On February 27, a city conference on further strengthening the implementation of innovation-driven development was held in the Dongguan Government Conference Building. Chen Hesheng, manager of the China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS) project, together with Chen Yanwei, deputy director of the Institute of High Energy Physics (IHEP), and director of Dongguan Neutron Science Center (DNSC), was invited to attend the meeting.

Mayor Liang Weidong, on behalf of the people’s government of Dongguan City,  presented the city's science and technology innovation individuals and enterprises with awards. Prof. Chen Hesheng was given the 2016 Dongguan City Science and Technology Special Contribution Award. "Chen Hesheng, who chairs the construction of the CSNS project, has made great contributions to promote the project R&D and construction in the past 10 years." Said Liang Weidong in the ceremony. Liang Weidong was impressed by the progress of the CSNS project made during the past 10 years. He also firmly believed that the CSNS is and will be playing a significant role in the economic and social development, as well as the innovation-driven development of Dongguan.

Chen Yanwei, on behalf of IHEP and DNSC, signed an agreement with the Institute of Physics and Dongguan Municipal Government on building the Guangdong Laboratory of Materials Science and Technology. The laboratory, led by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, aims to build an international innovation center with a cluster of large scientific facilities such as the CSNS and a planned southern light source, uniting both national and international institutions which are advanced in materials science.

In addition, an agreement of building an atmospheric neutron irradiation spectrometer was also signed between the DNSC and the China Electronic Product Reliability and Environmental Testing Research Institute.