China issues opinion on deep integration of tech and industrial innovation

On 21 October the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council released the Opinion on Promoting the Deep Integration of Scientific and Technological Innovation and Industrial Innovation (《关于推动科技创新和产业创新深度融合的意见》). Xinhua reported the release from Beijing, and Yicai, CLS, 36Kr and Jiemian carried the same account. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 , 7 , 8 ]

According to Xinhua, the opinion sets the goals of developing new quality productive forces and building a modern industrial system. Its focus is an innovation system led by enterprises, with all parties working together across industry, universities and research. It seeks to connect the whole chain, cover all fields, bring together all elements and provide all-round guarantees, so as to form a new pattern in which scientific and technological innovation and industrial innovation reinforce each other. Xinhua said this should open a path from strong science to strong industry, a strong economy and a strong country, in support of high-level technological self-reliance, high-quality development and building a modern socialist country. [ 5 , 7 ]

Yicai, CLS, 36Kr and Jiemian said the opinion makes specific arrangements in six areas. These are linking the innovation chain with the industrial chain, supporting the modern industrial system with high-quality technology supply, strengthening enterprise-led collaboration, improving the allocation of innovation resources, building a good ecosystem and widening room for integration. Xinhua and China News Service listed those same six areas and added a seventh, strengthening organisation and implementation. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 , 7 , 8 ]

The text published by Jiemian says the opinion was put forward with the approval of the Party Central Committee and the State Council. Its first measure is to improve the innovation coordination mechanism. It says the new-type whole-nation system should be used to coordinate strategic planning, major tasks and policy measures for both kinds of innovation, and that science, industry, finance, education and talent policies should be better aligned. It also calls for monitoring and evaluation of the integration in localities and industries. [ 4 , 8 , 9 ]

The text also covers how research projects are organised. It calls for more experts from enterprises and venture capital institutions in project guidelines, review and acceptance. It also says national science and technology projects with clear industrial aims should in principle be led by enterprises. It names integrated circuits, industrial machine tools, high-end instruments, advanced materials and biomanufacturing as areas for breakthroughs. Among future industries it lists quantum technology, hydrogen and nuclear fusion energy, brain-computer interfaces, embodied intelligence and sixth-generation mobile communications, and it calls for healthy and orderly development of the low-altitude economy. [ 8 ]

A Ministry of Science and Technology official told China News Service that the opinion makes comprehensive plans from a strategic and overall perspective. The official said it matters for high-level technological self-reliance, developing new quality productive forces, building a strong science and technology country and advancing Chinese-style modernisation. On 22 October a CLS morning roundup paired the opinion with the low-altitude economy and said analysts see that sector moving from policy catalyst to order fulfilment. [ 11 , 12 ]