In recent years, China has gradually transformed from the "world's factory" to a "global technology partner" thanks to its vast reserve of engineering professionals and technological innovation capabilities.

An article published by Bloomberg on March 25 noted that China's "engineer dividend" is paying off big time. Official data shows that the total number of engineers in China increased from 5.21 million in 2000 to 17.653 million in 2020. This large talent pool can help China continuously push the boundaries of its "production possibilities."

The “engineer dividend” in China not only drives the upgrading of the domestic economic structure, but also injects new momentum into global economic development through foreign investment and cooperation, becoming a "positive asset" in the restructuring of global industrial chains.

The explosive growth in the total number of engineers in China is the foundation of this dividend. Data shows that from 2000 to 2020, the number of engineers in China increased from 5.21 million to 17.653 million, with young engineers under 30 accounting for 44 percent.

The scale advantage not only supports breakthroughs in domestic fields such as artificial intelligence and biotechnology but also enables the export of technological capabilities globally through international cooperation.

For example, according to MacroPolo, a think tank affiliated with the Paulson Institute, in 2022, 47 percent of the top 20 percent of artificial intelligence researchers across the world have pursued undergraduate studies in China.

Additionally, Chinese universities produce millions of graduates in science and engineering each year, combined with a wave of returning international students, creating a talent network converging local experience and international perspective while providing an "intellectual link" for multinational tech cooperation.

China's overseas capital allocation is undergoing a strategic realignment, with a transition from traditional sectors like infrastructure and manufacturing towards technology-intensive fields. Taking new energy vehicles as an example, Chinese car companies have made large-scale investments in Thailand, in a move to export production capacity and help Thailand build a local industrial chain through technology transfer.

The Thai government requires foreign car companies to localize their components, and the smart manufacturing experience of Chinese enterprises (such as automated production lines and battery technology) is accelerating the achievement of this goal.

This collaborative approach delivers twin benefits. On the one hand, China’s technological advancements are increasingly embraced by nations worldwide. For example, China's technological standards in areas such as 5G, high-speed rail, and photovoltaics are gradually being adopted by emerging markets, and its renewable energy solutions (such as energy storage systems) are becoming key options for Africa's energy transition.

On the other hand, China’s cost advantage serves as a catalyst for international sci-tech cooperation. Such comparative advantage proves instrumental in empowering markets like Southeast Asia and Latin America to accelerate high-tech transformation through affordable access to advanced technologies.

China's foreign cooperation is not a one-way output; rather, it achieves mutual empowerment through "localization + innovative collaboration."

In joint efforts to build industrial chains, such as Thailand's "Eastern Economic Corridor," Chinese companies not only establish factories but also participate in infrastructure projects such as smart cities and deep-water ports, promoting regional economic integration.

On the green transformation front, China collaborates with Central and Eastern European countries to develop wind and solar power projects, leveraging its engineering personnel to accelerate Europe's carbon neutrality process.

For globalized research and development, Chinese tech companies set up R&D centers overseas to attract local talent. For instance, DJI's R&D team in Silicon Valley collaborates with its headquarters in Shenzhen to drive the global iteration of drone technology.

The mode breaks the traditional "center-periphery" structure of North-South technology transfer, instead forming a multi-node innovation network that upgrades partner countries from "technology recipients" to "co-innovators."

In the future, China will continuously enhance its global advantages in engineering through the following paths, including highlighting green tech development, cultivating a multinational innovation ecosystem, as well as strengthening academic exchanges and cooperation in engineering.

China's "engineer dividend" is not only an engine for its own transformation and upgrading but also a "positive asset" for the sustainable development of the global economy. Through technology export, industrial collaboration, and bilateral innovation, China is contributing its wisdom to the paradigm of global technological cooperation.

Source: VOC