The Expansion of International Science and Technology Innovation Centers Has Strategic Significance

Changes unseen in a century in the world are accelerating, international power dynamics are undergoing profound adjustments, the external environment contains many unstable and uncertain factors, the field of science and technology is increasingly becoming the focus of great-power competition, and scientific and technological innovation has become a key variable concerning national development, security, and long-term competitiveness. The 2025 Central Economic Work Conference proposed "building international science and technology innovation centers in Beijing (Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei), Shanghai (Yangtze River Delta), and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area," expanding the Beijing international science and technology innovation center to the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and the Shanghai center to the Yangtze River Delta, aiming to accelerate the formation of China's main source of original innovation, jointly create a strategic guide for building a strong science and technology nation, and establish a benchmark for leading Chinese-path modernization with science and technology support. This major measure will further promote the construction of internationally influential science and technology innovation centers, effectively and forcefully drive industrial upgrading led by scientific and technological innovation, and continuously generate new quality productive forces.

世界百年未有之大变局加速演进，国际力量对比深刻调整，外部环境的不稳定、不确定因素较多，科技领域日益成为大国博弈的焦点，科技创新成为事关国家发展和安全以及长远竞争力的关键变量。2025年中央经济工作会议提出“建设北京（京津冀）、上海（长三角）、粤港澳大湾区国际科技创新中心”，将北京国际科技创新中心扩围至京津冀，上海国际科技创新中心扩围至长三角，旨在加快形成我国原始创新的主要策源地，共同打造科技强国建设的战略指引，树立以科技支撑引领中国式现代化的标杆。这一重大举措将进一步推动建设具有全球影响力的国际科技创新中心，有效有力促进以科技创新引领产业升级，不断催生新质生产力。

Remarkable Achievements in the Construction of Science and Technology Innovation Centers

科创中心建设成就斐然

An international science and technology innovation center is a city or region that occupies a leading and dominant position in global science and technology innovation activities and plays a significant value-adding role in the global value network. It possesses functions such as scientific research, technological innovation, industrial driving, and cultural leadership, and is characterized by dense science and technology innovation resources, active innovation activities, strong innovation capabilities, and broad innovation influence. Actively planning the construction of international science and technology innovation centers and leveraging their leading role in regional innovation development has become a strategic measure for major countries worldwide to respond to the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation and to enhance national comprehensive competitiveness.

国际科技创新中心是在全球科技创新活动中占据引领和支配地位、在全球价值网络中发挥显著增值作用的城市或地区，具有科学研究、技术创新、产业驱动和文化引领等功能，呈现科技创新资源密集、科技创新活动活跃、科技创新能力强大、科技创新影响广泛等特征。积极谋划建设国际科技创新中心，并发挥其在区域创新发展中的引领作用，已成为世界主要国家应对新一轮科技革命和产业变革、增强国家综合竞争力的战略举措。

Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has deployed the construction of three major international science and technology innovation centers in Beijing, Shanghai, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, achieving notable results. Since the launch of the construction of the three centers, original innovation has been vigorously strengthened, a number of original achievements have been produced, several advanced manufacturing clusters have been formed through agglomeration, and the radiating and leading role has continued to manifest. In the 2025 Global Top 100 Innovation Clusters ranking released by the World Intellectual Property Organization, the number of China's global top 100 innovation clusters has ranked first in the world for three consecutive years, and the Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou cluster has jumped to the top of the world.

党的十八大以来，以习近平同志为核心的党中央部署北京、上海、粤港澳大湾区三大国际科技创新中心建设，已经取得明显成效。三大中心建设启动以来，大力加强原始创新，产出一批原创性成果，集聚形成若干先进制造业集群，辐射引领作用持续显现。在世界知识产权组织发布的2025年全球百强创新集群排名中，我国拥有的全球百强创新集群数量连续3年位居第一，深圳—香港—广州集群跃居全球首位。

In the process of building international science and technology innovation centers, the three regions share many commonalities while also leveraging their respective advantages. Beijing gathers high-quality scientific and educational resources, with outstanding basic research and original innovation capabilities, achieving notable results in building a world-leading scientific center and innovation highland and promoting the output of major original achievements. Shanghai adheres to the "dual-wheel drive" of scientific and technological innovation and institutional mechanism innovation, striving to create an open innovation ecosystem with global competitiveness, and aiming to become an important source of scientific and technological innovation, a strategic highland of independent innovation, and a key hub in the global innovation network. The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area leverages its frontier advantages in reform and opening up, is accelerating the formation of an economic system driven and supported primarily by innovation, and is focusing on enhancing the capacity to transform scientific and technological achievements, building a global highland of scientific and technological innovation and an important source of emerging industries. The construction of the three major international science and technology innovation centers in Beijing, Shanghai, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area has formed a situation of distinct characteristics and coordinated progress in terms of functions and positioning.

在国际科技创新中心建设过程中，三地具有很多共性，同时又各显优势。北京集聚优质科教资源，基础研究和原始创新能力突出，在打造世界主要科学中心和创新高地、促进重大原创性成果产出等方面成效明显；上海坚持科技创新与体制机制创新“双轮驱动”，着力打造具有全球竞争力的开放创新生态，力争成为科技创新重要策源地、自主创新战略高地和全球创新网络重要枢纽；粤港澳大湾区发挥改革开放前沿优势，正在加快形成以创新为主要动力和支撑的经济体系，着力提升科技成果转化能力，建设全球科技创新高地和新兴产业重要策源地。北京、上海、粤港澳大湾区三大国际科技创新中心建设在功能和定位上已经形成了各具特色、协同并进的态势。

Expansion and Quality Improvement Are Imperative

扩围提质势在必行

Currently, scientific and technological innovation has entered a stage of high complexity and systematization. Whether it is breakthroughs in original innovation, tackling key core technologies, or the large-scale application of scientific and technological achievements, all require the coordinated efforts of multiple types of elements. Under the new circumstances, the model of promoting the construction of international science and technology innovation centers with a single city as the main body, although playing an important role in gathering high-end innovation resources, has gradually revealed problems such as insufficient spatial carrying capacity, limited industrial transformation, and incomplete innovation chains. Looking at globally influential science and technology innovation centers, they basically operate relying on the form of urban agglomerations or metropolitan areas, and international science and technology competition is shifting from single-point competition to systemic competition. The expansion of the construction of international science and technology innovation centers is a major strategic decision made to grasp the general trend of the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation and to enhance the global influence and competitiveness of China's international science and technology innovation centers.

当前，科技创新已进入高度复杂化、系统化阶段。无论是原始创新突破，还是关键核心技术攻关，抑或是科技成果规模化应用，都需要多类型要素协同发力。新形势下，以单一城市为主体推进国际科技创新中心建设的模式，虽然在集聚高端创新资源方面发挥了重要作用，但也逐渐显现出空间承载能力不足、产业转化受限、创新链条不完整等问题。纵观全球具有重要影响力的科技创新中心，基本上都依托城市群或都市圈的形态运行，国际科技竞争正在由单点比拼转向体系竞争。国际科技创新中心建设扩围，正是把握新一轮科技革命和产业变革大势、着眼于提升我国国际科技创新中心全球影响力和竞争力作出的重大战略决策。

The expansion of international science and technology innovation centers is not only about scale expansion but also about the simultaneous improvement of the level of the innovation system, global connectivity capabilities, and rule-shaping capabilities, reflecting a significant change in the construction logic. First, it shifts from promoting factor agglomeration to promoting system coordination, placing greater emphasis on the systematic integration, functional division of labor, and coordinated operation of innovation resources within the region, and focusing on improving overall innovation efficiency. Second, it shifts from enhancing scientific research capabilities to enhancing comprehensive innovation capabilities, paying more attention to the comprehensive performance of the three centers in terms of original innovation, achievement transformation, industrial driving, and global influence. Third, it shifts from focusing on urban competition to highlighting national strategy, by coordinating the layout of scientific and technological innovation at the level of urban agglomerations, effectively guiding differentiated regional development, and enhancing the overall security and efficiency of the national innovation system.

国际科技创新中心扩围，不仅在于规模上的扩张，而且在于创新体系能级、全球链接能力、规则塑造能力的同步提升，体现出建设逻辑的显著变化。一是从促进要素集聚转向推动体系协同，更加注重区域内创新资源的系统整合、功能分工和协同运行，关注提升整体创新效能。二是从提升科研能力转向提升综合创新能力，更加重视三大中心在原始创新、成果转化、产业带动和全球影响力等方面的综合表现。三是从聚焦城市竞争转向凸显国家战略，通过在城市群层面统筹科技创新布局，有效引导区域差异化发展，增强国家创新体系的整体安全性和效率。

Correspondingly, three important orientations should be clarified in the construction process. First, take urban agglomerations as the basic unit to enhance comprehensive competitiveness, by coordinating innovation resources within a larger spatial scope and building a multi-node collaborative, functionally complementary innovation network. Second, enhance international discourse power through original innovation capabilities and the capacity to generate disruptive technologies, striving to continuously output original innovation achievements and key technologies with global significance. Third, enhance global connectivity capabilities by steadily expanding institutional opening up, deeply embedding the domestic innovation system into the global science and technology innovation network, enhancing influence through cooperation and gaining initiative in competition.

相应地，在建设过程中应明确三个重要取向。一是以城市群为基本单元提升综合竞争力，通过在更大空间范围内统筹创新资源，构建多节点协同、功能互补的创新网络。二是以原始创新能力和颠覆性技术策源力提升国际话语权，力争能够持续输出具有全球意义的原始创新成果和关键技术。三是以稳步扩大制度型开放增强全球链接能力，将国内创新体系深度嵌入全球科技创新网络，在合作中提升影响力、在竞争中赢得主动权。

Take Pragmatic Measures to Address Challenges

采取务实举措应对挑战

The expanded international science and technology innovation centers bear an important mission, both to form a source advantage in key core technologies and to enhance leadership in international science and technology cooperation and rule-making. Currently, the construction of the three centers still faces some challenges.

扩围后的国际科技创新中心承担着重要使命，既要在关键核心技术上形成策源优势，又要在国际科技合作和规则制定中提升引领力。目前，三大中心建设还面临一些挑战。

As far as the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region is concerned, the intermediate links from basic research to industrialization remain weak, the transformation of original innovation advantages into industrial competitive advantages is insufficient, the institutional cost of collaborative innovation in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei is still relatively high, and a highly integrated innovation community has not yet been formed. As far as the Yangtze River Delta is concerned, there are still shortcomings in breakthroughs in basic theory and the generation of disruptive technologies, the ability to lead global science and technology frontiers needs to be strengthened, the internal innovation division of labor within the region is not yet clear enough, and there is still room for improvement in the division of labor, collaboration, and resource integration in key links of the innovation chain. As far as the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area is concerned, basic research and original innovation capabilities are relatively weak, the long-term and stable nature of scientific research investment is lacking, and the sustainability of the supply of high-end original innovation achievements needs to be enhanced. The special conditions of "one country, two systems, three customs territories, and three currencies" [1]1 "One country, two systems, three customs territories, and three currencies" refers to the unique institutional framework of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, where under the sovereignty of one country, there exist two different social systems (socialist mainland China and capitalist Hong Kong and Macao), three separate customs territories (mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macao), and three different currencies (Renminbi, Hong Kong dollar, and Macanese pataca). create institutional differences in legal systems, research funding, tax policies, talent management, etc., objectively affecting the overall innovation efficiency and depth of collaboration in the region.

就京津冀而言，从基础研究到产业化的中间环节仍然薄弱，原始创新优势向产业竞争优势转化不足，京津冀协同创新的制度成本仍然较高，尚未形成高度一体化的创新共同体。就长三角而言，在基础理论突破、颠覆性技术策源方面还存在短板，对全球科技前沿的引领能力有待增强，区域内部创新分工还不够清晰，在创新链关键环节的分工协作和资源整合上仍有提升空间。就粤港澳大湾区而言，基础研究和原始创新能力相对薄弱，科研投入的长期性和稳定性有欠缺，高端原始创新成果供给的持续性有待增强。“一个国家、两种制度、三个关税区、三种货币”的特殊条件，使其在法律体系、科研资助、税收政策、人才管理等方面存在制度差异，客观上影响了区域整体创新效率和协同深度。

In the next stage, the construction of the three centers should be promoted in a coordinated manner, differentiated positioning should be clarified, and through the establishment of cross-regional strategic coordination mechanisms, synergy should be formed in major scientific and technological tasks, international cooperation platforms, and global science and technology governance, promoting China's international science and technology innovation centers from "single-point breakthroughs" to "system leadership."

下一阶段，应统筹推进三大中心建设，明确差异化定位，通过建立跨区域的战略协同机制，在重大科技任务、国际合作平台和全球科技治理中形成合力，推动我国国际科技创新中心由“单点突破”走向“体系引领”。

The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region needs to enhance its global innovation source influence by strengthening original innovation. Relying on Beijing's dense national strategic scientific and technological forces, national laboratories and major science and technology infrastructure should be coordinated in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei layout, forming a basic research system of "multi-point support and network coordination," and continuously outputting original innovation achievements with international influence in frontier fields such as quantum information, artificial intelligence, and life sciences. Use the expansion to bridge the "intermediate fault zone" of achievement transformation, deploying functions such as pilot-scale amplification and engineering verification more in Tianjin and Hebei, building a complete chain from original innovation to industrialization. Enhance the internationalization level of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei collaborative innovation system, carry out deeper institutional innovation in areas such as cross-regional use of research funds, mobility of scientific researchers, and distribution of income from intellectual property transformation, align with internationally accepted rules, reduce the institutional costs of international scientific research cooperation and transnational R&D activities, and enhance the attraction of global high-end innovation resources.

京津冀需以强化原始创新提升全球创新策源影响力。依托北京密集的国家战略科技力量，在京津冀统筹布局国家实验室和重大科技基础设施，形成“多点支撑、网络协同”的基础研究体系，持续在量子信息、人工智能、生命科学等前沿领域输出具有国际影响力的原始创新成果；以扩围弥合成果转化的“中间断层”，将中试放大、工程化验证等功能更多布局在天津、河北，构建从原始创新到产业化的完整链条；提升京津冀协同创新制度的国际化水平，在科研经费跨区域使用、科研人员流动、知识产权转化收益分配等方面开展更深层次的制度创新，对标国际通行规则，降低国际科研合作和跨国研发活动的制度成本，增强对全球高端创新资源的吸引力。

The Yangtze River Delta needs to shape its international industrial innovation leadership through systemic integration capabilities. While consolidating advantageous industries such as integrated circuits and biomedicine, it must increase long-term investment in basic research and frontier exploration, promote the deep integration of original innovation achievements with the strong manufacturing system, and form globally leading technology pathways and industrial standards; optimize regional innovation division of labor and coordination mechanisms through expansion, coordinate the innovation layout of the four provinces and cities in the Yangtze River Delta, clarify the functional positioning of different cities in the innovation chain, avoid homogeneous competition, and promote the formation of an efficient collaboration model of "R&D in Shanghai, engineering in surrounding areas, and large-scale manufacturing in the hinterland"; enhance its hub status in the global innovation network, rely on Shanghai's status as an international financial center and international shipping center, develop technology finance and technology services, and strengthen its capacity to allocate global capital, technology, and talent.

长三角需以系统集成能力塑造国际产业创新引领力。在巩固集成电路、生物医药等优势产业的同时，加大对基础研究和前沿探索的长期投入，推动原始创新成果与强大制造体系深度融合，形成具有全球引领性的技术路线和产业标准；以扩围优化区域创新分工与协同机制，统筹长三角四省市的创新布局，明确不同城市在创新链中的功能定位，避免同质化竞争，推动形成“研发在上海、工程化在周边、规模化制造在腹地”的高效协作模式；提升在全球创新网络中的枢纽地位，依托上海国际金融中心和国际航运中心，发展科技金融和科技服务业，增强对全球资本、技术和人才的配置能力。

The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area needs to amplify its open innovation advantages by strengthening international connectivity. Promote institutional innovation, advance the alignment of rules and mechanisms between Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao in areas such as research funding, tax incentives, intellectual property protection, and talent management, and explore the establishment of institutional pilot zones for cross-border scientific research cooperation and achievement transformation; address the shortcomings in basic research, enhance the supply capacity of original innovation, lay out high-level basic research platforms and joint research institutions, guide the implementation of more long-term original scientific research projects, and improve the Greater Bay Area's capacity to generate cutting-edge technologies in frontier fields; fully leverage Hong Kong's function as an international science and technology innovation hub, rely on Hong Kong's advantages in international scientific research cooperation, technology finance, and legal services, promote the international transformation of mainland innovation achievements through Hong Kong, and enhance the visibility and influence of the Greater Bay Area in the global science and technology innovation system.

粤港澳大湾区需以强化国际联通放大开放创新优势。推动制度创新，在科研资助、税收激励、知识产权保护、人才管理等领域推动粤港澳规则衔接、机制对接，探索设立跨境科研合作和成果转化的制度试验区；补足基础研究短板，增强原始创新供给能力，布局高水平基础研究平台和联合研究机构，引导更多长期性原始创新科研项目落地，提升大湾区在前沿科技领域的策源能力；充分发挥香港国际科技创新枢纽功能，依托香港在国际科研合作、科技金融和法律服务等方面的优势，推动内地创新成果通过香港实现国际化转化，增强大湾区在全球科技创新体系中的可见度和影响力。

Through the coordinated layout and division of labor among the three major international science and technology innovation centers, China is expected to form a strategic pattern of multi-polar support and gradient connection within the global innovation landscape.

通过三大国际科技创新中心协同布局、分工协作，我国有望在全球创新版图中形成多极支撑、梯度衔接的战略格局。

(The author is a Distinguished Research Fellow of the Beijing Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era Research Center and a professor at the Party School of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the CPC.)

（作者系北京市习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想研究中心特约研究员、中共北京市委党校教授）

Online editor: Huihui

网络编辑：慧慧