Yangquan in Shanxi province is pioneering an innovative approach to industry-education integration by establishing an ecosystem driven by demand-based talent cultivation, a dual-teacher system, and innovation platforms.

This initiative addresses three major challenges: the mismatch of talent supply and demand, gaps in practical skills, and delays in results commercialization, offering a new solution for the transformation of resource-based cities.

Focusing on the "2+4+N" modern industrial system and the "333" industrial cluster development, Yangquan has introduced five special talent support policies, precisely aligning educational, medical, and strategic emerging sectors like new energy and materials with local talent demands. By establishing an industry-education integration association and 15 regional consortia, Yangquan has created a closed-loop mechanism of "demand publication – project matching – results sharing".

To address traditional education's focus on theory over practice, Yangquan has developed a "dual-teacher + innovative" faculty growth system. Over 40 industry professors and experts have been invited to teach in schools, while more than 70 educators have been encouraged to gain industry experience in companies. Additionally, through a "degree + skills" certification, over 280 technical experts from private enterprises have achieved professional advancement, with 230 individuals passing engineer evaluations, continuously optimizing the technical talent structure.

Yangquan also encourages enterprises and universities to co-establish integrated "industry research institutes + training bases + pilot workshops" platforms. Nearly 4 million yuan ($562,032) in incentive subsidies have been allocated to provincial technology innovation centers and training bases, constructing a full-chain support system from R&D to the industrialization and commercialization of research results.