Anne Zhang

zhangy49@gmail.com

MANY individual exhibitors said it isn’t easy to find an investor through the China Hi-Tech Fair (CHTF), even though a few had found ideal partners for cooperation.

In addition to the large companies dominating the fair, which ends today at Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center, many individuals also are showcasing their latest inventions or innovations in hopes of drawing investments and cooperation. Individual or small-company inventions on display include energy-saving buses, energy- and water-saving air purifiers and emission cleansers for homes and factories, a water-purifying stone and nonelectric automatic toilets.

Hong Kong inventor Ye Qing-qiu is exhibiting a new technology that can make conventional buses more environmentally friendly, by using less oil and emitting less exhaust. Ye used to be a ship engineer and said he’s been inventing things for most of his life.

Ye said this is his first time participating in the China Hi-Tech Fair.

“Several companies have shown interest in my invention and wanted to invest in it,” he said. “Some engineers wanted to introduce my invention to some big companies.”

But not everyone is as lucky as Ye. Most individual exhibitors have found it difficult to find a company or individual with genuine interest in investment, even though their product draws attention from fairgoers.

Shenzhen exhibitor Yi Shumin is selling four of his inventions during the fair and said many people have asked about the products, but few have asked seriously.

Yi said he’s spent most of his savings on creating inventions over the past 10 years, but a lack of capital has prevented him from turning his ideas into products. He said he has applied for city entrepreneur subsidies several times, but never been approved.

“The system is unfair to common people and is harmful to the development of technological innovation,” he said.

Many individual exhibitors at the fair said lacks of financial and policy support are the main hurdles to their efforts.

Liang Gangqiang, an inventor from Hong Kong, said he has spent more than HK$1 million (US$129,000) of his savings and frequently traveled to Guangzhou to invent an exhaust and smoke cleanser that consumes less water and energy than similar products.

Liang said less stringent environmental regulations in both Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland prevent his emission-scrubbing technology from being applied to large emitters, like factories.

Ye said he wished the government could provide more laboratory space and funding to struggling individual inventors.

“A good invention must be safe, environmentally friendly, economically viable and practical,” Ye said. “That’s the kind of invention the government should invest in and help develop.”

About half of the individual inventors at the fair are members of the Hong Kong Invention Association. Others are from other regions in China, including Shenzhen. Most are in their 50s or 60s.

The association has participated in the China Hi-Tech Fair since 2006, when the fair first set up an area for individuals to show their inventions. Association leaders said members have seldom landed investments at the fair.

Gao Guohui with the CHTF’s organizing committee said individual innovations should be practical and market-oriented, otherwise, they’ll struggle to attract venture capital.