Yi Zhang

Maiya Research Center is a private institute co-founded by me and my postdoctoral colleague in August 2016.

We focus on regular analysis of Shenzhen's political, economic, technological, and cultural environment after bringing together six young researchers with interdisciplinary backgrounds. We provide advisory service including data analysis, policy interpretation, and strategic consulting to various government departments, industry associations, social organizations not limited to Shenzhen.

We also operate a WeChat public account that shares popular science posts in fields such as economics, management, psychology, law, and also the ICT industry. For example, we once posted an article using the prisoner's dilemma to explain the overcrowding at tourist sites during Chinese holidays.

As the founder, I manage daily affairs, deploy resources strategically, and ensure we achieve our mission.

My decision to join JunZeJun was an unexpected journey, yet logical. At the time, a former colleague was working there as a practicing lawyer. Once, after a visit, I learned that they were planning to deeply integrate themselves into the industrial ecosystem of innovation-driven companies. Given that my postdoctoral research focused on innovation management—specifically, appropriability, with an emphasis on SMEs. The firm had a growing demand to provide legal services more connected to the full process of the company. Then I had been introduced to the managing partner before I finished my postdoctoral program. I was the only team member without a law degree; however, the three years turned out to be such a rewarding and surprising journey for me. I didn't just learn about the legal world; I even became a sort of part-time legal advisor myself. More importantly, it changed how I see people and society in a big way.

During my postdoctoral work at Sun Yat-sen University (Shenzhen), I specialized in innovation management research, with a focus on the appropriability of SEMs.

My work also involved condcting analysis on Chinese's new R&D institutes' approprability, analyzing patent trend of ICT industry, taking responsibility for government funded projects, consulting to partner enterprises.

The partnership with Wuxi HeXinChuan Automation was related to a municipal startup grant. At the time, I was leading an team with PhDs in Computer and Automation, developing some tablet-like device (pre-dating the iPad). We successfully applied to Wuxi's talent program, winning a good grant package. However, a team member who should have been the future CEO must go back to Canada, which prevented us from launching independently. So, the local government introduced us to HeXinChuan Automation, a local, outstanding SEM. We integrated our project into their company. I became the partner and a division director. This role provided an immersive experience in industry-academia-research collaboration within automation, leading to further joint developments in machine vision.foundational experience later proved invaluable in my postdoctoral work and subsequent career, shaping my interactions with investors and startup teams.

During my time in the Department of Management Science and Engineering, I developed courses like Consumer Psychology, Engineering Economics, and E-commerce & Logistics. I enjoyed blending classical economic theories and real cases to help students grasp the nature of knowledge.

I also supervised undergraduate thesis projects. Additionally, I led a vertical research project.