The Connotation and Path of Industrial Innovation during the 14th Five-Year Plan Period

Industrial innovation is the key link in transforming scientific and technological innovation into real productive forces. The proposal for the 15th Five-Year Plan [1]1 The "15th Five-Year Plan" refers to the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development of the People's Republic of China, covering the period 2026-2030. The text here references the "proposal for the 15th Five-Year Plan," which is a guiding document drafted by the CPC Central Committee., reviewed and approved by the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC [2]2 The 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–2030) is the next five-year plan for China’s national economic and social development, proposed in the “Recommendations” document adopted by the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC in July 2024., made strategic arrangements for "building a modern industrial system, consolidating and strengthening the foundation of the real economy" and "accelerating high-level scientific and technological self-reliance and self-strengthening, leading the development of new quality productive forces," emphasizing "implementing industrial innovation projects" and "promoting deep integration of scientific and technological innovation and industrial innovation." At a time when the global political and economic landscape is undergoing profound adjustment, great-power games are becoming more complex and intense, and a new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation is accelerating, industrial innovation has become a key focus for effectively avoiding "involution-style" competition [3] and responding to external suppression and containment. During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, it is necessary to deeply understand the connotation and logic of industrial innovation, coordinate its relationships with scientific and technological innovation and regional development, and work in synergy to promote high-quality development of China's industries.

产业创新是科技创新转化为现实生产力的关键环节。党的二十届四中全会审议通过的“十五五”规划建议，对“建设现代化产业体系，巩固壮大实体经济根基”“加快高水平科技自立自强，引领发展新质生产力”作出战略部署，强调“实施产业创新工程”“推动科技创新和产业创新深度融合”。在全球政治经济格局深度调整、大国博弈更加复杂激烈、新一轮科技革命和产业变革加速演进的当下，产业创新成为有效避免“内卷式”竞争和应对外部打压遏制的关键着力点。“十五五”时期，需深刻理解产业创新的内涵与逻辑，统筹好其与科技创新、区域发展等之间的关系，协同发力推进我国产业实现高质量发展。

Rich Connotation and Development Logic

丰富内涵和发展逻辑

Industrial innovation is a complex systemic project, bearing on the construction of a modern industrial system and the development of new quality productive forces. Accurately understanding the scientific connotation and internal logic of industrial innovation will help better promote industrial innovation and development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, ensuring that China takes the initiative in the restructuring of global industrial chains.

产业创新是一个复杂的系统工程，事关现代化产业体系建设和新质生产力发展。准确理解产业创新的科学内涵和内在逻辑，有助于在“十五五”时期更好推动产业创新发展，确保我国在全球产业链重构中占据主动。

From a practical perspective, industrial innovation includes multiple forms and involves many aspects. First, creating new industries "out of nothing" in the scientific and technological revolution, such as biomedicine, big data, and artificial intelligence; second, using high and new technologies to upgrade and transform traditional industries, such as traditional manufacturing achieving significant improvements in production efficiency through digital and intelligent transformation; third, achieving transformation and upgrading through industrial transfer, relying on industrial resources transferred from other regions to optimize the local industrial structure and enhance industrial value; fourth, innovation in industrial cooperation models, including industrial integration, industrial clusters, industrial ecosystems, and industrial chain alliances; fifth, optimization of industrial policies and capacity governance means, promoting healthy and orderly industrial development by improving the precision and effectiveness of industrial policies as well as capacity governance capabilities and levels; sixth, innovation arising from international industrial division of labor and cooperation, where competition in industrial and supply chains has become increasingly fierce in the context of globalization, leading to profound adjustments in international industrial regulations and industrial chains, as well as innovation in models of international industrial division of labor and cooperation.

从实践来看，产业创新包括多种形式、涉及多个方面。一是在科技革命中“无中生有”创造新产业，如生物医药、大数据和人工智能等；二是运用高新技术对传统产业进行升级改造，如传统制造业通过数智化改造实现生产效率大幅提升；三是通过产业转移实现转型升级，依托其他地区转移的产业资源，优化本地产业结构，提升产业价值；四是产业合作模式的创新，包括产业融合、产业集群、产业生态圈和产业链联盟等；五是产业政策和产能治理手段的优化，通过提升产业政策精准性和有效性以及产能治理能力和水平，促进产业健康有序发展；六是国际产业分工合作中产生的创新，产业链供应链竞争在全球化背景下日趋激烈，由此产生了国际产业规制及产业链的深度调整以及国际产业分工合作模式创新等。

Industrial innovation is driven by multiple factors. First, market demand. The birth of any new industry or the elimination of an old industry is a product of changes in demand. Using new demand to lead new supply is an important logic of industrial innovation and development. Second, scientific and technological innovation. Science and technology are the primary productive forces. New technologies and inventions can not only greatly improve production efficiency and product quality but also create new products and services, using new supply to create new demand. Third, industrial competition. Competition within industries, between different industries, and between different regions and countries all accelerates the research and development of new technologies and products, continuously breaks through original industrial boundaries, achieves cross-border integration, and promotes the growth and strengthening of industries. Fourth, policy promotion. Looking globally, all major and strong industrial countries attach importance to promoting industrial innovation and development by issuing industrial policies, development plans, etc., to create a favorable development environment.

产业创新由多种因素推动。一是市场需求。任何新产业的诞生或旧产业的淘汰都是需求变化的产物。以新需求引领新供给，是产业创新发展的重要逻辑。二是科技创新。科技是第一生产力，新技术新发明不仅能大幅提升生产效率和产品质量，也会创造新产品新服务，以新供给创造新需求。三是产业竞争。产业内竞争、不同产业间竞争、不同区域和国家的产业竞争，均会加速新技术新产品研发，不断突破原有产业边界并实现跨界整合，促进产业做大做强。四是政策推动。纵观全球，凡是产业大国、强国，均重视促进产业创新发展，通过出台产业政策、发展规划等，营造良好发展环境。

Taking Scientific and Technological Innovation as the Guide

以科技创新为引领

Scientific and technological innovation is the endogenous driving force of industrial innovation, and industrial innovation is the realization of the value of scientific and technological innovation. Promoting the deep integration of the two is of great significance for building a modern industrial system. In recent years, China has achieved a series of major breakthroughs in frontier fields represented by big data, artificial intelligence, and quantum technology, providing solid technical support for the development of strategic emerging industries and opening up broad market space. At the same time, it must be clearly recognized that there are still gaps between China and the international advanced level in some key core technologies, the leading role of scientific and technological innovation in industrial innovation needs to be strengthened, and the development of strategic emerging industries still faces competitive pressure from developed countries in terms of technology, brands, and markets.

科技创新是产业创新的内生动力，产业创新是科技创新的价值实现。推动二者深度融合，对于构建现代化产业体系具有重要意义。近年来，我国在以大数据、人工智能、量子科技等为代表的前沿领域取得一系列重大突破，为战略性新兴产业的发展提供了坚实的技术支撑，开辟了广阔的市场空间。同时也应清醒认识到，我国在一些关键核心技术方面与国际先进水平相比还存在差距，科技创新对产业创新的引领作用有待增强，战略性新兴产业的发展依然面临发达国家在技术、品牌、市场等多方面的竞争压力。

Currently, a new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation is accelerating breakthroughs. The proposal for the 15th Five-Year Plan states: "Seize the historical opportunity of the new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, coordinate the construction of an education powerhouse, a science and technology powerhouse, and a talent powerhouse, enhance the overall effectiveness of the national innovation system, comprehensively strengthen independent innovation capabilities, seize the commanding heights of scientific and technological development, and continuously foster new quality productive forces." Focusing on industrial innovation and development, we should coordinate the construction of national strategic scientific and technological forces, strengthen original innovation and tackle key core technologies, and promote decisive breakthroughs in key core technologies in key areas such as integrated circuits, industrial machine tools, and high-end instruments; coordinate the construction of scientific and technological innovation platforms and bases, strengthen the source-innovation function of international science and technology innovation centers, strengthen the principal position of enterprises in scientific and technological innovation, promote the concentration of innovation resources in enterprises, support high-tech enterprises, leading enterprises, chain-leader enterprises, and small and medium-sized science and technology innovation enterprises in forming innovation consortia to undertake national scientific and technological research tasks, and promote the deep integration of innovation chains, industrial chains, capital chains, and talent chains. In addition, it is necessary to accelerate the efficient transformation and application of major scientific and technological achievements, increase the construction and opening of application scenarios, strengthen the protection and use of intellectual property rights, cultivate and strengthen leading science and technology enterprises, promote the integrated development of education, science and technology, and talent, strive to create an open innovation ecosystem with global competitiveness, and further enhance China's ability and strength in using scientific and technological innovation to lead industrial innovation.

当前，新一轮科技革命和产业变革加速突破。“十五五”规划建议提出，“抓住新一轮科技革命和产业变革历史机遇，统筹教育强国、科技强国、人才强国建设，提升国家创新体系整体效能，全面增强自主创新能力，抢占科技发展制高点，不断催生新质生产力”。围绕产业创新发展，应统筹国家战略科技力量建设，加强原始创新和关键核心技术攻关，推动集成电路、工业母机、高端仪器等重点领域关键核心技术攻关取得决定性突破；统筹科技创新平台基地建设，强化国际科技创新中心策源功能，强化企业的科技创新主体地位，推动创新资源向企业集聚，支持高新企业、龙头企业、链主企业和中小型科创企业组建创新联合体，承担国家科技攻关任务，促进创新链产业链资金链人才链深度融合。此外，还要加快重大科技成果高效转化应用，加大应用场景建设和开放力度，加强知识产权保护和运用，培育壮大科技领军企业，一体推进教育科技人才发展，努力营造具有全球竞争力的开放创新生态，进一步增强我国科技创新引领产业创新的能力和实力。

Combining with Regional Development

与区域发展相结合

Industry is an important factor affecting regional development, while regional development provides basic conditions for industrial innovation. China has a vast territory, and there are significant differences in

产业是影响区域发展的重要因素，而区域发展则为产业创新提供基础条件。我国地域辽阔，各地的人口、资源、经济发展、基础设施建设、产业生态等方面的情况存在较大差异。如何依托地域优势实现创新发展，避免同质化，是区域产业发展必须考虑的问题。特别是对于产业基础相对薄弱的地区，如果在产业转移过程中盲目承接同类产业项目，不仅会导致重复建设和产能过剩，造成大量资源浪费，也会压缩产业利润和财税增长空间，制约区域产业技术升级，阻碍产业创新发展。

Basing oneself on resource endowments and comparative advantages, pursuing differentiated development and allowing each to display its own strengths, is an effective approach to promoting regional industrial innovation and development. We should thoroughly implement the deployment in the proposal for the 14th Five-Year Plan [1]1 The "15th Five-Year Plan" refers to the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development of the People's Republic of China, covering the period 2026-2030. The text here references the "proposal for the 15th Five-Year Plan," which is a guiding document drafted by the CPC Central Committee. concerning "optimizing the layout of regional economies and promoting coordinated regional development," further improve the regional innovation system, plan and build regional science and technology innovation centers and industrial science and technology innovation highlands, and give play to the role of key regions as growth poles. We should fully leverage the synergistic effects of the regional coordinated development strategy, major regional strategies, the main functional area strategy, and the new-type urbanization strategy, optimize the layout of major productive forces, give play to the leading role of key regions in industrial innovation, and construct a regional economic layout and territorial space system featuring complementary advantages and high-quality development. We should optimize the local government performance evaluation system, guide and encourage all localities to explore development paths suited to their own conditions, develop new industries in light of local conditions, transform and upgrade traditional industries, form an industrial cooperation pattern of differentiated competition and division of labor, and enhance the coordination of regional industrial innovation and development.

立足资源禀赋、比较优势，错位发展、各展所长，是推动区域产业创新发展的有效思路。应深入落实“十五五”规划建议中有关“优化区域经济布局，促进区域协调发展”的部署，进一步完善区域创新体系，布局建设区域科技创新中心和产业科技创新高地，发挥重点区域增长极作用。充分发挥区域协调发展战略、区域重大战略、主体功能区战略、新型城镇化战略叠加效应，优化重大生产力布局，发挥重点区域产业创新引领作用，构建优势互补、高质量发展的区域经济布局和国土空间体系。优化地方政绩考核评价体系，引导和鼓励各地探索适合本地情况的发展路径，因地制宜发展新产业、改造升级传统产业，形成错位竞争、分工合作的产业协作格局，增强区域产业创新发展的协调性。

Better Integrating into the International Industrial and Supply Chains

更好融入国际产供链

One of the important tasks of industrial innovation and development is to build a more secure and controllable industrial chain and supply chain. To accomplish such goals and tasks, we cannot engage in industrial innovation behind closed doors; instead, we must organically embed our country's innovation chain, industrial chain, and supply chain into the global system. Deep integration and development with the international industrial chain and supply chain is conducive to attracting and gathering global advanced factor resources, optimizing the allocation of production factors, and providing more solid factor support for our country's industrial innovation and development.

产业创新发展的重要任务之一，就是构建更为安全、可控的产业链供应链。完成这样的目标任务，不能关起门来搞产业创新，而是要将我国的创新链、产业链、供应链有机嵌入全球。与国际产业链供应链深度融合发展，有利于吸引和集聚全球先进要素资源，优化生产要素配置，为我国产业创新发展提供更加坚实的要素支撑。

At present, the global industrial and supply chains are facing shocks and restructuring. Multiple factors, including geopolitical conflicts, the new technological revolution, and the green and low-carbon transition, are intertwined and driving profound changes in the pattern of global industrial and supply chains. China’s manufacturing sector has maintained the world’s largest scale for many consecutive years, but some areas remain at the middle and low end of the value chain. The proposal for the 15th Five-Year Plan states: “actively expand independent opening up” and “guide the rational and orderly cross-border layout of industrial and supply chains.” [2]2 The 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–2030) is the next five-year plan for China’s national economic and social development, proposed in the “Recommendations” document adopted by the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC in July 2024. In the process of China’s industrial innovation and development, it is necessary to more actively participate in international division of labor and cooperation, adhere to the equal emphasis on “bringing in” and “going out,” “going deep in,” and “going up,” and deeply integrate into the international industrial and supply chains. At the same time, further optimize the management of outbound investment, improve the comprehensive overseas service system, promote the signing of more regional and bilateral trade and investment agreements, enhance the level of investment and trade facilitation, and strengthen the linkage effect of both domestic and international markets and resources. Especially in the process of high-quality joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative, it is necessary to strengthen strategic alignment and industrial chain cooperation with partner countries, making the Belt and Road Initiative a bridge and bond for industrial cooperation among countries. Better coordinate domestic economic work and international economic and trade struggles, actively participate in the cooperative governance of global industrial and supply chains, accelerate the improvement of the modernization level of China’s industrial and supply chains, and continuously enhance the international competitiveness of industrial innovation and development.

目前，全球产业链供应链正面临冲击与重构。地缘政治冲突、新技术革命、绿色低碳转型等多重因素交织影响，推动全球产业链供应链格局发生深刻变化。我国制造业规模已连续多年保持全球第一，但一些领域仍处于价值链中低端。“十五五”规划建议提出，“积极扩大自主开放”“引导产业链供应链合理有序跨境布局”。我国产业创新发展过程中，要更加积极地参与国际分工合作，坚持“引进来”与“走出去”“走进去”“走上去”并重，深度融入国际产业链供应链。同时，进一步优化对外投资管理，健全海外综合服务体系，推动商签更多区域和双边贸易投资协定，提升投资和贸易便利化水平，增强国内国际两个市场两种资源联动效应。特别是在高质量共建“一带一路”过程中，要加强与共建国家战略对接和产业链合作，使共建“一带一路”倡议成为各国产业合作的桥梁和纽带。更好统筹国内经济工作和国际经贸斗争，积极参与全球产业链供应链合作治理，加快提升我国产业链供应链现代化水平，不断提升产业创新发展的国际竞争力。

Continuously optimize the development environment

持续优化发展环境

Industrial innovation has the characteristics of large investment, long cycles, and high risks. Relying solely on the strength of enterprises makes it difficult to undertake the heavy responsibility of major basic research and common technology breakthroughs. It is necessary to formulate science and technology strategies, layout major scientific research projects, concentrate the strength of all parties to break through the “bottleneck” problems of key core technologies, lay the technical foundation for industrial innovation, guide industrial innovation to serve the overall national development situation, and achieve the unity of economic and social benefits. In addition, a sound industrial system and an efficient innovation ecosystem cannot form spontaneously. It is necessary to optimize the layout of regional economies, improve policies, regulations, and infrastructure construction, promote the smooth flow and efficient coordination of factors, and build an environment conducive to industrial innovation and development.

产业创新具有投入大、周期长、风险高的特点，仅依靠企业的力量难以承担重大基础研究和共性技术攻关的重任。应通过制定科技战略、布局重大科研项目，集中各方力量突破关键核心技术“卡脖子”问题，为产业创新奠定技术基础，引导产业创新服务国家发展全局，实现经济效益与社会效益的统一。此外，健全的产业体系与高效的创新生态难以自发形成。需通过优化区域经济布局、完善政策法规和基础设施建设，促进要素顺畅流动与高效协同，构建有利于产业创新发展的环境。

The proposal for the 15th Five-Year Plan states: “create an open innovation ecosystem with global competitiveness” and “strengthen the construction of science and technology rule of law, ethics, integrity, and safety.” In the future, it is necessary to accelerate the construction of a unified national market, eliminate barriers in factor acquisition and other aspects, break down local protection and market segmentation, and provide a unified, open, and fair market environment for industrial innovation and development. Strengthen the original innovation orientation of scientific research and technological development, improve the intellectual property protection system in emerging fields, and create an environment conducive to original innovation and disruptive innovation. Optimize industrial innovation development planning, clarify the cultivation direction and development priorities of traditional advantageous industries, strategic emerging industries, and future industries, improve the industrial supporting service system, implement industrial innovation projects, build an industrial ecosystem, and develop and strengthen industrial clusters. Promote the transformation of industrial policies from differentiated and selective to universal and functional, and strengthen the coordination of industrial policies with fiscal, financial, environmental protection, and other policies. For the problem of “involution-style” competition existing in practice, it is necessary to strengthen capacity governance, actively explore the close integration of industrial policies, industrial planning, regional development planning, and capacity governance, and avoid disorderly industrial expansion. At the same time, implement regulatory responsibilities, strengthen anti-monopoly and anti-unfair competition law enforcement, improve the monitoring and early warning mechanism for the capacity of key industrial products, dynamically implement full-chain capacity governance, and create a good competitive environment for industrial innovation and development.

“十五五”规划建议提出，“营造具有全球竞争力的开放创新生态”“加强科技法治、伦理、诚信、安全建设”。未来，要加快推进全国统一大市场建设，消除要素获取等方面的壁垒，破除地方保护和市场分割，为产业创新发展提供统一、开放、公平的市场环境。强化科学研究、技术开发的原始创新导向，完善新兴领域知识产权保护制度，营造有利于原创性创新、颠覆性创新的环境。优化产业创新发展规划，明确传统优势产业、战略性新兴产业和未来产业的培育方向和发展重点，完善产业配套服务体系，实施产业创新工程，构建产业生态圈，发展壮大产业集群。推进产业政策由差异化、选择性向普惠化、功能性转变，加强产业政策与财政、金融、环保等政策的协调。对于实践中存在“内卷式”竞争问题，需强化产能治理，积极探索将产业政策、产业规划、区域发展规划与产能治理紧密结合，避免产业无序扩张。同时，落实监管责任，强化反垄断反不正当竞争执法，健全重点工业产品产能监测预警机制，动态实施全链条产能治理，为产业创新发展营造良好的竞争环境。

(The author is Vice Dean of the National Institute of Innovation and Development at Tongji University and a researcher at the Shanghai Research Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era)

（作者系同济大学国家创新发展研究院副院长、上海市习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想研究中心研究员）

Online editor: Huihui

网络编辑：慧慧