Recently, the 2025 University Science and Technology Achievement Trading Fair ended in Guangzhou. More than 600 universities participated in the conference, with a transaction volume exceeding 7.2 billion yuan and 1361 achievements completed. The numbers are very impressive, but what is more worth chewing on than the numbers is a change revealed by this grand event, where school enterprise relations are quietly reshaping. Some university presidents have pointed out that universities should not only be "suppliers" of knowledge, but also become "partners" walking shoulder to shoulder with enterprises. This sentence highlights the key to the transformation of technological achievements. For a long time, universities and enterprises have been more like sellers and buyers. Universities immerse themselves in research, produce results, and then seek buyers in the market; Enterprises will only connect when their achievements are mature. This model may seem to have clear division of labor, but in reality, there are many problems. The results are easily detached from market demand, and enterprises need to spend a lot of effort adapting and transforming them after obtaining them. Both sides went their separate ways, as if separated by a wall. The result is that a large number of patents are lying on the "bookshelf" sleeping, and the technology urgently needed by enterprises cannot find corresponding supply, causing both ends to fail and both ends to be anxious. At this year's Science and Technology Fair, a different approach emerged. South China University of Technology has jointly established over 300 joint innovation platforms with leading companies such as Huawei, Midea, and Guangzhou Automobile Group, condensing cutting-edge issues from the source; Xiamen University establishes long-term cooperation with enterprises through three methods: alliance, club, and open. These explorations point in the same direction. Conversion is not about waiting for the results to come out before finding buyers, but about bringing the enterprise in from the beginning of research and development, jointly defining problems, tackling challenges, and sharing benefits. This is precisely the 'partnership' relationship. This type of 'partner' is not a legal equity relationship, but a deep collaboration mechanism. Both parties have been cooperating since the topic was selected and approved, sharing risks and benefits, no longer a one-time deal. This is not only a change in trading methods, but also a reconstruction of the innovation ecosystem. So, how to truly establish a 'partnership' relationship? Let's start with a few key steps. Firstly, the requirements need to be moved forward and aligned with the enterprise's needs from the time of project initiation. Instead of spending a lot of effort awakening dormant patents, it's better to think clearly from the beginning about what problems the research aims to solve and who will use the results. Tongji University upgraded its research management institution this year, requiring that application projects must be aligned with the needs of enterprises before being approved, allowing the market perspective to start from the source. But to truly implement it, supporting mechanisms must keep up. For example, in the application oriented project approval review, the participation of enterprise technical leaders in the demonstration is introduced; Universities should promote the reform of scientific research evaluation, and not only focus on the number of papers and patents, otherwise teachers will naturally lack motivation to collaborate with enterprises. At the same time, the establishment of disciplines and majors in universities should actively connect with industry demand. Whatever industry needs, the focus should be on layout, so that scientific research can be closely related to the market from the source. Docking demands is just the beginning, the key is to truly establish cooperation, which requires both platform co construction and benefit sharing. In reality, many school enterprise cooperation agreements have been signed and many joint laboratory brands have been hung, but they often become mere formalities. A true partnership requires personnel exchange, regular consultations, and project co management. The more than 300 joint innovation platforms jointly built by South China University of Technology and leading enterprises are not just about branding, but have actually achieved these goals, bringing nearly 8 billion yuan in contract funds in the past 5 years. Of course, platform collaboration alone is not enough, the profit distribution mechanism determines how far cooperation can go. Under the traditional one-time buyout model, once the university receives the transfer fee, it has nothing to do with the results, and the enterprise bears the risks and benefits alone. Both parties lack the motivation to continue investing. To change this, it is necessary to explore new distribution methods, such as long-term sharing of industrialization benefits and binding the interests of schools and enterprises together. In this way, both parties have the motivation to jointly care for the results and bring them to the market. The role of technical managers is crucial for the implementation of the partnership model. Technical managers are known as the "all rounders" of achievement transformation, who need to understand both technology, market, law, and negotiation. They should be able to translate scientific research language into business language and connect laboratory results with market demand. But in reality, these people often intervene only after the results are produced, at best they are "salespeople", and coupled with poor career paths, it is difficult for them to truly play a role. If they can be moved forward to the research project stage, truly participate in direction planning, risk assessment, intellectual property layout from the source, and at the same time open up career promotion channels, the conversion efficiency will be greatly improved. The excitement of the Science and Technology Fair will eventually come to an end, but if a true partnership can be established between schools and enterprises, conversion will not have to wait for the next exhibition, but will become the norm. Technological achievements are moving from "bookshelves" to "shelves", and people often say that we need to bridge the "last mile". Looking at it from a different perspective, what truly needs to be bridged may be the 'one kilometer in relationships'. From both parties in the transaction to partners, the concept has changed, the mechanism has become smoother, and once this "one kilometer" is connected, the transformation will come naturally. (New Society)