A workstation is unveiled in Tongxiang, Zhejiang on Dec 27 under the joint efforts of Xin Feng Ming Group and Karl Barry Sharpless, a Nobel Prize laureate. [Photo/zjol.com.cn]

Xin Feng Ming Group, a leading chemical fiber company based in Tongxiang, Zhejiang province, unveiled a workstation on Dec 27, 2018 to promote and facilitate its collaboration with Karl Barry Sharpless, a recipient of the 2001 Nobel Prize in chemistry.

A chemist known for his groundbreaking work in asymmetric catalysis and click chemistry, Sharpless was appointed as the chief scientist of the company on the same day.

In the future, the two sides are expected to join hands in conducting research on chemical fiber, tackling difficulties in the industry and boosting the group's high-quality development.

The new workstation, the second of its kind in Zhejiang, is regarded as a great step Tongxiang has taken to promote the internationalization of its work with talents.

Yu Huiyou, acting mayor of the county-level city, said the cooperation is a benchmark for talent-driven innovative development and can act as an example to others who have the intention of keeping pace with global trends. The mayor said that Tongxiang should accelerate the introduction and cultivation of talented people, and better the supporting facilities with the workstation as a starting point.

Zhuang Yaozhong, president of Xin Feng Ming Group, said the establishment of the workstation is of profound significance to the company's development in the face of the increasingly intense competition and new challenges in the course of seeking quality development.

There are generally few breakthroughs made in the basic research of chemical fiber and cutting-edge theoretical and practical knowledge is needed to crack hard nuts, Zhuang explained.

Sharpless delivered speeches and had exchanges with staff in the company during his stay in Tongxiang, which greatly inspired the researchers.

"We can gain more confidence from the intellectual support we received from the top scientist," said Zhuang.