On February 18, the first day of work after the Spring Festival, the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial Government held a meeting to promote the work of building an industrial science and technology innovation center with global influence. Xin Changxing, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Wang Keqiang, Vice President of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Deng Xiuxin, Vice President of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, attended the meeting and delivered speeches. Governor Xu Kunlin chaired the meeting. Shen Ying, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, was in attendance.

Xin Changxing highlighted that, following General Secretary Xi Jinping’s series of important speeches and directions on Jiangsu’s work, scientific and technological innovation has been a priority for the General Secretary and a key area Jiangsu is expected to excel in; building an industrial science and technology innovation center with global influence represents a significant mission entrusted to Jiangsu by the General Secretary, considering the national innovation landscape, which holds strategic and comprehensive significance. Hosting the “first meeting of the New Year” on this theme aims not only to better establish the direction of implementation across the province but also to emphasize science and technology as the primary productive force, talent as the primary resource, and innovation as the primary driver, thereby creating a stronger engine for Jiangsu to remain leading in high-quality development.

After reviewing the achievements made since last year, Xin Changxing emphasized that to build an industrial science and technology innovation center with global influence, “industrial science and technology innovation” is the main direction, and “with global influence” is the target positioning. To achieve this goal, it must possess capabilities matching scientific and technological innovation strategy, industry leadership, organization, and resource element allocation. This is a glorious yet arduous task, requiring firm confidence, goal orientation, overcoming challenges, and contributing to the country's high-level scientific and technological self-reliance and self-strengthening.

Xin Changxing noted that building an industrial science and technology innovation center with global influence involves coordinating the dual focus of scientific and technological innovation and industrial innovation. In terms of scientific and technological innovation, emphasis should be placed on making new scientific discoveries, and efforts should be made to deliver on new breakthroughs and their application for greater benefits. Regarding industrial innovation, attention should not only be given to the future of the industry but also to laying out the future industry and accelerating the development of new quality productive forces. Pursuing both goals together, promoting the deep integration of the innovation, industrial, capital, and talent chains, better empowering industrial development with scientific and technological innovation, and leading technological breakthroughs with industrial demand are essential for achieving mutual promotion and progress of scientific and technological innovation and industrial innovation, thus forming a favorable innovation ecosystem.

Xin Changxing emphasized that building an industrial science and technology innovation center with global influence is a systematic project. Jiangsu has advantages and shortcomings, channels and blockages. Key links should be focused on to accelerate exploration and breakthroughs. Efforts should be made to efficiently transform concentrated innovation resources into real productive forces, study and issue new, more breakthrough policies, unblock the “last kilometer” of policy implementation, fully mobilize universities and enterprises, and realize deep integration of industry, academia, and research. Focus should also be on forming a strong innovation matrix gravitational field, relying on “chain leader” enterprises, segmented leaders, and innovative consortia to radiate and drive, strengthen application scenario innovation, and create clusters of innovative enterprises. Additionally, stimulating the vitality of talent innovation and creation, unblocking the channels of industry and talent integration, accelerating the gathering of high-end talents and strategic scientists, and developing young scientific and technological talent teams are essential for creating an atmosphere conducive to talent cultivation, utilization, and development. Strengthening the Party’s leadership over scientific and technological work is essential, and Party committees and governments at all levels, especially the main responsible comrades, should consider scientific and technological innovation as a matter of national importance, taking on the major responsibility of leading and organizing innovative development.

Wang Keqiang stated that Jiangsu, being a major economic and scientific education province, holds an important strategic position in the national modernization construction. The Chinese Academy of Sciences will work to align the mission of contributing to the national strategic scientific and technological strength with Jiangsu’s key innovative development needs, strengthen and optimize the scientific and technological layout in Jiangsu, actively promote the construction of innovative platforms, talent highlands, key core technology tackling, and the transfer and transformation of scientific and technological achievements, better supporting Jiangsu to accelerate the building of an industrial science and technology innovation center with global influence.

Deng Xiuxin noted that Jiangsu, with its distinguished people and rich resources, ranks among the top in the country in terms of economic and social development level. It is a vibrant and fertile land for scientific and technological innovation. The Chinese Academy of Engineering will focus on the world’s scientific and technological frontier and national strategic needs, fully leveraging the advantages of cross-discipline, cross-department, and cross-industry collaboration, making good use of the national high-end engineering science and technology think tank, coordinating scientific and technological efforts, promoting the transformation of scientific and technological achievements, strengthening talent exchange and cooperation, supporting Jiangsu’s innovative development in all aspects, and helping elevate the construction of the industrial science and technology innovation center to a new level.

Xu Kunlin outlined the requirements for implementing the guiding principles of the meeting, emphasizing the need to deeply implement the innovation-driven development strategy, deepen academy-locality cooperation, linkage at all levels of governments, and Yangtze River Delta region cooperation dovetailing, resolutely tackle key issues of core technologies, fully cultivate national strategic scientific and technological forces, further strengthen the main position of enterprise scientific and technological innovation, continuously deepen the reform of the scientific and technological system and mechanism, and strive to build an industrial science and technology innovation center with global influence.

Before the meeting, the provincial government signed a cooperation agreement with the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering. Xin Changxing awarded the plaque to the Jiangsu Provincial Laboratory Alliance, and Xu Kunlin issued a letter of appointment to the director of the Purple Mountain Laboratories.