Sharing scientific devices 'helpful'

A trial program to combine scientific instrument resources in 20 institutions has helped raise the economic value of the equipment by almost 10-fold in the past three years, thanks to better and more efficient usage, the Beijing municipal science and technology commission said yesterday.

Yang Weiguang, the vice-director and spokesman of the commission, said 628 million yuan ($92 million) was invested to help 20 Beijing-based institutions buy scientific equipment three years ago.

"Today, the same equipment has generated a value of 6.2 billion yuan due to the joint utilization program," he said.