Creating an Open Environment for Scientific and Technological Innovation with Global Competitiveness

Chinese-path modernization relies on the modernization of science and technology as its support, and achieving high-quality development depends on cultivating new driving forces through scientific and technological innovation. Scientific and technological progress is a global and epochal issue; only open cooperation is the right path. On June 11, 2024, the Fifth Meeting of the Central Commission for Comprehensive Deepening Reform pointed out the need to “build an open environment for scientific and technological innovation with global competitiveness.”[1]1 The Central Commission for Comprehensive Deepening Reform is a central leadership body of the CPC responsible for overseeing reform initiatives; its fifth meeting in 2024 addressed science and technology innovation. The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Party proposed to “expand international scientific and technological exchange and cooperation” and “build systems and mechanisms that support comprehensive innovation.”[2]2 The Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee (the 20th Central Committee’s third plenum) is a major meeting focused on reform and development, typically held to set medium-term policy directions. Accelerating the building of an open environment for scientific and technological innovation with global competitiveness is crucial for improving the capacity for independent innovation and enhancing the overall effectiveness of the innovation ecosystem, and it is also an inherent requirement for accelerating the development of new quality productive forces.

中国式现代化要靠科技现代化作支撑，实现高质量发展要靠科技创新培育新动能。科技进步是世界性、时代性课题，唯有开放合作才是正道。2024年6月11日，中央全面深化改革委员会第五次会议指出，“建设具有全球竞争力的科技创新开放环境”。党的二十届三中全会提出，“扩大国际科技交流合作”“构建支持全面创新体制机制”。加快建设具有全球竞争力的科技创新开放环境，对于提高自主创新能力、提升创新生态体系整体效能至关重要，也是加快发展新质生产力的内在要求。

Taking major scientific and technological innovation as the guide, we will comprehensively deepen the reform of the science and technology system. Scientific and technological innovation is the core element of new quality productive forces; advancing the development of new quality productive forces cannot be separated from major scientific and technological innovation. Taking major scientific and technological innovation as the guide, accelerating the deep integration of the innovation chain, the industrial chain, and the capital chain will help achieve the efficient transformation of more high-quality scientific and technological innovation achievements into practical productive forces. At present, the new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation is accelerating, and the iteration of technological application innovation is speeding up. Only by further deepening the reform of the science and technology system and breaking down institutional and mechanistic drawbacks can we inject strong impetus and support into cultivating and developing new quality productive forces. First, improve the planning and plan system for scientific and technological innovation. Oriented toward the main battlefield of the economy and the major needs of the country, improve the management of science and technology plans, optimize the organizational mechanisms for major scientific and technological innovation, and accelerate the building of a batch of major scientific and technological innovation bases with international influence, national key laboratories, technology innovation centers, and major scientific and technological innovation platforms; coordinate and strengthen the tackling of key core technologies, strive to build an independently controllable technology support system, form a batch of leading technological achievements, develop a batch of strategic products, and systematically reshape the science and technology development system. Second, increase investment in and support for basic research. Oriented toward the world’s scientific and technological frontiers, strengthen forward-looking and leading layouts in basic research fields, interdisciplinary frontier fields, and key fields, improve the open operation mechanism of interdisciplinary research platforms oriented toward promoting collaborative innovation, establish basic research projects, and strive to achieve more forward-looking, original, and disruptive major discoveries and supply of high-level scientific and technological achievements. Third, strengthen the principal role of enterprises in scientific and technological innovation. Accelerate the improvement of enterprises’ ability to “build platforms, strengthen R&D, and promote collaboration,” guide enterprises to integrate independent intellectual property rights with technical standards and form an independent intellectual property system with high-value invention patents as the core; increase fiscal subsidies, promptly resolve tax policy needs and difficult problems faced by enterprises in major technological tackling, digital transformation, and high-end and intelligent development, refine the enterprise credit repair mechanism, accelerate the cultivation of a batch of digital leading enterprises and intelligent manufacturing brands, and shape new development advantages; through reforms in the initiation and organization management methods of major science and technology projects, improve the management system for the use, disposal, and income of scientific and technological achievements, and improve the science and technology security system and risk prevention mechanism, build a more collaborative, open, and efficient scientific and technological innovation system.

以重大科技创新为引领，全面深化科技体制改革。科技创新是新质生产力的核心要素，推进新质生产力发展离不开重大科技创新。以重大科技创新为引领，加速推动创新链产业链资金链深度融合，有助于实现更多高质量科技创新成果向现实生产力高效转化。当前，新一轮科技革命和产业变革加速演进，科技应用创新加速迭代，只有进一步深化科技体制改革，破除体制机制弊端，才能为培育发展新质生产力注入强劲推动力和支撑力。一是完善科技创新发展规划与计划体系。面向经济主战场和国家重大需求，改进科技计划管理，优化重大科技创新组织机制，加快打造一批具有国际影响力的重大科技创新基地、国家级重点实验室、技术创新中心和重大科创平台；统筹强化关键核心技术攻关，着力构建自主可控的技术支撑体系，形成一批引领性技术成果、开发一批战略性产品，系统重塑科技发展体系。二是加大对基础研究的投入与支持力度。面向世界科技前沿，强化基础研究领域、交叉前沿领域、重点领域的前瞻性、引领性布局，完善以促进协同创新为导向的交叉研究平台开放运行机制，设立基础研究项目，努力实现更多前瞻性、原创性、颠覆性重大发现和高科技成果供给。三是强化企业科技创新主体地位。加快提升企业“建平台、强研发、促协同”能力，引导企业将自主知识产权与技术标准相融合、形成以高价值发明专利为核心的自主知识产权体系；加大财政补贴力度，及时解决企业在重大技术攻关、数字化转型、高端化智能化发展中的税费政策需求和疑难问题，细化企业信用修复机制，加快培育形成一批数字龙头企业和智能制造品牌，塑造发展新优势；通过改革重大科技项目立项和组织管理方式，完善科技成果使用、处置和收益管理制度，健全科技安全制度和风险防范机制等重要举措，构建一个更加协同、开放、高效的科技创新体系。

Taking the construction of a national high-level talent highland and a platform for attracting and gathering talent as the goal traction, accelerate the gathering of scientific and technological innovation talent. Talent is the first resource for innovation. Without the advantage of talent, there can be no advantage in innovation, science and technology, or industry. We should follow the laws of talent flow and talent growth, establish a scientific outlook on talent, accelerate the gathering of high-level scientific and technological innovation talent, and strengthen and expand the “first resource” of new quality productive forces. Take the path of independently cultivating scientific and technological innovation talent. Focusing on the frontiers of world science and technology development and the goal requirements of developing new quality productive forces, enhance the ability to independently cultivate scientific and technological innovation talent, explore and set up disciplines and specialties that adapt to new technologies, new industries, new business forms, and new models, promote the deep practice and application of diversified educational scenarios, jointly build industry-education integration bases, characteristic research institutes, and characteristic colleges with higher education institutions, enterprises, and scientific research institutions, and construct a full-cycle integrated cultivation mechanism and system for innovative talent; relying on major science and technology projects, scientific research base platforms, off-campus studios, and other methods, deeply promote the integration of science and education and the integration of industry and education, cultivate and bring up high-level, urgently needed, and key scientific and technological talent as well as outstanding engineers in stages, and further enhance the support and contribution to high-quality development. Increase the introduction of high-quality scientific and technological innovation talent. Based on the needs of modernization development, innovatively implement major measures such as the leading of high-precision and cutting-edge talent and the introduction of urgently needed talent, implement more active, more open, and more effective talent policies, hold the International Talent Exchange Conference well, and accelerate the gathering of strategic scientists, first-class scientific and technological leading talents and innovation teams, young scientific and technological talents, outstanding engineers, master craftsmen of the nation, and highly skilled talents. In addition, targeting the characteristics of scientific and technological innovation talent services, improve the service system for scientific and technological innovation talent, reflect personalization and precision in policy formulation and services, use specialized teams to achieve considerate services; improve the mechanisms for discovering, selecting, and cultivating young innovation talents, carry out special actions to reduce burdens for young scientific and technological talents, better guarantee the treatment of young scientific and technological personnel; improve the system to ensure that scientific researchers can concentrate on research, build a whole-process, professional, one-stop talent service system, so that all kinds of talents can be attracted, retained, and well utilized.

以建设国家高水平人才高地和吸引集聚人才平台为目标牵引，加快科技创新人才集聚。人才是创新的第一资源。没有人才优势，就不可能有创新优势、科技优势、产业优势。应遵循人才流动规律和人才成长规律，树立科学的人才观，加快高层次科技创新人才聚集，做强做大新质生产力的“第一资源”。走好科技创新人才自主培养之路。聚焦世界科技发展前沿和发展新质生产力的目标要求，提升科技创新人才自主培养能力，探索和设置适应新技术、新产业、新业态、新模式的学科专业，推进多元化教育场景深入实践应用，与高等院校、企业、科研机构共建产教融合基地、特色研究院与特色学院，构建创新人才全周期的融合培养机制和体系；依托科技重大项目、科研基地平台、校外工作室等多种方式，深入推进科教融合和产教融合，分阶段培养和造就高层次、急需紧缺和骨干科学技术人才、卓越工程师，进一步提升对高质量发展的支撑力、贡献力。加大高素质科技创新人才引进力度。立足现代化发展需要，创新实施高精尖人才领跑和急需紧缺人才引进等重要举措，实施更加积极、更加开放、更加有效的人才政策，办好国际人才交流大会，加快聚集战略科学家、一流科技领军人才和创新团队、青年科技人才、卓越工程师、大国工匠、高技能人才。此外，针对科技创新人才服务的特性，完善科技创新人才服务体系，在政策制定和服务上体现个性化、精准化，用专员队伍实现贴心式服务；完善青年创新人才发现、选拔、培养机制，开展为青年科技人才减负的专项行动，更好保障青年科技人员待遇；健全保障科研人员专心科研制度，构建全过程、专业化、一站式人才服务体系，让各类人才引得进、留得住、用得好。

Actively integrate into the global innovation network and create a cooperation pattern for scientific and technological innovation. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: “International scientific and technological cooperation is a major trend. We must more actively integrate into the global innovation network and enhance our own scientific and technological innovation capabilities through open cooperation.” Strengthening scientific and technological cooperation and exchange is an important path to solving common problems in human development. We must actively integrate into the global innovation network and create an all-round cooperation pattern for scientific and technological innovation. In terms of expanding high-level opening up, steadily expand institutional opening up, innovate opening platforms and cooperation mechanisms, deepen cooperation in the industrial and supply chains, continuously enhance the endogenous driving force and innovation vitality of various business entities, optimize the allocation of innovation factors such as knowledge, technology, and data, comprehensively create a first-class business environment that is market-oriented, law-based, and internationalized, build a new pattern of high-level opening up, and realize the gathering of advanced and high-quality innovation resources on a broader scale. In terms of improving the capability for collaborative scientific and technological innovation, optimize the regional layout of opening up, further explore collaborative innovation cooperation models and mechanisms, promote the sharing and co-use of high-quality innovation resources, promote complementary advantages and coordinated linkage between scientific research and industry, and create open highlands with diverse forms; expand scientific and technological innovation exchange and cooperation, establish mechanisms for sharing and exchanging information resources of major scientific and technological R&D platforms, optimize the management mechanism for external professional exchange and cooperation of universities, research institutes, and scientific and technological societies; initiate and establish transnational innovation cooperation plans, jointly build the “Belt and Road” scientific and technological innovation cooperation zones, encourage the establishment of international scientific and technological organizations in China, and rely on high-energy-level scientific and technological innovation platforms and influential scientists to actively carry out deep-level international exchanges and cooperation. In terms of creating a strong innovation atmosphere, strengthen intellectual property management, plan ahead and deeply participate in science and technology governance, and build a solid security barrier for scientific and technological innovation; carry out activities with diverse forms, rich content, and distinctive characteristics around cultivating and expanding emerging industries and laying out future industries, enhance the scientific literacy and innovation awareness of the people, accelerate the building of a number of innovation cities, and guide the smooth flow of various advanced production factors toward the development of new quality productive forces.

积极融入全球创新网络，打造科技创新合作格局。习近平总书记强调：“国际科技合作是大趋势。我们要更加主动地融入全球创新网络，在开放合作中提升自身科技创新能力。”加强科技合作交流，是破解人类共同发展难题的重要路径，我们要积极融入全球创新网络，全方位打造科技创新合作格局。在扩大高水平对外开放方面，稳步扩大制度型开放，创新开放平台与合作机制，深化产业链供应链合作，不断增强各类经营主体的内生动力和创新活力，优化知识、技术和数据等创新要素配置方式，全面营造市场化、法治化、国际化一流营商环境，构建高水平对外开放新格局，实现在更广范围内汇聚先进优质创新资源。在提高科技协同创新能力方面，优化区域开放布局，进一步探索协同创新合作模式和机制，推进优质创新资源共享共用，促进科研、产业优势互补、协同联动，打造形态多样的开放高地；扩大科技创新交流合作，建立重大科技研发平台信息资源共享和交换机制，优化高校、科研院所、科技社团对外专业交流合作管理机制；发起设立跨国的创新合作计划，共建“一带一路”科技创新合作区，鼓励在华设立国际科技组织，依托高能级科创平台及有影响力的科学家积极开展深层次国际交流与合作。在营造浓郁的创新氛围方面，强化知识产权管理，前瞻谋划和深度参与科技治理，筑牢科技创新安全屏障；围绕培育壮大新兴产业和布局未来产业开展形式多样、内容丰富、特色鲜明的活动，提升人民群众科学素养和创新意识，加快打造一批创新之城，引导各类先进生产要素向发展新质生产力顺畅流动。

(Author: Wu Yulong, Researcher of the Chongqing Research Center for the Theoretical System of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics, and Assistant Researcher of the School of Marxism, Southwest University)

（作者：吴玉龙，系重庆市中国特色社会主义理论体系研究中心研究员、西南大学马克思主义学院助理研究员）

Online Editor: Huihui

网络编辑：慧慧