On 20 March 2019, the Shanghai Financial Court announced that Prof. Robin HUANG won a major project grant, entitled ‘Legal Enforcement Mechanisms for the Science and Technology Innovation Board (STIB) and Registration-based IPO System’. The application process is very competitive, with a total of 48 applications received from around the country for 13 grants (3 major grants and 10 ordinary grants). 

The recent establishment of the STIB is a significant effort of China to attract the listing of companies that possess new, critical technology in line with national strategy. The extent of its success will depend essentially on how legal enforcement mechanisms are designed to protect investors, particularly by the Shanghai Financial Court which was recently set up as the first and only specialist court in China for hearing financial disputes. Prof. Huang’s research project aims to address the above issue, thereby making a direct and significant impact on the development of China’s capital markets and society at large.