Shou Xiaoli:

Thank you, Mr. Zhao, for your introduction. The floor is now open for questions. Please identify the media outlet you represent before asking your question. 

Science and Technology Daily:

Given Shaanxi's abundant scientific and educational resources, as Mr. Zhao just mentioned, could you please elaborate on the efforts Shaanxi has made to transform these resources into strengths for innovative development? Thank you.

Zhao Gang:

Thank you for your concern about the innovative development within Shaanxi province. Shaanxi province is outstanding for its abundant scientific and educational resources, as it is home to more than 110 colleges and universities, over 1,800 research and academic institutions as well as 27 key national laboratories. A total of 74 academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering have been working in Shaanxi, and the number of professional personnel here has reached more than 2.3 million. We are planning the construction of six national major scientific infrastructure projects. Given all this, I would say innovation is the cornerstone of Shaanxi's strength, the wellspring of its potential and the source of its confidence. We have made great efforts in two aspects to ensure scientific innovation serves as an engine for economic growth as well as a new driver for development. 

First, focusing on what the country needs, we have made all-out efforts to promote China's greater self-reliance and strength in science and technology. For a long period of time, Shaanxi has been committed to integrating itself into national systems for scientific and technological innovation and has made its own contribution to national major sci-tech projects, such as the Shenzhou program, the Chang'e lunar exploration program, the Jiaolong deep-sea submersible program and the Tianwen Mars mission. In recent years, Shaanxi province's number of wins at the state science and technology awards has ranked among the top. Going forward, we will accelerate the construction of a comprehensive national science center and a sci-tech innovation center in Xi'an, and make improved efforts in building the major national science and technology infrastructure projects, including the National Time Service Center and the National Translational Science Center for Molecular Medicine. By making effective use of these facilities, Shaanxi's technological innovation capabilities are expected to further enhance. We will promote closer enterprise-led collaboration between industries, universities, and research institutes, making breakthroughs in some core technologies in key fields. Currently, Shaanxi province is taking the lead in the conversion efficiency of photovoltaic cells and the manufacturing of large-diameter silicon materials for integrated circuits. We strive for innovation, so that we can maintain our technological leadership in various fields. Moreover, we will improve the system for creating laboratories. While striving to establish national laboratories, we will also build a network of regional laboratories in Shaanxi, including provincial key laboratories. Overall, we will better align Shaanxi's capabilities with the country's needs so that we can develop more equipment and projects of great significance for the country. 

In addition, we have expedited the efforts to promote the application of scientific and technological advances in a bid to help facilitate Shaanxi's high-quality development. Sci-tech advances can only translate into tangible productivity when lab-based progress is effectively applied in the market. In recent years, we significantly bolstered the development of the Qinchuangyuan innovation-driven platform. Through the implementation of three reform projects targeting the hesitancy, reluctance and financial constraints concerning the application of sci-tech advances, we have achieved many encouraging results and witnessed significant changes in recent years. Over the past three years, the number of patents issued in Shaanxi grew by 180%, and the volume of contracted technology transactions surged by 230%. The principle role of enterprises in sci-tech innovation has become increasingly prominent. In 2023, research and development (R&D) spending by enterprises across the province experienced a year on year increase of 15.3%, surpassing the national average by 4.3 percentage points. The number of high-tech enterprises also escalated from over 6,000 in 2020 to 16,000 in 2023, surpassing the target of 10,000 that is outlined in Shaanxi's 14th Five-Year Plan.

All these changes demonstrate that a robust and innovative ecosystem surrounding sci-tech R&D, business incubation and industrialization is taking shape at an accelerated pace in Shaanxi. Moving forward, we will continue to develop our innovation platform, leverage our reform experience and enhance our capacity in the application of sci-tech advances, so as to further empower the high-quality development of Shaanxi. Thank you.