Science and Technology Daily:

As you mentioned, Liaoning province has more than 110 universities and research institutes, as well as 61 academicians, and has abundant sci-tech resources. How will Liaoning next promote the transformation of these premium scientific and educational resources into advantages for innovative development? Thank you.

Gao Tao:

That is a very good question. The key to Liaoning's high-quality development lies in innovation-driven development. We will set the goal of creating a hub for major technological innovation, focus on creating a regional technological innovation center with national reach, and adhere to attaching importance to both sci-tech innovation and institutional innovation. We will develop new quality productive forces according to local conditions, strive to open up new areas and new arenas, and build a modern industrial system with Liaoning characteristics, as part of the efforts to transform the advantages of our scientific and educational resources into a winning force for revitalization and development. The focus will be on the following aspects:

First, we will coordinate the construction of the innovation system, and consolidate the "beams and pillars" of sci-tech innovation. We will promote the construction of Shenyang Hunnan Science and Technology City, Yinggeshi Science City in Dalian and Shenyang-Fushun Scientific and Technological Innovation Park to create a regional sci-tech innovation powerhouse. We will systematically deploy strategic sci-tech strength and strive to launch more national-level innovation platforms in Liaoning. The province has received approval to build 11 new national key laboratories. We have also established and operated four Liaoning laboratories with new systems and mechanisms to explore new models for the construction of major innovation platforms. This year, we will focus on key industrial clusters to build 20 provincial key laboratory clusters to further promote the in-depth integration of technological and industrial innovation.

Second, we will promote high-level scientific and technological self-reliance, and strengthen research on core technologies in key fields. We support leading companies to take the lead in establishing innovation consortia and implement major sci-tech projects focusing on high-end computer-numerical-control machine tools, energy storage and hydrogen energy industry. We will make breakthroughs starting from zero in a number of major scientific issues in key areas such as chemistry, materials and energy. We will resolve a number of choke points in the fields of high-end equipment, new energy and integrated circuit equipment. A large number of major equipment such as the CAP1400 (Guohe One) canned motor main pump and the AGT-110 heavy-duty gas turbine were developed in Liaoning.

Third, we will reform and innovate systems and mechanisms, and open up channels for the transformation of sci-tech achievements. We will further improve the service system for the transformation of sci-tech achievements, and promote more achievements to move from laboratory to workshop, integrate into the industrial chain, and gain access to the market. Focusing on key industrial areas, we will promote the construction of 36 pilot test bases and build a public service network for pilot test covering the entire province as an intermediate station for the transformation of sci-tech achievements. We have also actively cultivated over 400 sci-tech service institutions to carry out professional and market-oriented roadshow activities, and promoted the transformation and industrialization of sci-tech achievements. In 2023, Liaoning's technology contract turnover reached 130.83 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 30.8%.

Fourth, we will cultivate and strengthen sci-tech enterprises, and continue to stimulate innovation vitality. We have vigorously cultivated technology-based enterprises and enterprises that use specialized and sophisticated technologies to produce novel and unique products. We have supported enterprises to take the lead in establishing 600 substantive alliances between industries, universities and research institutes, and bringing together more than 2,000 universities, scientific research institutions and key enterprises to carry out collaborative innovation. We have also organized and carried out special events to introduce technicians into enterprises and rural areas to provide more precise services for industrial development. In 2023, our small and medium-sized sci-tech enterprises and new- and high-tech enterprises grew by 55.6% and 16.0%, respectively. There were 1,029 newly added start-up enterprises with strong innovation ability and high growth potential and gazelle enterprises, and 41 "little giant" enterprises with high growth potential, advanced technology and strong market competitive edge in Liaoning province. We also saw the birth of the first unicorn enterprise in the province. As Mr. Li mentioned, the "biggest variable" of technological innovation is being transformed into the "biggest increment" in promoting high-quality development in Liaoning. That is all from me. Thank you.