Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, March 6th Title: Take the lead in promoting the integration of scientific and technological innovation and industrial innovation - one of the series of comments on economic provinces taking the lead

Xinhua News Agency reporters Dong Ruifeng and Wen Jinghua

On March 5, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized when attending the deliberation of the Jiangsu delegation at the Third Session of the 14th National People's Congress that economic provinces should take the lead in making contributions to the overall national development, and pointed out one of the focus points - "take the lead in promoting the integration of scientific and technological innovation and industrial innovation."

General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important instructions guide economic provinces to move towards "newness".

Should shoulder the responsibility of the major economic province and continuously create a new situation in modernization construction. In 2024, ten provinces including Guangdong, Jiangsu, Shandong, and Zhejiang will contribute more than 60% of the country's GDP, accounting for nearly 20% of the country's GDP. This is not only a ballast for stabilizing the basic economic situation of the country, but also a pioneer in the economic development structure and momentum towards new momentum.

From the amazing "out of the circle" in science and technology innovation achievements such as DeepSeek and humanoid robots to the transformation and upgrading of industries such as chemical metallurgy and equipment manufacturing... The reason why these economic provinces can stir up the surging wave of the development of new quality productivity is that they are rushing in both directions of scientific and technological innovation and industrial innovation.

To grasp scientific and technological innovation, we must focus on building a modern industrial system, insist on education, science and technology and talents to work together, not only produce more scientific and technological achievements, but also transform scientific and technological achievements into real productivity.

By accelerating the construction of a full-process innovation chain, the added value of advanced manufacturing and high-tech manufacturing in 2024 will increase to 56.7% and 31.6% of industries above scale respectively, and industries such as new energy vehicles, industrial robots, and integrated circuits have the development advantages... Guangdong, the vanguard of reform and opening up, has become more tenacious and calm in the face of storms and challenges.

In Jiangsu, the number of national key laboratories and engineering technology centers ranks among the top in the country; steadily promote the upgrading of industrial foundations and the modernization of industrial chains; 13 innovative drugs were approved for marketing in 2024, ranking first in the country... With high-quality talents, and with high-level scientific and technological innovation, this important sector of the Yangtze River Economic Belt is more confident to make progress while maintaining stability.

Jin Li, member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and vice president of Southern University of Science and Technology, said that relying on the gathered scientific and technological resources, economic provinces have the conditions and responsibilities to take the lead in coordinating the reform and development of the system and mechanism of education and science and technology talents, and regard scientific and technological innovation as the key to solving the problem, so that high-quality scientific and technological supply can be applied to key industries and radiate across the country, releasing the strong momentum for scientific and technological innovation to lead high-quality development.

To focus on industrial innovation, we must firmly adhere to the foundation of the real economy, and insist on promoting the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries and opening up strategic emerging industries and new future industrial tracks.

In 2024, the installed capacity of new energy and renewable energy power generation will reach 115 million kilowatts, accounting for a historic proportion exceeding coal-fired power; accelerate the implementation of a number of major leading projects such as coastal fine steel bases and refining and chemical integration... Shandong uses high-tech, digital technology, and intelligent technology to improve total factor productivity and promote the industry to leap to the high-end.

From artificial intelligence to robots, from game IP to brain-computer interfaces, by providing "sunlight" nourishment and "rain and dew" to innovative talents, a group of high-tech enterprises represented by the "Six Little Dragons" quickly stood out... Zhejiang continues to lay out new industrial tracks and continuously expands new industrial worlds. The added value of the core industry in the digital economy increased by about 8% in 2024, and the digital transformation of industrial enterprises above the designated size has achieved full coverage.

Pan Jiaofeng, a member of the National People's Congress and director of the Institute of Science and Technology Strategy Consulting of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said that economic provinces should take the lead in seizing the opportunities of a new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, rely on their deep industrial foundation, promote the renewal and upgrading of traditional industries and accumulate new momentum, and always be at the forefront in shaping new development advantages, and drive more places to catch up.

To integrate scientific and technological innovation and industrial innovation, we must build a platform, improve the system and mechanism, strengthen the main position of enterprises in innovation, and allow the innovation chain and industrial chain to be seamlessly connected.

In February this year, the "Curvestation Engine" accelerator Hard Technology Park started construction in Jiuliting Street, Shanghai. This major project of the G60 Science and Technology Innovation Corridor in the Yangtze River Delta will attract world's top scientific and technological talents and projects in the form of "incubating super factory", forming a full-chain innovative "rainforest ecology" covering technology research and development and transformation of results into industrial implementation.

This science and technology innovation corridor running through several provinces and cities is also expected to further enhance its radiation and driving role, promote the accelerated integration of surrounding innovation chains, industrial chains, capital chains, and talent chains, and activate the development potential of more regions.

Technological innovation is the endogenous driving force of industrial innovation, and industrial innovation is the realization of the value of scientific and technological innovation. Under the leadership of major economic provinces, the "dual-wheel drive" of scientific and technological innovation and industrial innovation is stronger. All parts of the country will achieve more "1+1>2" and firmly grasp the initiative in innovation and development in their own hands.

Implement the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important speech and grasp the strategic positioning in the overall national development. Major economic provinces should not only be at the forefront of "reasonable growth of quantity", but also demonstrate and lead in "effective improvement of quality". As long as we firmly grasp scientific and technological innovation and industrial innovation as the basic path to develop new quality productivity, we will definitely be able to play a leading role and show our skills in the new journey of Chinese-style modernization.