Chinese reform pushes R&D into market

The Chinese government is to convert 242 research institutes, currently operating under 10 government agencies, into self-supporting enterprises. The aim is to make public research and development more flexible and vigorous, and speed up the application of research results in industry. The reform plan has been approved by the State Council, but Sun Chuanyao, president of Beijing General Research Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, is concerned that some research activities will have to be cancelled, and some institutes may not survive.