From “a single seed” to “a thriving tree”: The past five years of the Songshan Lake Women Scientists and Engineers Alliance →

On August 4, the “Five Years of Women in Science and Technology: Pooling Strengths to Reinvigorate and Set Forth Anew” 5th-anniversary成果 sharing conference of the Songshan Lake Alliance of Women Scientists was held at the Greater Bay Area University.

8 On the 4th, the “Five Years of Women in Science and Technology: Pooling Strengths to Reinvigorate and Set Forth Anew” 5th-anniversary成果 sharing conference of the Songshan Lake Alliance of Female Science and Technology Professionals was held at the Greater Bay Area University. Officials from the Dongguan Women’s Federation and the Songshan Lake Administrative Committee, members of the alliance’s new board of directors, and representatives of female scientists and engineers from research institutes, universities, and enterprises across the park gathered to review the past five years of development and launch a new chapter in women’s contributions to science and technology.

 

 

Frontline Echo

Women’s Practices in the Integration of Industry, Academia, and Research

 

 

Over the past five years of deep collaboration among industry, academia, and research in the alliance, frontline female scientists and engineers have not only been witnesses but also active creators. During the on-site “She Shares” session, two distinguished women in science and technology delivered compelling insights drawn from real-world experience.

Dongguan Yingxing Metal Surface Treatment Materials Co., Ltd. General Manager Shi Hongmei, under the title “Pursuing Our Original Aspiration Through Science and Innovation, Embarking on a New Journey with Her Strength,” shared her 28-year entrepreneurial journey deeply rooted in a specialized segment of the chemical industry. Adhering to a research-and-development approach that prioritizes market needs and practical implementation, she has focused on addressing critical industry challenges—such as high energy consumption, severe pollution, and inconsistent product quality—by launching targeted solutions. Under her leadership, her team broke foreign import monopolies, enabling a leading domestic manufacturer of automotive standard components to shift entirely from sourcing German products to relying exclusively on Yingxing’s supply and services. “Innovation knows no track, and responsibility knows no gender,” said Shi Hongmei. “Day after day of steadfast dedication, down-to-earth innovation, and a pure, passionate commitment to the real economy—this is the finest answer sheet for women innovators in the new era.”

Zhang Ye, head of the Biomedical Materials Research Department at the Institute of Materials Science and Technology in Dongguan, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and vice president of the alliance, shared her practical experience in integrating industry, academia, and research. She returned to China in 2022 to join the Dongguan Institute of Materials Science, where she leads a team dedicated to the study of biomimetic materials inspired by the extracellular matrix. Zhang Ye pointed out that, In Songshan Lake, the research paradigm is shifting from being “science‑problem driven” to being “practical‑need oriented”; yet fundamental research has not been weakened—it has instead adopted a clearer value‑oriented focus. “Basic research sets the upper limit of innovation, industrial applications define its direction, and the integration of industry, academia, and research ultimately determines how far innovation can go.”

Zhang Ye shared practical examples, including collaborative efforts with the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine to advance the modernization of traditional Chinese medicine, as well as joint applications with City University of Hong Kong and Dayuan Bio for Guangdong–Hong Kong cooperative innovation projects. In her view, the alliance not only provides female researchers with greater visibility but also opens up new avenues for collaboration in science.

 

 

Warm-hearted Escort

Exclusive protection safeguards the “she power” of science and technology innovation.

 

 

The event also launched a dedicated “Accidental +” insurance benefit for women in science and technology within the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area. This public‑interest coverage is open to all female tech professionals in the Songshan Lake Park, with a one‑year term and no fees throughout the entire period, covering critical illnesses ( Two cancers ), covering three key dimensions—accidental disability, accidental medical expenses, and more—providing science and technology‑focused women with comprehensive, foundational protection from health to safety.

 

 

A New Beginning with the Change of Leadership

The new board of directors sets out once again.

 

 

This year marks the League’s leadership transition. At the event, the League held a ceremony to appoint and confer credentials on the new Board of Directors. The current board brings together outstanding women scientists and engineers from research institutes, universities, enterprises, and emerging R&D organizations, boasting a more balanced composition, broader representation, and greater dynamism. With each appointment letter comes a shared sense of responsibility, signaling the League’s official launch into a new chapter as it embarks on its second term.

 

 

Little strokes fell great oaks.

Five years of hard work have built the alliance from the ground up.

 

 

In August 2021, under the guidance of the Dongguan Women’s Federation and the Municipal Science and Technology Association, and with the support of the Songshan Lake Party Working Committee and Management Committee, the Songshan Lake Alliance of Female Science and Technology Professionals was established. Over the past five years, the alliance has grown from scratch, steadily building on small beginnings to become a significant force in science and innovation for women—both within the park and across the Greater Bay Area.

At the event, Yin Wen, Deputy Director of the Dongguan Research Division of the Institute of High Energy Physics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and President of the Alliance, presented the Alliance’s achievements over its five-year anniversary. Over the past five years, the Alliance has brought in members from… China Spallation Neutron Source More than 200 outstanding female scientists and engineers from the Dongguan Institute of Materials, Chinese Academy of Sciences; the Songshan Lake Materials Laboratory; the Greater Bay Area University; City University of Hong Kong (Dongguan); as well as numerous new‑type R&D institutions and high‑tech enterprises. A group of exemplary members within the alliance have successively been awarded prestigious honors such as the National March 8th Red Banner Holder, the National Model Woman Pioneer in Achievements, the National Most Beautiful Family, and the Guangdong Province’s Most Beautiful Science and Technology Worker, thereby generating a powerful ripple effect of role modeling.

Over the past five years, the Alliance has focused on deepening industry–university–research collaboration, systematically developing the “She Sci‑Tech” brand. It has organized more than 80 industry–university–research matchmaking events, spanning key sectors such as new energy, new materials, biopharmaceuticals, and artificial intelligence, and facilitated over 20 substantive collaborative projects. For several years running, the Alliance has leveraged the Women’s Track of the Songhu Cup Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition to identify high‑quality women‑led science and technology ventures, attracting more than 150 female‑led startup applications and helping nearly 20 of these projects take root in Songshan Lake. In addition, the Alliance has established the Songshan Lake Science and Technology Women’s Volunteer Service Team, comprising 30 highly educated professionals, which has conducted over 200 science‑communication activities over the past five years, bringing cutting‑edge scientific knowledge into schools and local communities.

Standing at the new starting point of its fifth anniversary, the Songshan Lake Alliance of Women Science and Technology Professionals will continue to deepen the brand essence of “She Innovates,” build a more open and collaborative innovation ecosystem, and refine a comprehensive, end-to-end talent-development support system. In doing so, it will empower women scientists and engineers to forge ahead with confidence on the path of scientific and technological innovation, enabling them to shine even more brilliantly as trailblazers in Songshan Lake—a vibrant hub of science and technology.