Enterprises should take the lead in identifying innovation needs, investing in research and development (R&D), and applying research outcomes, said Liu Qing, director of the National Innovation Center par Excellence (NICE), during the latest episode of the China Economic Roundtable, an all-media talk show hosted by the Xinhua News Agency.
“The biggest challenge lies in uncovering real demand,” Liu added. To address this, NICE has provided research funding to leading companies and co-developed technology road maps tailored to their specific needs, as well as those of their upstream and downstream partners.
According to Qin Haoyuan, an official with China’s Ministry of Science and Technology, efforts are underway to institutionalize enterprise-led innovation by reinforcing the role of businesses in decision-making, R&D investment, research organization, and commercialization.
More enterprises are being assisted in participating in key national research projects, with improved tax policies introduced to encourage greater R&D spending, Qin noted.
In organizing research, leading tech companies are being encouraged to form innovation consortia with universities, research institutes, and small and medium-sized enterprises. These collaborations aim to build high-level innovation platforms and enhance knowledge transfer, Qin added.
Echoing this view, Gan Xiaobin, an official with China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, emphasized the importance of expanding enterprise participation in drafting national guidelines and evaluating major projects.
Task-oriented and competitive mechanisms are being introduced to mobilize enterprises to tackle critical technological challenges, Gan said.
He noted that successfully integrating new technologies into industrial practice requires moving beyond basic usability toward solutions that can be broadly adopted and deliver real value.
To that end, the ministry will continue supporting both leading companies and innovative enterprises in building manufacturing innovation centers and key laboratories, he said.
Translator: M Razi Rahman
Editor: Primayanti
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