Professor Zhang Jing conducts research along with his colleagues at Shanxi University. [Photo by Jia Lijun for China Daily]

Standing near a permanent magnetic motor lift at a coal mine in the Shanxi city of Lyuliang, Kou Ziming, a professor and researcher at the mining machinery and automation department of Taiyuan University of Technology, was happy with the machine's performance after a trial operation.

Kou is the inventor of this lift. Used for transporting workers and equipment, a shaft lift is an important tool in coal mining.

He was told by the chief of the mine that the machine has performed well in terms of boosting efficiency and safety and reducing noise.

"The trial operation proves that it can improve efficiency by 23 percent, reduce noise by 20 percent and save more than one-third of operational space," Kou said. "This has met our designed target perfectly."

For his contribution to the upgrading of the coal-mining industry, Kou was recently listed as one of the nation's outstanding professionals by four national organizations, including the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security and the Ministry of Science and Technology. The list is released every five years.

"As a researcher, my primary concern is how to transfer the research results into productivity and serve the needs of the society," Kou said.

When it comes to the mining industry, Kou said safety, efficiency and energy conservation are the top three focuses of his research.

More than 100 shaft lifts powered by his patented permanent magnetic motor have been used in coal mines throughout the country. The highest power output of one is 1,600 kilowatts and the deepest operational depth reaches 1,000 meters underground.

Also on the list of the nation's outstanding professionals is Zhang Ruiping, a doctor, researcher and deputy chief of Shanxi Bethune Hospital based in the provincial capital of Taiyuan. He won the honor for his research in the field of molecular imaging.

"The molecular imaging system developed by our research team can effectively identify the boundary of tumors inside the human body, which can help a lot with surgical operations," Zhang said.

Shanxi has seen an increasing number of its researchers and scientists winning national awards over the past few years.

A recent development was that Zhang Jing and Cheng Fangqin from Shanxi University were granted second prizes at the National Science and Technology Awarding Conference on Nov 3.

Zhang Jing was awarded for his quantum-controlling technology in the photoelectronics industry and Cheng for her research in the clean and high-efficiency recycling of coal refuse and coal mine solid waste.

In addition to the top scientists, Shanxi's development in science and technology is supported by its force of 2.02 million engineers and researchers, according to Bai Jinli, an official at the Shanxi Department of Human Resources and Social Security.

The official said the figure is expected to grow to 2.3 million by 2025 as more sci-tech professionals are trained locally or introduced from the rest of the country and the world.

Wu Jia contributed to this story.