangchun; notably, Professor Xu Yangchun was selected as a Taishan Industry Leading Talent, marking a major breakthrough in the company’s efforts to cultivate talent for technological innovation and entrepreneurship and providing robust technical support for its cutting-edge R&D initiatives.

In 2016, the company achieved significant breakthroughs in scientific and technological innovation, filing 10 new patent applications and obtaining 8 authorized patents. It published eight papers in China’s core academic journals and undertook seven new national and provincial projects, including two projects under the National Key R&D Program of the 13th Five-Year Plan. The company’s project, “Integration and Demonstration of Key Industrialization Technologies for a Novel Humic Acid-Based Controlled-Release Fertilizer,” was awarded the First Prize for Scientific and Technological Progress by Taian City in 2016. Additionally, the company successfully applied to establish the Shandong Provincial Laboratory for Soil Improvement and Plant Nutrition Engineering and the Shandong Provincial Academician Workstation. Furthermore, it successfully developed a controlled-release fertilizer for rice that eliminates the need for additional topdressing, thereby better supporting the “double reduction” goals in rice production and enabling green, high-efficiency rice cultivation.

In 2017, the company will continue to recruit top-tier research talent and outstanding university graduates, further strengthening its R&D team. The company plans to establish a comprehensive strategic partnership with Nanjing Agricultural University, jointly conducting research on the integration of key technologies for next-generation microbial fertilizers and their industrial-scale demonstration. Additionally, the company will complete construction of production lines for 300,000 tons of sulfur-based compound fertilizer and 50,000 tons of potassium humate, ensuring that equipment installation and commissioning are finished and production is launched by year-end. Upon completion, the project will position the company as a leading domestic and international manufacturing base for cutting-edge ecological fertilizers.

While the company has achieved remarkable success, it also faces developmental bottlenecks stemming from lags in cutting-edge R&D. Nevertheless, the company will not rest on its laurels; it will continue to strengthen talent recruitment and technological innovation, proceed steadily and methodically, and strive to become a leading enterprise in the industry.