Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, my country has made historic achievements in science and technology, from a breakthrough point to an improvement in system capabilities. However, compared with the world's scientific and technological powers, the overall efficiency of the innovation system is not strong, basic research and development are insufficient, and scientific and technological innovation resources are scattered And other issues.
The "14th Five-Year Plan" and the 2035 long-term goal outline proposed to formulate an action plan for a scientific and technological power, improve the new national system under the conditions of the socialist market economy, fight the key core technology battles, and improve the overall efficiency of the innovation chain.
This newspaper specially invited relevant experts to conduct in-depth discussions on how to improve the efficiency of the entrepreneurial system.
Guests of this issue
Li Ping, Director of the Institute of Quantitative and Technical Economics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
Hu Xiaojun, Secretary of the Party Committee of Shenzhen Bay Laboratory
Xu Heping, researcher of the National Science and Technology Revitalization Urban Economy Research Association
Yang Yuecheng, senior partner of Shengjing Netlink, former deputy director of the Torch Center of the Ministry of Science and Technology
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Sun Shifang, Member of the Editorial Board of Economic Daily and Dean of China Institute of Economic Trends
The role of basic research is becoming more and more important
Moderator: Since the reform and opening up, my country's scientific and technological undertakings have developed rapidly, but some economic and trade frictions in recent years have also exposed some shortcomings in our scientific and technological development.
May I ask what factors hinder our innovation ability?
What are the bottlenecks facing technological innovation?
Li Ping: In recent years, my country has actively promoted the construction of an innovative country and has made remarkable achievements.
On the one hand, both the number of papers and the number of patents have risen sharply, ranking among the top in the world, and have made important contributions to supporting my country's economic transformation and upgrading.
But on the other hand, my country's overall innovation level needs to be improved.
Recently, various fields have carried out "stuck neck" technology combing. From the results of combing, the shortage of key common technologies is still more prominent.
In addition, my country's leading innovation is also relatively lacking.
Unlike general engineering technology, key technologies, common technologies, and leading technologies rely more on basic research.
Weak basic research capabilities have become a core issue affecting my country's technological innovation, especially in the new development stage, the role of basic research is becoming more and more important.
There are many reasons for the weak basic research ability, including the problem of economic development mode and the problem of innovation ecology.
At present, my country's economy has shifted from a stage of rapid growth to a stage of high-quality development. The inherent requirements for enterprise innovation have been significantly enhanced, but the innovation environment has not yet fully adapted to the development requirements.
Increasing investment in basic research, improving basic research facilities, innovating scientific research management mechanisms, stimulating the vitality of scientific researchers, improving fault tolerance mechanisms, and creating an innovation culture and innovation ecology are the focus of current work.
Hu Xiaojun: There are many factors restricting the ability of scientific and technological innovation. The following aspects must be focused on.
First, the innovation system and mechanism cannot yet adapt.
my country's higher education institutions and scientific research institutes are relatively independent, and scientific research collaboration and openness are not enough. There are problems such as repeated construction of institutions and few and scattered scientific research resources.
How to balance the relationship between the various innovation subjects and realize the complementation and integration of the new and old systems requires some policy-level thinking.
Second, the investment in innovation is still insufficient and the structure is irrational.
Compared with the United States, our investment in basic research is relatively insufficient. Therefore, we still lack innovation support in some key core areas and are dependent on technology.
The third is that the atmosphere of innovation culture is not strong.
Innovation requires a good cultural environment, and a cultural atmosphere of "respecting knowledge, respecting talents, respecting labor, and respecting creation" needs to be formed in the whole society.
In the process of allocating social innovation resources, resources tend to be concentrated in the hands of a few big coffees. Within the academic community, it is sometimes difficult to form a free and equal academic environment.
To build a cultural ecology conducive to innovation, the failure to form a benign cultural ecology is the biggest bottleneck hindering innovation.
Whether it is policy guidance, increasing investment, improving structure, or building a national innovation system, it is ultimately based on the collective identity of the government and society on innovation culture.
Fourth, the innovation system is not perfect.
The continuous improvement of innovation ability depends on the efficiency improvement of the innovation system.
On the one hand, it depends on whether the functional positioning of each element subject participating in the innovation is reasonable and appropriate; on the other hand, it depends on whether the relationship established between each element subject is extensive and close.
How to form an effective interaction and coordination between the main elements of the elements and become an organic innovation unit, there is still much room for improvement and perfection.
Yang Yuecheng: In the early stage of reform and opening up, technology and economy were two skins. In the middle and late stages of reform and opening up, technology and economy were closely integrated, but in general, there has been no inertia thinking of getting out of the small cycle of transfer and transformation of scientific and technological achievements.
At present, how to follow goal-oriented, problem-oriented, and demand-oriented in the economic development ecosystem, realize the integrated development of science and technology, give full play to the efficient allocation of technological innovation elements in the market, and improve the overall efficiency of the innovation chain. We look forward to substantial breakthroughs.
The basic system of the scientific and technological system reform is the ownership system of scientific and technological achievements, the two-way barrier-free and reasonable flow of scientific and technological talents inside and outside the system, and the institutional mechanism that stimulates the creative enthusiasm of scientific and technological personnel. We look forward to substantial breakthroughs.
my country's research and experimental development (R&D) expenditures are not far behind the United States in terms of total scale, but there is still a large gap in intensity from developed countries. In terms of investment structure, my country’s R&D intensity ranks among the top three in Beijing and Xi’an. Enterprises account for less than 50%, and Shenzhen enterprises account for about 90%. Research from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries shows that it is reasonable for enterprises to account for 70% of R&D.
my country's overall industry concentration, especially in the real economy, is not high enough. Enterprises are relatively fragmented, and investment in technological innovation is relatively scattered. There are few enterprises in the upper reaches of the industrial chain and high-end enterprises in the value chain. The innovation capabilities of enterprises still need time to accumulate.
Xu Heping: The main issue for the improvement of innovation capabilities is not only to motivate scientific researchers and transform scientific and technological achievements, but also to optimize the system design and system layout of scientific and technological innovation, and to enhance the ability of scientific and technological innovation systems.
Judging from the current reality, problems such as weak basic research capabilities, lack of core key technologies, and imperfect innovation systems affect the high-quality development of the economy and the improvement of innovation capabilities, and are also the main bottlenecks faced by scientific and technological innovation.
Grasp the new trend of technological innovation and transformation
Moderator: To formulate a new round of mid- and long-term technological development plans, it is necessary to accurately grasp the trend of global technological innovation and transformation.
What are the main trends in current global technological innovation?
What international experience can we learn from?
Xu Heping: The technological revolution continues to deepen.
New ideas and theories in the fields of universe evolution, material structure, and the origin of life may open up new space for scientific research.
The technological revolution has made significant progress, with major technological group breakthroughs in almost all fields, including information, biology, new materials, new energy, and advanced manufacturing.
The technological foundation of world development has undergone profound changes. Technologies such as information communication, energy transportation, manufacturing, and social organization are undergoing fundamental changes, and a new technological system is beginning to take shape.
Disruptive technologies and products are emerging in large numbers, and innovation activities are very active.
Disruptive technologies and innovations, such as smart cars, Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, brain-computer interfaces, wearable devices, synthetic biology, and gene editing, are changing the technological system and production system we are familiar with, and have greatly promoted the global Industrial transformation has expanded the space for future development.
The integration of the Internet, big data, and artificial intelligence technologies has formed a powerful force to promote change. New technologies, new products, and new models have emerged in large numbers, new industries and new formats have been rapidly formed, and new manufacturing, new energy, and new services have grown rapidly.
Significant trends have emerged in global technological innovation.
First, technological innovation leads the development of the industry. Scientific research, technological change, and industrial transformation are leading the development of future industries and reshaping the global industry.
Second, the essence and focus of international competition are more focused on technological innovation competition and emerging industry competition.
The third is the adjustment of innovation strategies of major countries (the United States, the European Union, Japan, etc.), strengthening the construction of scientific and technological systems, strengthening basic research, strengthening the semiconductor industry, focusing on the new generation of communications industry, artificial intelligence and other technological applications, and fostering a new digital and intelligent economy.
Li Ping: As mentioned earlier, the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation has entered a substantive stage. New technologies represented by the digital economy and energy revolution are profoundly changing human production and lifestyles, and social governance is also undergoing changes. .
On the one hand, this will bring opportunities for late-developing countries to catch up, and on the other hand, it will also determine the pattern of the future world.
From the perspective of scientific and technological innovation methods, while continuing to strengthen the position of corporate innovation, major developed countries in the world have begun to pay more attention to the role of the government, strengthen planning and layout in related fields, and increase government investment and policy guidance, especially for some cutting-edge technologies and basic research. Both the choice of research direction and the development of related projects strengthen the role of the government.
There are many lessons to be learned in terms of related technical vision analysis, project planning and layout, and project organization.
In addition, the unilateralist tendency in the field of science and technology has been strengthened, and how to seek cooperation in competition is also a problem that needs attention.
Hu Xiaojun: First, the importance of data resources has become increasingly prominent, and digital technology drives continue to exert force.
At present, data resources have become the world's key production factors and strategic resources.
The emergence of this phenomenon not only reduces the input of traditional production factors, but also greatly improves productivity.
The status of data resources in the value chain of the production process is getting higher and higher.
At the same time, digital technologies based on data resources, such as blockchain, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things, have shown good development prospects, spawning diversified technical routes and changes in business models, and laying the foundation for the next round of economic prosperity. basis.
Second, there is still room for open cooperation and intensified competition is inevitable.
To build a global innovation ecosystem, multilateral scientific and technological cooperation is indispensable.
Today's global scientific and technological progress benefits from the global free flow and optimal allocation of scientific and technological elements, especially the free exchange of scientific researchers.
This process is bound to continue to deepen along with economic globalization.
However, it should also be clearly seen that in the process of the game between major powers concerning the core interests of the country, international scientific and technological cooperation tends to be conservative.
In the contradiction between competition and cooperation, competition will evolve into the main aspect of the contradiction under certain time and space conditions.
Third, the innovation advantages of advanced economies have relatively declined, and the innovation capabilities of emerging economies have continued to rise.
With the continuous deepening of international scientific and technological cooperation, the income of innovation in emerging economies has continued to increase, and emerging economies are also increasing their investment in innovation to lay a solid foundation for sustainable development.
The innovative momentum and vitality displayed by emerging economies has gradually reduced the leading advantages of advanced economies, and this trend will continue.
Drawing lessons from international innovation experience, my country's mid- to long-term technological development needs to focus on the following points.
First, we must create an environment and pay attention to legislation.
It is very important to create an environment for innovation and to build a legal environment conducive to innovation.
In the process of advancing innovation, foreign countries attach great importance to the matching of legal and regulatory systems. This kind of rule of law leading innovation can provide a useful reference and reference for my country to promote the construction of an innovation system.
Second, the government must pay attention to the policy and open the way.
The U.S. government has always regarded the promotion of technological innovation as the key to national security and the future development of the economy.
The South Korean government has twice promoted the strategy of "building the country through science and technology".
In the process of promoting innovation, the role played by the "visible hand" of the government is irreplaceable.
Third, we must give priority to education and talent-oriented.
The core element supporting innovation is talent. The United States, Europe, Japan and other countries and regions have always attached importance to the cultivation of innovative talents and the introduction of talents, and established the guiding principle of giving priority to education.
Fourth, we must promote cooperation and focus on transformation.
The governments of European and American countries attach great importance to promoting the transformation and application of scientific research results.
In order to promote the transformation of achievements, the US government not only introduced many policies and measures, but also provided financial support and information promotion for transformation projects. At the same time, it supported enterprises and scientific research institutions to cooperate in research and development, and encouraged scientific and technological personnel to participate in the transformation and innovation of achievements.
Improving the ability of original innovation requires continuous effort
Moderator: In the face of changes in the trend of global technological innovation, how to find an innovative path suitable for national conditions, strengthen basic research and exploration, and achieve more "from 0 to 1" breakthroughs?
Li Ping: With the rapid development of the scientific and technological revolution, the role of basic research is particularly prominent. The national level will determine the future international landscape, and the corporate level will directly determine the competitive position.
But at the same time, it is also necessary to realize that the improvement of basic research capabilities is a long-term task, which must be systematically planned to give full play to the comprehensive role of the government, enterprises, scientific research institutions, and society.
Strengthen the role of the government in basic research, conduct in-depth research on the characteristics of the new nationwide system, carry out a number of basic research projects with clear directions and closely related to economic and social development; support qualified enterprises to carry out basic research, and guide superior enterprises to innovate from simple models Shift to applied basic research and basic research, cultivate a group of industry-leading enterprises; build a group of high-level research universities and scientific research institutions, optimize the discipline layout, improve the talent evaluation mechanism, and form an atmosphere conducive to scientific exploration; establish a comprehensive The culture of social innovation stimulates the inner motivation of exploring the unknown, enhances the scientific literacy of the public, and strengthens the social foundation of scientific and technological innovation.
Xu Heping: Focusing on the future, we must adhere to four aspects, comprehensively plan the development goals, discipline layout, system construction, system and mechanism design of scientific and technological innovation, forward-looking deployment to promote major scientific and technological innovation activities, and deepen innovation strategies, task arrangements, force mobilization, and system design And policy building.
To provide solutions for high-quality development, the key is to improve technological innovation capabilities around the industrial chain.
It is necessary to carry out the strategic design of the innovation system by industry, to create a long board of the industrial supply chain and make up for the short board.
It is necessary to deepen industrial innovation, improve the industrial technology system, work hard to solve the problem of weak industrial foundation, strengthen the connection between the innovation chain and the industrial chain, and improve the security and stability of the industrial chain and supply chain.
Cultivate a high level of industrial innovation ecology.
It is necessary to vigorously cultivate and gather innovative elements, especially data, makers, venture capital, and innovative talents.
It is necessary to build a high-level innovation carrier, a scientific and technological service platform, a new type of scientific research institution, a scientific and technological innovation infrastructure, and a new economic platform.
We must do a good job in major innovation projects, and organize scientific and technological research, integration of results, and system applications around technology research, industrial upgrading, innovative services, and smart life, so as to lead and drive the continuous deepening of technological innovation.
Hu Xiaojun: Facing the current global technological innovation trends and changes, how to embark on a Chinese version of innovation path, achieve more original innovations, and continuously consolidate my country’s core competitiveness requires further in-depth thinking.
First, we must face up to the outstanding problems and difficulties in my country's scientific and technological innovation, and secondly, we must clarify our advantages and characteristics.
At present, our primary task of innovation is to solve the problem of original innovation.
Original innovation requires long-term continuous and stable investment support, needs to face more uncertain risks, and has a high probability of failure.
We must continue to increase investment in original innovation, and invest more of the resources originally invested in "knowing the reason"; we must cultivate a scientific research culture that encourages innovation and tolerates failure, and establishes a scientific evaluation system for scientists Even in the face of failure, he can continue to stand up and move forward bravely.
Secondly, we must give full play to the advantages of the new nationwide system, continue to carry forward the spirit of "two bombs and one star", focus on key technologies and problems related to the national economy and people's livelihood, concentrate superior resources and superior forces to overcome difficulties, and promote technologies in key areas at a more efficient pace. Innovation breakthrough.
When we fill in the shortcomings of the original innovation, while inheriting the traditional characteristics and advantages, in time, I believe that my country will definitely have more breakthroughs in the field of original innovation from 0 to 1. Based on this, my country's economy and Social development will also receive sustained and stronger support.
Accelerate the improvement of the institutional mechanism for the construction of an innovative country
Moderator: In the new development stage, how to accelerate the optimization of the allocation of scientific and technological resources and improve the national innovation system?
Li Ping: A sound national innovation system is an important part of the construction of an innovative country, and it is also a guarantee for the construction of an innovative country.
After years of unremitting efforts, my country has initially formed a relatively complete innovation system.
The new era puts forward new requirements on the national innovation system, and adapting to the new requirements to improve the quality of the innovation system is still an important task in the future.
The first is to make up for the shortcomings, and to meet the needs of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, focus on the construction of a number of national laboratories in key areas, and focus on basic and key technology research and development.
The second is to strengthen coordination, and in accordance with the law of innovation, strengthen coordination among innovative institutions such as basic research, applied research, engineering demonstration, and industrialization, and thoroughly open up the innovation chain.
The third is to fully consider the requirements of industrial development, strengthen the integration of the innovation chain and the industrial chain, and enhance the driving effect of innovation on industrial development.
The fourth is to optimize the spatial layout, based on the requirements of the new pattern, combined with regional development strategies, rationally select the spatial distribution of innovation resources, and enhance regional innovation capabilities.
The fifth is to improve the innovation mechanism, strengthen the position of the enterprise as the mainstay of innovation, and focus on the role of the market mechanism.
Hu Xiaojun: First, aiming at the national strategic needs, continue to consolidate the national strategic scientific and technological strength.
The second is to accelerate the effective transformation of scientific and technological achievements and deepen the cooperation of industry, university and research.
Implement the policies and regulations on the transformation of scientific research results, fully explore and make good use of the incentive mechanism for the disposal of intellectual property rights, and mobilize the enthusiasm and initiative of scientific researchers and scientific research institutions.
The third is to explore and innovate scientific research systems and mechanisms as the goal to promote the construction of market-oriented new scientific research institutions.
Exploring market-oriented reforms in the employment system and project management of new scientific research institutions in order to release the vitality of innovation to a greater extent.
The fourth is to further improve the innovation evaluation and management system with the goal of creating an innovation ecology.
Respect the laws of scientific research, restore the essence of scientific research, do not use a ruler to measure scientific research work with different attributes, and vigorously reduce the burden on scientific researchers.
At the same time, standardize and restrict scientific research behavior, and always attach importance to the construction of scientific research ethics and scientific research integrity.
Fifth, we aim to optimize the allocation of innovative resources and do a good job in innovation management.
Really solve the problem of resource fragmentation, low efficiency and multi-head management.
At the same time, let resources serve the creative work of scientists in the most appropriate way, which truly reflects the people-oriented system design concept.
Xu Heping: Improving the innovation system is a macro-architectural issue of the national innovation system, including R&D, application, new industry development, and policy. It requires not only scientific research policies, but also economic and social policy support such as industry, investment, and markets. It cannot be simply attributed to Transformation of scientific and technological achievements.
The overall design of the national innovation system must be optimized.
Strengthen strategic scientific and technological forces, optimize the distribution of disciplines, improve the industrial technology system, cultivate market innovation entities, improve the innovation factor market, and encourage the public to participate in innovation.
At the same time, build a technological innovation system with industry as the main line, deploy an innovation chain around the industrial chain, break through core key technologies, and implement major innovation projects.
More importantly, we must think about the construction of a scientific and technological innovation system in the context of responding to global changes, achieving high-quality development, and achieving modernization goals.
Basic research and core key technologies are the basic content of scientific and technological innovation.
The content of contemporary technological innovation has been greatly expanded, and the nature of technological innovation has become a question of how technological innovation drives and leads development.
Therefore, we should have a bigger vision and talk about innovation outside of technology.
Yang Yuecheng: Pursue the effectiveness of the innovation system, promote the market-oriented allocation of technological innovation elements, and vigorously promote the construction of innovation capabilities. First, we must build the core of innovation capabilities based on people.
The core element of innovation capacity building is talents, and the core element of innovation motivation is also talents. The core tasks are to liberate, motivate, release the potential of scientific and technological talents and all kinds of talents, stimulate creativity, mobilize enthusiasm, and satisfy human nature.
The second is the institutional mechanism guarantee for the market-oriented allocation of innovative elements to realize the construction of innovative capabilities.
The construction of innovative capabilities requires innovative elements such as talents, technology, capital, and data to achieve efficient and high-standard market allocation.
We must vigorously develop an innovative factor market system based on the in-depth integration of the talent market, technological factor market, capital factor market, and data factor market, and build a system and mechanism guarantee for the construction of innovation capabilities.
The third is the strategic support for the construction of major innovation and entrepreneurship platforms to strengthen innovation capabilities.
The construction of major innovation platforms should involve basic research, applied research, technology development, achievement transfer and transformation, high-tech business incubation and cultivation, industrial organization and promotion agencies, the construction of industrial clusters and industrial systems, as well as industrial brains and urban brains, cloud platforms, Supercomputing centers and big data centers, blockchain and artificial intelligence applications and other links.
The major innovation and entrepreneurship platform is actually the core or key node of the entire innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem network, which serves as a strategic support for enhancing innovation capabilities.
The fourth is to create a high-level innovation and entrepreneurship to cultivate the main body with both innovative strength and innovative ability.
Enterprises are the mainstay of innovation. High-tech talents, high-level technology, high-intensity capital, and leading scientific research institutions, enterprises, investment institutions, and service institutions should be used to promote the co-creation of production and research, and industrial incubation to achieve high-level innovation and entrepreneurship, and create innovation Entrepreneurship community, lay out the industrial chain around the innovation chain, and strive to promote the cultivation of high-tech enterprises in the upper reaches of the industrial chain, high-end value chains, and high-growth high-value high-tech enterprises.
Fifth, cross-industry integration promotes the overflow of innovation capabilities.
Cross-border integration broke through the linear growth model of the traditional industrial economy era, and presented an exponential growth model.
From the digital industry to the digitization of the industry, not only the digital economy has achieved explosive growth, but the "nuclear fusion" of smart technology and the rapid diffusion of the innovative power of new technologies spill over to the real economy and traditional industries, creating new formats, new scenarios, and new industries. The race track has caused many traditional industries to explode, and it is necessary to vigorously promote the overflow and explosion of this innovative ability.
Sixth, realize the internationalization of innovation capabilities by opening up and synergizing at a higher level. We must be more proactive in integrating into the global innovation ecosystem and strengthen international cooperation. It is necessary to actively seek more small cuts and deepen innovation cooperation with innovative powers such as Israel, Germany, and Northern Europe. In particular, make use of China’s super-large market, innovative scenarios, capital advantages, and talent advantages to open up capital and allow scientific research investment and innovation investment to go. Go out, vigorously promote cooperative R&D and commissioned R&D, take advantage of the open advantages of Shenzhen and other places, Hainan Free Port and other R&D centers that attract multinational companies, encourage domestic high-tech companies to establish R&D centers overseas, absorb and transfer international innovation capabilities, and promote innovation in China Internationalization of capabilities.