Shanghai's Pudong New Area is now accepting applications for its "Pearl Engineers" program — a specialized initiative under the "Pearl Talent Plan" — designed to support front-line professionals who lead innovation and drive progress in strategic emerging industries across the district.

Eligibility

1. Applicants should generally have worked for at least five years on the production front lines in strategic emerging industries in Pudong and have been employed by the applying employer for at least three years. They must also meet certain market-oriented evaluation standards. For urgently needed key talent in priority industries, the work experience requirement may be relaxed. The cutoff date for calculating work experience is July 31, 2025.

2. Applicants should be engaged in innovation engineering projects that hold a leading position within their industry niche and meet at least one of the following conditions:

(1) Led projects focusing on product development, process innovation, new technology application, or equipment upgrading over the past five years, demonstrating the ability to solve complex professional problems;

(2) Participated in engineering projects that have received well-known professional awards within the industry in the past five years;

(3) Published papers in SCI (Science Citation Index) or EI (Engineering Index) journals in the past five years. To qualify, applicants must be listed among the top three authors or serve as corresponding author (including those with equal contribution);

(4) Obtained authorized invention patents in the past five years, ranking among the top three inventors;

The cutoff date for the above criteria is January 1, 2025.

3. Applicants must have no intellectual property disputes, confidentiality obligations, non-compete restrictions, or limitations on part-time paid work, and must make a clear commitment to this effect.

Supported candidates must be employed full-time by the applying employer and commit to working full-time for the employer for no less than three years after being selected.

Each employer may nominate up to 20 candidates for the "Pearl Engineers" program.

Programs of the same type under the "Pearl Talent Plan" may be applied for no more than twice within a three-year period.

Support

1. Individual funding assistance

Selected applicants will receive a one-time grant of 200,000 yuan ($29,000) each.

2. Professional development support

Selected applicants who need to improve their academic qualifications or professional titles related to their positions will receive a one-time subsidy of up to 20,000 yuan.

3. Housing support

Eligible selected applicants will receive a monthly housing subsidy of 3,000 yuan for up to three years and priority access to district-level talent apartments.

4. Other support

Selected applicants will also enjoy a range of comprehensive services, including residency assistance, health care, health checks, and recuperation. They may benefit from measures such as direct recommendations for permanent residency in Pudong, long-term work and residence permits, and simplified customs procedures for personal belongings upon entry and exit.

Application

The application period for this year is from June 16 to July 31, 2025.

Applications must be submitted online; no paper materials are required.

Applicants should submit their application materials through their employers. For details, please visit https://rczc.pudong.gov.cn or https://pyd.pudong.gov.cn/rczc/, where applicants can complete the online application form and upload relevant supporting documents as attachments.

Required attachments are as follows:

• Identification documents
• Degree certificates, academic credential verification, professional qualification certificates, and other materials that demonstrate professional competence
• Employment contract signed with the current employer
• Proof of work experience
• Supporting documents for projects led by the applicant, including project proposals, approvals, acceptance reports, award reports and certificates, journal articles' content pages, cover pages and tables of contents, patent specifications and certificates
• Other required materials

For inquiries, please call 021-5860-1269 or 021-5860-1307.

Source: Official website of Pudong International Talent Hub