A growing number of scientists and engineers who have worked abroad are seeking business opportunities in China after encountering career barriers overseas.
More than 200 overseas Chinese and representatives of 30 associations for Chinese abroad attended the two-day Conference on China International Exchange of Professionals at the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center, which ended on Thursday.
Some of them, who still had luggage with them, rushed to the venue in the morning eager to discuss project proposals with potential investors and partners.
Hui Wenhua was one of them. He has worked for an electronic chemical company in New Jersey, United States, for 18 years, climbing the ladder from researcher to chief scientist in the research and development department. The 62-year-old said he is not ready to retire.
"After reading media reports about severe chemical pollution in China, I realized that I can help with my expertise," he said.
The expert on chrome plating - a technique of electroplating a thin layer of chromium onto a metal or plastic object - said most workshops in China still use a conventional technique that contaminates the environment and increases workers' risk of lung cancer and leukemia.
"Many companies in China dump pollutants secretly, because they don't want to invest in pollution treatment to save money," he said, adding that there are numerous unregistered workshops apart from the thousands of registered ones.
Hui said the technique being used in the US, which he can help introduce to China, generates no pollution. It also saves on costs, energy, and improves product durability.
"About 15 people, including government officials and bosses of private companies, have shown interest in my business proposal," he said.
Hui said investment of 80 million yuan ($13 million) is needed to introduce the technique from the US and bring his team of five researchers to China.
Nicole Wu, a consultant at the North America Chinese Scholars International Exchange Center, said China has been viewed as an ideal place by increasing numbers of overseas Chinese to start a business thanks to its huge market and favorable government policies.
The exchange center, which is registered in the US and acts as a bridge between that country and China, organized the pavilion at the Shenzhen conference dedicated to overseas Chinese starting careers in China.
Most of those wanting to start a career are men in their 40s and 50s with a science and technology background, Wu said.
Rock Lau, assistant general manager at the Shenzhen branch of the Beijing Foreign Enterprise Human Resources Service, the conference co-organizer, said many overseas Chinese professionals encounter "glass ceilings" in their careers.
"For many Chinese scientists and engineers in Western countries, even those with achievements in their fields, their career paths are restricted to research," he said.
However, China is in great need of applied science in environmental protection, information technology, new materials and energy, and medical skills, so overseas Chinese with relevant expertise have an advantage, Lau said.
Zheng Mingjie, from Jilin province, went to Nagoya in Japan in 1990 for his PhD studies in engineering, settling there with his family and working as a researcher for an energy conservation design company in 1996.
Zhang planned to start an energy service company in China last year by sending his business proposals to local governments and venture capital companies in the country, but the competition for funding proved fiercer than he expected.
"I sent my proposal to a business plan competition staged by the government of Jiaxing, in Zhejiang province, but it did not pass the first round of 700 applications because I don't have the patent for the energy-saving technology," the 59-year-old said.
Zhang expected investment of 16 million yuan to set up his company. However, Chinese banks prefer to grant loans to projects that win government business plan competitions, while venture capitalists favor projects that generate quick money.
During the conference in Shenzhen, venture capital investors pledged financing of about 20 million yuan for 50 projects.
Most overseas associations also reached initial agreement for cooperation with domestic organizations, according to statistics released by the organizing committee.
The conference was staged by the State Foreign Expert Affairs Administration and the Shenzhen government.
On Wednesday, the Shenzhen government offered 40 million yuan in seed funding for 122 entrepreneurs who have studied overseas to start businesses in the southern city.
It has emerged as one of the most popular destinations for entrepreneurs who were educated overseas. Low business rents, seed funding and favorable tax policies have helped professionals to start businesses there.
The organizing committee says Shenzhen has 1,700 companies run by former students who returned from overseas. Almost all are high-tech companies, with about 30 firms having annual output worth more than 100 million yuan.
在国外的职业发展面临重重阻力之后，如今越来越多留洋工作的科学工作者和工程师开始回国寻找机会。
来自30个海外中国机构的200多名海外华人和代表齐聚一堂，参加在深圳会展中心举办的为期两天的国际人才交流大会，该会议已于11月7日闭幕。
有的与会者甚至还拖着行李箱，一大早就奔到现场，迫不及待地要与有意投资人士和合作伙伴讨论项目方案。
惠文华（音）就是其中一员。他在美国新泽西的一家电子化学公司工作了18年，从一名普通研究员做到了研发部门的首席科学家，而现年62岁的他表示并没打算退休。
“在看媒体报道中国严重的化学污染时，我意识到自己的专业知识能帮上忙，”他说。
这名镀铬（原作者注：电镀一层薄薄的铬到金属或塑料物体表面）专家称，大多数中国的车间还在用传统的技术，不单污染环境，还增加了工人患癌症和白血病的风险。
“很多国内企业暗地里排污，因为他们想节省污染治理方面的投资，”他补充，除了大量合法登记的企业，同时还存在很多非法企业。
他说，自己可以将美国使用的技术引入中国，这种技术不会产生污染，同时节约成本、能源并提高产品耐用性。
“包括政府官员、私企老板在内的15的人已经对我的商业计划产生兴趣”。
惠先生说，把美国的技术同他的5名研究人员团队引入中国需要8000万元的投资（合1300万美元）。
吴女士是北美中国学者国际交流中心的顾问，她说，随着越来越多的海外华人开始在国内创业，国内被视为投资的理想之地，这得益于巨大的市场和优惠政府政策。
这家在美国登记注册的交流中心扮演着美国与中国之间沟通桥梁的角色，此次组织深圳国际人才交流大会意在协助海外华人回国工作发展。
据吴女士介绍，想回国工作的人群中以40岁至50岁上下、具有科学技术背景的男士居多。
作为此次会议的协办方的北京外企人力资源服务中心深圳分部的总经理助理刘先生说，很多海外华人专业人士都遭遇了职业生涯的瓶颈。
他说，“西方国家中很多中国科学工作者和工程师的职业生涯局限于研究员，即便是在专攻领域有所建树。”
刘先生提到，相比而言，中国对于环境保护、信息技术、新材料和能源、医药技术方面的应用科学仍有很大需求空间，因此具有相关专业知识的海外华人具有优势。
来自吉林的张先生在1990年前往日本名古屋攻读工程学博士学位，并与家人在此定居。1996年起，在当地一家节能设计公司做研究员。
张先生去年计划在国内成立一家节能服务公司，并向地方政府和风险投资公司递交了商业策划方案，但是对于筹款的竞争比他想象的还要激烈。
“我向浙江省嘉兴市政府发起的一场商业计划竞标递交了申请书，但并没有从700多份申请中通过第一轮筛选，原因是我没有节能技术的专利，”现年59岁的张先生说。
张先生期望取得1600万元的拨款以成立自己的公司。然而，国内的银行更青睐向赢得政府商业计划竞标的项目放贷，而风险投资家偏好回钱快的项目。
深圳的交流大会中，50个项目拿到了风险资本投资家许诺的约2000万元的融资。
据组委会公布数据显示，多数海外机构也已初步达成与国内机构的合作。
本次大会由国家外国专家局和深圳市政府联合发起。
11月6日，深圳市政府为122个留洋企业家在本市成立公司提供了4000万元的种子基金支持。
深圳已成为留洋企业家首选目的地之一，低价商业租金、种子基金和税收优惠政策助力专业人士的创业。
据组委会透露，深圳拥有1700家“海归”创办的企业，多数是高新技术企业，其中有30多个公司年产值过亿。