According to our news report (by correspondent Du Yong), the fourth China (Anhui) Science and Technology Innovation Achievement Transformation and Trading Fair was held at the Hefei Binhu International Convention and Exhibition Center from April 26 to 28, 2026. The Anhui Provincial Direct Legal Aid Volunteer Service Team, affiliated with the Anhui Provincial Legal Aid Center, recruited five lawyers to provide rotating legal consultation volunteer services at the exhibition site.

"I am willing to use my expertise in technological innovation, intellectual property, and international legal services to help small and medium-sized technology innovation entities" said Yang Haibo, director of international business department of the Hiways Law Firm Hefei office.

To enable scientific and technological innovation to better benefit society and humanity, the government in Hefei, Anhui Province, which is jointly building the Shanghai (Yangtze River Delta) International Science and Technology Innovation Center with Shanghai—has expanded its public legal services to the field of scientific and technological innovation. The local legal aid center supported the establishment of the Anhui Provincial Direct Legal Aid Volunteer Service Team, recruiting 209 lawyers as volunteers. These volunteers provide free legal advisory services for government science and technology policy formulation and research activities through various approaches, including face-to-face on-site legal consultations, design of commercialization strategies for scientific and technological achievements, and public-interest dispute mediation. They also offer free legal consulting services to holders of scientific and technological achievements for their commercialization. Where resources permit, the volunteers assist innovation entities unable to afford legal and technical service fees in applying forpatents, and safeguard the intellectual property rights of patent holders, holders of new plant varieties rights, and holders of integrated circuit layout design rights who cannot afford legal service fees.

The centuries-long history of intellectual property development demonstrates that property rights serve as a powerful incentive for innovation. The rule of law is the most effective means of protecting property rights; thus, it constitutes the social infrastructure for scientific research activities and the commercialization of technological achievements. Moving forward, the Anhui Provincial Legal Aid Center will identify locations in areas with high concentrations of technology enterprises to provide regular, daily free legal consultation services to researchers and innovation-driven businesses.