Chinese colleges and universities are playing an increasingly bigger role in the country's technical innovation.

Statistics presented at an on-going national conference of institutions of higher learning on technical innovation showed that colleges and universities had undertaken two-thirds of China's national natural science foundation projects since the late 1980s.

About a third of the projects in the country's first high technology research development plan, known as the "863 Program," were carried out by colleges and universities, according to the figures.

The technical innovation has helped to promote technical advances at Chinese enterprises and to foster new higher-growth sectors in the national economy.

During a six-year period from 1992 to 1998, approximately 60,000 scientific and technological achievements developed by colleges and universities were appraised, examined and approved by related departments.

More than 30,000 contracts for technical transfer were signed between institutions of higher learning and enterprises, involving 2.835 billion yuan (340 million US dollars).