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With the rise of China’s high-end manufacturing and Internet industry during the last decade or so, the Greater Bay Area (GBA) has become one of the most competitive centers of technological innovation and manufacturing in China and has played a key strategic role in the national economic growth. Leveraging favorable national strategies, high-tech enterprises in the GBA have been continuously improving their innovation capability and increasing R&D investment to build hard power for developing China into a world leader in science and technology. It also provides an unprecedented opportunity for outstanding science and technology talent from home and abroad to realize their value.
The Pearl River Delta (PRD) is known as the factory of the world. City clusters in the PRD have irreplaceable advantages in manufacturing and supply chain logistics. Although some labor-intensive industries have moved out of the area in the past five years, the manufacturing sector still has the prominent advantage of industrial concentration and maturity. In addition, favorable national policies have encouraged a lot of domestic brands to establish in the GBA, gradually upgrading from mere suppliers and manufacturers to smart manufacturing enterprises with independent research and development skills in China.
Page Executive is a high-end recruitment brand under PageGroup. “The manufacturing industry in the GBA has shifted from a processing plant for OEM and ODM to a platform for independent brands and independent R&D. It used to be famous for Made in China and then Design in China. Now, it is the Brain in China,” said Jesaline Huang, a managing partner of Page Executive Shenzhen office.
In addition to manufacturing, the booming Internet industry has become another pillar industry in the GBA over the past ten years. By integrating with well-established local trade and manufacturing sectors, the GBA empowers China’s manufacturing to go global through “Internet Plus” and “+ Internet”. The emerging industrial Internet has become a new growth point in the GBA, which not only promotes a flourishing of cross-border e-commerce and business but also invigorates traditional industries. For example, some newly developed consumer goods have become popular through the Internet. Traditional brands have regenerated through the Internet and social media. And the rise of China-Chic has also greatly benefited from the Internet to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.
After more than a decade of Internet development in full swing, the technology industry places more emphasis on developing hard core technology. Especially after China's science and technology sector faced stranglehold problems, the Chinese government decided to pay unprecedented attention to independent innovation.
As the regional director of Page Shenzhen office, Alex Gu pointed out that what China needs to seize in the science and technology sector are a leading position in original design and cutting-edge innovation. “We must have more capable scientists and entrepreneurs devoted to industry-university research collaborations to bring forth world-class product and service innovation. In doing so, we can gain commercial benefits while win world recognition for China's innovation. It's no longer just business model innovation or relying on the large domestic market to cash in.”
In such a macro environment, the technology industry in the GBA has seen some changes, especially in recent years. “When we talk about technology, on the one hand, we mean fields in IT and software industries, such as artificial intelligence algorithms, blockchain, autonomous driving, among other fields specialized in software and technology innovation. On the other hand, it’s about a big hit - hard core technology. Smart devices and smart home have been created in the consumer electronics industry, and there are many such segmentations in need of innovation,” Alex added.
He also cited some jobs related to robotics and autonomous driving in implementation and application scenarios. “The recruitment of robotics talent includes many positions involving high-grade, precision and advanced algorithms, such as laser radar or upgrades of distance measuring equipment, and chips that attract much attention.”
Alex mentioned that the current trend of hard-core technology is more a matter of technology integration and consolidation across the general technology, with commercialization being the next step. “We find that software and hardware are reintegrating, allowing many hardware products to be interconnected and smarter to enable new scenarios. In such a context, many commercial changes take place.”
Jesaline added that the rise of these industries encouraged many private equity funds investing in SRDI (Specialized, Refinement, Differential, and Innovation) enterprises to actively expand their business to the GBA by setting up funds or branches. National and local government funds actively guide capital into the real economy to empower industries.
In the new era focused on scientific research and development and independent innovation, we are witnessing a change in talent demand in the general technology industry in the GBA.
As Alex said, “In the software technology, artificial intelligence algorithms and software development talent have been in high demand. For scenario applications, AI has evolved to the point where there is a need for more high-grade, precision, and advanced technologies. In addition, the hiring demand for hardware development talent such as mechatronics designers and miniaturization design professionals has also increased.”
Cindy Li, the director of Page Guangzhou office agrees. She noted that digital transformation has also triggered a huge demand for technology talent and an imbalance between demand and supply of talent. “Take algorithm professionals for example, small and medium-sized Internet companies, general tech companies, and industries in need of digital transformation have all asked us to look for algorithm professionals. However, outstanding talent has plenty of job opportunities. Thus, there are more job vacancies to fill and less talent available.”
In the new era of technology development featuring a combination of software and hardware, the major trend of talent flow is from large foreign enterprises to private enterprises and even state-owned enterprises. “In the past decade, we have also seen such a trend in mobile Internet. For example, talent left some well-known multinational groups or foreign companies to join leading enterprises in China,” Alex shared. “Now we see some talent leaving foreign supply chain vendors to hold a key executive position in domestic hardware vendors, which is a major change in the talent market.”
In the face of rapidly growing talent demand, the local talent shortage is appearing in the high-grade, precision, and advanced science and technology industry, which calls for recruiting plenty of professionals and scientists from abroad. Page Shenzhen office is the first in China to set up an emerging technology recruitment team to help clients recruit high-end talent with strong academic backgrounds from home and abroad and has developed a set of proven methods.
Alex outlined a common development path for top tech talent, “They usually graduated from a top university in China with a bachelor’s degree and then went aboard for further study. During their Ph.D. studies, they participated in specific research projects in European or American countries. When they returned to China, they may first enter a research institute of a university in Hong Kong to complete their research, during which they may have access to some commercial projects. Some of them may become the CTO of innovative companies in China through our introduction, while some may start their own businesses, for whom we also have the resources and experience to help them build teams.”
He added that the GBA has more advantages in attracting returned overseas talent thanks to deep integration between the mainland and Hong Kong. “Especially for those who live in Hong Kong with family but have projects and teams in Guangzhou or Shenzhen.”
PageGroup focuses on the comprehensive needs of employers and candidates and is committed to maintaining long-term relationships. Our recruiting consultants assist high-end talent in communicating with companies about job opportunities while keeping an eye out for possibilities for getting involved in corporate projects as technical consultants and other non-permanent employees. “Some companies don't necessarily need full-time professionals in the early stage; therefore, some talents will start with consultation roles through our recommendation before joining as a full-time employee.”
Jesaline pointed out that working for innovative companies in the GBA was an opportunity for tech talent to realize their dreams and value. “Promises and salaries from companies and tax incentives from the government are favorable for the long-term development of high-end talent. Especially in startups, as their market capitalization grows from billions to tens of billions, professionals feel a high sense of achievement from the recognition and cashability of their capabilities.” Meanwhile, most SRDI entrepreneurial teams have technical advantages but lack business and management skills, so there is great demand for business and management executives who can work with the founding teams of “scientists” to accomplish their visions and goals. “No team is perfect, that’s where Page comes in to identify our clients’ organizational problems and help recruit executives or partners to work together for a common cause.”
Jesaline believes that it will be an iterative process for the growth of technology enterprises in the GBA and the recruitment of cutting-edge technology talent. It also requires a long time for the formation and stability of the entire academic environment. Michael Page, as a professional human resource consulting firm deeply involved in the GBA for 26 years, will continue to assist companies and talents to achieve their dreams and realizing their values.
Looking ahead, the Greater Bay Area can contribute to attracting lucrative companies and nurturing local companies and talents with the strength to make breakthroughs in scientific and technological innovations and to provide a stable foundation for China to become stronger.
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