Recently, Dongguan Science and Technology Bureau and Dongguan Government Services and Data Management Bureau jointly issued a notice to organize applications for the 2025-2026 Dongguan Major Science and Technology Projects, specifically the AI “Challenge-Based” R&D Projects.
The “challenge-based” R&D project model allows leading enterprises in Dongguan, based on urgent needs in their innovation chains, to identify specific technological bottlenecks that they cannot yet resolve independently or can only partially address. Through a “challenge-based” mechanism, these enterprises publish their technical demands to the wider society, inviting external applicants to undertake key research or joint research to overcome the problems. The initiative aims to accelerate technological progress, promote the transformation of research achievements, and advance industrialization. Project participants include the “challenger” (project initiator) and the “respondent” (project applicant).
The “challenger” refers to the enterprise that publishes the technical challenge. It provides the demand, serves as the primary investor in the project, and must have basic R&D capabilities and application conditions, as well as the ability to provide necessary support and resources. Funding is capped at RMB 5 million per project, not exceeding 20% of the project’s total investment and not exceeding the contract amount agreed upon between the challenger and the respondent, which must also be filed with Dongguan Science and Technology Bureau. Funding is provided on a reimbursement basis, after project completion and acceptance. In principle, each project’s implementation period should not exceed three years.
The “respondent” is the project applicant, who answers the challenge. Eligible respondents include technology enterprises, innovation consortia, universities, and research institutes from inside and outside Dongguan (including Hong Kong and Macao). Applicants must have a good record of research integrity, no negative credit history or violations in the past three years, and possess a stable talent team capable of completing the R&D tasks. They must not be affiliated with the challenger.
Each respondent must designate one project leader, who must demonstrate strong leadership in innovative research, maintain a good research integrity record, and be substantively involved in leading the project throughout its entire implementation. A project leader who is already responsible for one or more ongoing major science and technology projects in Dongguan is not eligible to apply as a leader for a new project until the existing one has been completed and accepted. In principle, each project should not involve more than 50 participants, and all must contribute substantively to the project’s execution. The practice of including high-profile experts from the same field in name only is strictly prohibited.
Currently, three challenges have been announced: AI-based intelligent decision-making solutions for the consumer electronics supply chain; intelligent perception and manipulation technologies for EMU bogie maintenance robots integrating multi-modal large models; and research and application of embodied intelligent agents for decomposing complex structures in toy mold design.
Applications must be submitted online by completing the application form. The application period runs from September 2 to 17:00 on October 8. Detailed procedures, important notes, contact information, feasibility study outlines, and other requirements can be found on the official website of Dongguan Science and Technology Bureau under the “Notices and Announcements” section.
