New Quality Productive Forces, How to Grow in Practice

New quality productive forces, a completely new and fresh concept. What are new quality productive forces, why must they be developed, and how should they be developed? Answering these questions requires placing them in a broader perspective for observation and grasp.

新质生产力，一个全新和鲜活的概念。什么是新质生产力、为什么要发展新质生产力、怎样发展新质生产力？回答这些问题，需要将其放在更宏大的视野中去观察和把握。

Every scientific and technological revolution in the history of human development has brought about a “qualitative” leap in productive forces. At present, a new round of the scientific and technological revolution is developing rapidly, presenting a trend in which artificial intelligence is the main body, cross-integrated with quantum technology, life sciences and other fields, with breakthroughs at multiple points. Big data, large models, and massive computing power are accelerating technological breakthroughs; artificial intelligence has become a frontier field leading scientific and technological innovation, while quantum computing, quantum communication, genomics, brain-computer interfaces and other fields are also nurturing major new technological changes. These original and disruptive innovations give birth to new industries, new models, and new forms of business, bringing about profound changes in the “qualitative” nature of productive forces.

人类发展史每一次科技革命，都会带来生产力“质”的飞跃。当前，新一轮科技革命迅猛发展，呈现以人工智能为主体，与量子科技、生命科学等领域交叉融合、多点突破的发展态势。大数据、大模型、大算力加快技术突破，人工智能已成为引领科技创新的前沿领域，而量子计算、量子通信、基因组学、脑机接口等领域也在孕育新的重大技术变革，这些原创性、颠覆性创新，催生新产业、新模式、新业态，带来生产力“质”的深刻变革。

At present, China’s economy has shifted to the stage of high-quality development. The old mode of combining production functions is no longer sustainable. It is impossible to rely mainly on factor inputs to drive economic growth as in the high-speed growth stage; we must turn instead to relying more on scientific and technological innovation and the improvement of total factor productivity. Facing the deepening of the new round of the scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, China must not only escape the path of productivity development characterized by crude expansion and low-efficiency development under the traditional growth mode, but also expand the space for the development of advanced productive forces. Only by taking scientific and technological innovation as the core and cultivating and developing new quality productive forces can we open up new paths and inject new impetus into high-quality development.

当前，中国经济已转向高质量发展阶段，旧的生产函数组合方式已经难以持续，不可能像高速增长阶段那样主要依靠要素投入驱动经济增长，必须转向更多依靠科技创新和全要素生产率的提高。面对新一轮科技革命和产业变革深入发展，中国既要摆脱传统增长方式下粗放扩张、低效发展的生产力发展路径，又要拓展先进生产力发展空间。以科技创新为核心，培育和发展新质生产力，才能为高质量发展开辟新路径、注入新动力。

In recent years, China has achieved fruitful results in scientific and technological innovation, made progress in innovation-driven development, seen results in green and low-carbon transformation, and accelerated the transformation of the development mode. New quality productive forces have already been nurtured and grown in China’s practice of promoting high-quality development and have demonstrated a strong driving force and supporting force for high-quality development.

近年来，我国科技创新成果丰硕，创新驱动发展取得进展，绿色低碳转型成效显现，发展方式转变步伐加快。新质生产力已经在我国推动高质量发展的实践中孕育成长，并展示出对高质量发展的强劲推动力、支撑力。

It can be said that developing new quality productive forces is an active self-transformation to promote China’s high-quality economic development, and also an inevitable choice to win strategic initiative in the new round of the scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation.

可以说，发展新质生产力是推动中国经济高质量发展的主动求变，也是在新一轮科技革命和产业变革中赢得战略主动的必然选择。

Since 2023, General Secretary Xi Jinping has systematically expounded on new quality productive forces on multiple occasions. This is a major development and innovation of the Marxist theory of productive forces, and is the fundamental guidance and action guide for cultivating new quality productive forces and promoting high-quality development in the New Era and on the new journey.

2023年以来，习近平总书记在多个场合对新质生产力进行了系统阐释。这是对马克思主义生产力理论的重大发展和创新，是新时代新征程培育新质生产力、推动高质量发展的根本遵循和行动指南。

In summary, new quality productive forces are those in which innovation plays a leading role, break away from the traditional mode of economic growth and the path of productivity development, and feature high technology, high efficiency, and high quality. Their characteristic is innovation, the key lies in superior quality, and their essence is advanced productive forces.

概而言之，新质生产力是创新起主导作用，摆脱传统经济增长方式、生产力发展路径，具有高科技、高效能、高质量特征，特点是创新，关键在质优，本质是先进生产力。

Specifically, new quality productive forces are engendered by the following changes.

具体来看，新质生产力由以下变革催生。

Technological revolutionary breakthroughs — unlike previous scientific and technological revolutions that mainly replaced manual labor, the new round of the scientific and technological revolution, with intelligence as its main feature, not only replaces manual labor but also achieves the replacement of mental labor and the expansion of human intelligence. For example, the deep integration of intelligent technology and manufacturing, advanced sensing technology, digital design and manufacturing, robots and intelligent control systems, etc., give birth to a human-machine integrated intelligent manufacturing mode, realizing dynamic sensing, interconnection, data integration, and intelligent control of all elements and all links of the manufacturing process, accelerating the formation of new quality productive forces.

技术革命性突破——与以往科技革命主要替代体力劳动不同，以智能化为主要特征的新一轮科技革命，不仅替代体力劳动，还将实现对脑力劳动的替代和对人的智力的拓展。比如，智能技术与制造业深度融合，先进传感技术、数字化设计制造、机器人与智能控制系统等，催生人机共融的智能制造模式，实现制造过程全要素全环节的动态感知、互联互通、数据集成和智能控制，加快形成新质生产力。

Innovative allocation of production factors — the rapid development of digital technology has made data a new type of production factor. Compared with traditional production factors, data has the characteristics of high liquidity, low replication cost, and increasing returns. Data participating in the allocation of production factors can substantially improve production efficiency, thereby forming new quality productive forces. For example, through large-scale collection of data and analysis of relevant data, the product supplier can more clearly perceive the direction, object, content, and quantity of demand and achieve more efficient output without increasing the input of traditional factors. It can be said that the addition of data elements to the allocation of production factors has resulted in more and better productivity output.

生产要素创新性配置——数字技术的迅猛发展使数据成为新型生产要素。与传统生产要素相比，数据具有高流动性、低复制成本和报酬递增特征。数据参与到生产要素配置中，能够大幅提升生产效率，进而形成新质生产力。比如，通过大规模采集数据，并对相关数据进行分析，可以使得产品供给方更为清晰地认知需求方向、对象、内容及数量，并在不增加传统要素投入情况下实现更高效的产出。可以说，数据要素加入生产要素配置，形成了更多更好的生产力产出。

Deep transformation and upgrading of industries — automobiles have a history of two or three hundred years. In the field of traditional automobiles, Western countries have deep technological accumulations. But this has undergone tremendous change in the era of new energy vehicles. In 2024, China’s production and sales of new energy vehicles exceeded 10 million units for the first time. China’s new energy vehicles, empowered by scientific and technological innovation, have emerged as a new force in global competition. China’s track-switching and overtaking in the field of new energy vehicles is precisely the result of deep industrial transformation and upgrading giving birth to the development of new quality productive forces.

产业深度转型升级——汽车已经有两三百年历史，在传统汽车领域，西方国家有深厚的技术积累。但这在新能源汽车时代发生了巨大变化，2024年我国新能源汽车产销量首次突破1000万辆。中国新能源汽车依靠科技创新赋能，在全球竞争中异军突起。中国在新能源汽车领域的换轨超越，正是产业深度转型升级催生新质生产力发展的结果。

Developing new quality productive forces cannot be a rush of all into action or a bubble; it must be adjusted to local conditions, developed according to the local industrial base, scientific and technological conditions, and innovation capabilities. Simplistic and one-size-fits-all approaches are not allowed, nor is one model to be adopted. Some misunderstandings in understanding must be avoided, and the relationships in several aspects must be handled properly.

发展新质生产力不能一哄而上、泡沫化，要因地制宜，根据本地的产业基础、科技条件和创新能力来发展，不搞简单化、一刀切，不搞一种模式。要避免认识上的一些误区，处理好几个方面关系。

First, the relationship between scientific and technological innovation and the transformation of scientific and technological achievements. Scientific and technological innovation is the core element of developing new quality productive forces. From the laws of scientific and technological innovation, to transform scientific and technological achievements into real productive forces, we must not only attach importance to original innovation “from 0 to 1” and disruptive innovation, but also to the transformation of scientific and technological achievements “from 1 to 100” and “from 100 to N.” We must make concerted efforts in scientific and technological innovation and the transformation of scientific and technological achievements. On the one hand, we must encourage more original and disruptive scientific and technological innovations; on the other hand, we must leverage China’s advantages of a super-large market, a complete industrial system, and rich application scenarios, promote the alignment and proper matching of scientific and technological innovation with industrial supply and demand, strengthen the transformation of scientific and technological achievements, and allow more scientific and technological achievements to be transformed into real productive forces.

第一，科技创新和科技成果转化的关系。科技创新是发展新质生产力的核心要素。从科技创新的规律看，要把科技成果转化为现实生产力，不仅要重视“从0到1”的原创性创新、颠覆性创新，同样要重视“从1到100”和“从100到N”的科技成果转化。必须在科技创新与科技成果转化上协同发力。一方面，要鼓励实现更多原创性、颠覆性科技创新，另一方面，要发挥我国超大规模市场优势、产业体系完备优势和应用场景丰富优势，推动科技创新与产业供需对接和合理匹配，加强科技成果转化，让更多科技成果转化为现实生产力。

Second, the relationship between developing emerging industries and transforming and upgrading traditional industries. Developing new quality productive forces requires cultivating emerging industries and forward-looking deployment of future industries, but the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries must by no means be ignored. In fact, traditional industries are not necessarily backward industries. Through digital transformation and intelligent upgrading, traditional industries can also radiate new quality productive forces. China’s traditional industries are large in scale, widely distributed, and account for more than 80% of the manufacturing industry, forming the basic plate of China’s real economy. In recent years, digital technology has deeply integrated with traditional industries, and “5G + Industrial Internet” has nurtured new application scenarios for intelligent manufacturing, and traditional industries are radiating new vitality and vigor.

第二，发展新兴产业和改造提升传统产业的关系。发展新质生产力要培育发展新兴产业、前瞻布局未来产业，但决不能忽视改造提升传统产业。事实上，传统产业并不一定是落后产业，通过数字化转型和智能化改造，传统产业同样可以焕发出新质生产力。我国传统产业规模大、行业分布广，在制造业中占比超过80%，是我国实体经济的基本盘。近年来，数字技术与传统产业深度融合，“5G+工业互联网”孕育智能制造新的应用场景，传统产业正在焕发出新的生机和活力。

Third, the relationship between government guidance and the role of market mechanisms. Developing new quality productive forces requires the government’s planning and promotion, but this does not mean that resources should be directly allocated through administrative forces. From past experience, direct allocation of resources by the government often leads to a “rush of all into action,” causing resource misallocation, redundant construction, and overcapacity. Because emerging industries and future industries have high technological content, rapid technological iteration, and large capital investment, redundant construction in these areas will result in even greater waste of resources. Therefore, the government should shift from relying on administrative forces to grasp factor supply and project construction to cultivating a good innovation ecology. Practice has proved that innovation ecology is more important than innovation resources. Because resources can flow, with a good innovation ecology, innovation resources will continuously converge, and innovation potential will fully burst forth and be transformed into new quality productive forces.

第三，政府引导和发挥市场机制作用的关系。发展新质生产力，需要政府的谋划和推动，但这并不意味着要通过行政力量来直接配置资源。从过往的经验看，政府直接配置资源往往容易形成“一哄而上”，造成资源错配、重复建设和产能过剩。由于新兴产业和未来产业科技含量高、技术迭代快、资金投入大，在这些领域出现重复建设，带来的资源浪费会更大。因此，政府要从过去依靠行政力量抓要素供给和项目建设转向培育良好创新生态。实践证明，创新生态比创新资源更重要。因为资源是可以流动的，有了良好创新生态，创新资源就会源源不断地汇聚，创新潜力就会充分迸发并转化为新质生产力。

Fourth, the relationship between scientific and technological innovation, industrial innovation, and financial support. To develop new quality productive forces, the financial system must undergo adaptive adjustments and build a multi-tiered system for financial support of scientific and technological innovation. First, vigorously develop a multi-tiered capital market, encourage more social capital to participate in venture capital, equity investment, and angel investment funds, to meet the capital needs of science and technology enterprises at different life-cycle stages, and provide precise services for scientific and technological innovation. Second, explore new models of credit financing to support scientific and technological innovation, expand the space for banks to directly participate in equity investment to support scientific and technological innovation, and release the capacity of the banking system to support scientific and technological innovation. Third, raise the level of financial support for scientific and technological innovation, use technologies such as blockchain, big data, and artificial intelligence to promote the digitalization of financial institutions and the onlineization of products, and reduce the hidden costs and risks of financial services for science and technology enterprises.

第四，科技创新、产业创新和金融支持的关系。发展新质生产力，金融体系要进行适应性调整，构建金融支持科技创新的多层次体系。一是大力发展多层次资本市场，鼓励更多社会资本参与创业投资、股权投资和天使投资基金，满足处于不同生命周期科技企业的资金需求，为科技创新提供精准服务。二是探索信贷融资支持科技创新的新模式，拓展银行直接参与股权投资支持科技创新的空间，释放银行体系支持科技创新的能力。三是提高金融支持科技创新的水平，运用区块链、大数据和人工智能等技术，推动金融机构数字化与产品线上化，降低金融服务科技企业的隐性成本和风险。

Fifth, the relationship between developing new quality productive forces and adjusting relations of production. Developing new quality productive forces is not only about scientific and technological innovation; institutional innovation is equally important. We must further deepen reform and form a new type of relations of production that adapts to them. The development of new quality productive forces is dynamic, and reform must keep pace with the times. Following the requirement that “development sets the questions, and reform writes the answers,” we must unswervingly deepen reform around the blockages and choke points that constrain the development of new quality productive forces.

第五，发展新质生产力和调整生产关系的关系。发展新质生产力不仅仅是科技创新，体制创新同样重要，必须进一步深化改革，形成与之相适应的新型生产关系。新质生产力发展是动态的，改革也要与时俱进，按照“发展出题目，改革做文章”的要求，围绕束缚新质生产力发展的堵点卡点，坚定不移深化改革。

Sixth, the relationship between cultivating high-level innovative talent and raising the quality of the labor force. Developing new quality productive forces ultimately depends on high-level innovative talent, urgently requiring the cultivation and formation of a large number of strategic scientific and technological talents, leading scientific and technological talents, young scientific and technological talents, and high-level innovation teams at the international level. Developing new quality productive forces is equally inseparable from the general improvement of the quality of the labor force. The training of new types of laborers such as intelligent laborers must be accelerated, the popularization of digital knowledge and digital skills among all laborers must be increased, and the vocational skills of intelligent laborers must be enhanced through diversified talent training models, to provide strong human capital support for the development of new quality productive forces.

第六，培养高水平创新人才和提升劳动者素质的关系。发展新质生产力，归根结底要靠高水平创新人才，迫切要求培养造就一大批具有国际水平的战略科技人才、科技领军人才、青年科技人才和高水平创新团队。发展新质生产力，同样离不开劳动者素质的普遍提升。要加快智能劳动者等新型劳动者队伍培养，加大全社会劳动者的数字知识、数字技能的普及力度，以多元化人才培养模式提升智能劳动者职业技能，为发展新质生产力提供强大人力资本支撑。

“Developing new quality productive forces is the intrinsic requirement and important focal point for promoting high-quality development.” At present, China’s process of promoting high-quality development is historically intersecting with the new round of the scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation. At this important historical juncture, General Secretary Xi Jinping creatively put forward the development of new quality productive forces, emphasizing the use of new theories of productive forces to guide high-quality development practice. This is a diagnosis of the direction for promoting high-quality development at a time when changes unseen in a century are accelerating in the world and China has embarked on the new journey of comprehensively building a modern socialist country. We must deeply study and grasp it, and transform it into a vivid practice of promoting the development of new quality productive forces.

“发展新质生产力是推动高质量发展的内在要求和重要着力点”。当前，我国推动高质量发展进程与新一轮科技革命和产业变革形成历史性交汇。在这个重要历史节点，习近平总书记创造性提出发展新质生产力，强调用新的生产力理论指导高质量发展实践，这是在世界百年未有之大变局加速演进、我国迈上全面建设社会主义现代化国家新征程之际，对推动高质量发展的把脉定向。我们要深入学习把握，并转化为推动新质生产力发展的生动实践。

(Wang Yiming, Vice Chairman of the China Center for International Economic Exchanges)

（王一鸣 中国国际经济交流中心副理事长）

Online editor: Huihui

网络编辑：慧慧