The Formation Logic and Impact of New Quality Productive Forces

General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized at the symposium on promoting the comprehensive revitalization of Northeast China in the New Era: “Actively cultivate strategic emerging industries such as new energy, new materials, advanced manufacturing, and electronic information, actively cultivate future industries, accelerate the formation of new quality productive forces, and enhance new momentum for development.” New quality productive forces is a new concept proposed by the Party Central Committee based on the frontiers of world science and technology, with a view to the goal and task of comprehensively building a modern socialist country. On the new journey of the New Era, we must deeply understand and grasp the great significance, basic characteristics, formation logic, and profound impact of new quality productive forces, integrate innovation throughout all aspects and the entire process of modernization, continuously open up new fields and new tracks for development, and provide lasting momentum for the high-quality development of China’s economy.

习近平总书记在新时代推动东北全面振兴座谈会上强调：“积极培育新能源、新材料、先进制造、电子信息等战略性新兴产业，积极培育未来产业，加快形成新质生产力，增强发展新动能。”新质生产力是党中央立足于世界科技进步的前沿，着眼于全面建成社会主义现代化强国这一目标任务提出的新概念。新时代新征程，我们要深入理解和把握新质生产力的重大意义、基本特点、形成逻辑和深刻影响，把创新贯穿于现代化建设各方面全过程，不断开辟发展新领域新赛道，为我国经济高质量发展提供持久动能。

Great Significance

重大意义

The proposal of new quality productive forces has great theoretical and practical significance.

新质生产力的提出，具有重大理论和现实意义。

Developing new quality productive forces is the key to building a modern great power. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has made a two-step strategic arrangement for comprehensively building a modern socialist country. [1]1 The “two-step” strategic arrangement refers to the plan to basically realize socialist modernization by 2035 and to build China into a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful by the middle of the 21st century. Whether it is building a manufacturing powerhouse, a quality powerhouse, an aerospace powerhouse, a transportation powerhouse, a cyber powerhouse, or a digital China, or realizing new industrialization, informatization, urbanization, and agricultural modernization, all require achieving high-quality development, and developing new quality productive forces is an important driving force for promoting high-quality economic and social development in China. New quality productive forces exhibit characteristics such as being driven by disruptive innovative technologies and having relatively high development quality. Strategic emerging industries and future industries, as key areas for forming and developing new quality productive forces, possess cutting-edge and disruptive technologies. By integrating scientific and technological innovation resources to lead the development of these industries, it helps to continuously enhance China’s economic strength, scientific and technological strength, comprehensive national power, and international influence.

发展新质生产力是建设现代化强国的关键所在。党的十八大以来，以习近平同志为核心的党中央对全面建成社会主义现代化强国作出了分两步走的战略安排。无论是建设制造强国、质量强国、航天强国、交通强国、网络强国、数字中国，还是实现新型工业化、信息化、城镇化、农业现代化，都要求实现高质量发展，而发展新质生产力是推动我国经济社会高质量发展的重要动力。新质生产力呈现出颠覆性创新技术驱动、发展质量较高等特征。战略性新兴产业和未来产业作为形成和发展新质生产力的重点领域，拥有前沿技术、颠覆性技术，通过整合科技创新资源引领发展这些产业，有助于推动我国经济实力、科技实力、综合国力和国际影响力持续增强。

Developing new quality productive forces is an important support for enhancing international competitiveness. In a certain sense, whichever country possesses advanced science and technology, especially disruptive technologies, and has strategic emerging industries and future industries at the world-leading level, is more likely to occupy a leading position in the world. The First Industrial Revolution occurred in Britain, where the steam engine and mechanical spinning machines became disruptive technologies of the time; the rapid development of industries represented by these technologies propelled Britain to a world hegemonic position. During the Second Industrial Revolution, the United States established an industrial system with electricity, petroleum, chemicals, and automobiles as its pillars, becoming the leader and biggest beneficiary in the technological and industrial revolution. To build China into a modern socialist great power, we must seize the huge opportunities brought by the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation, rely on independent innovation, accelerate the formation of new quality productive forces, vigorously develop strategic emerging industries and future industries, and open up new tracks and create new advantages.

发展新质生产力是提升国际竞争力的重要支撑。在一定意义上，哪个国家拥有先进科学技术特别是拥有颠覆性技术，拥有处于世界领先地位的战略性新兴产业和未来产业，哪个国家就更有可能居于世界领先地位。第一次工业革命发生在英国，蒸汽机、机械纺纱机等成为当时的颠覆性技术，以这些技术为代表的产业快速发展，促使英国走上世界霸主地位；第二次产业革命时期，美国建立起以电力、石油、化工和汽车等为支柱的产业体系，在科技和产业革命中成为领航者和最大获利者。把我国建设成为社会主义现代化强国，就要把握好新一轮科技革命和产业变革带来的巨大机遇，依靠自主创新，加快形成新质生产力，大力发展战略性新兴产业和未来产业，开辟新赛道、打造新优势。

Developing new quality productive forces is an inevitable requirement for better meeting the people’s growing needs for a better life. Entering the New Era, the people’s needs for a better life are increasingly broad. Not only do they put forward higher requirements for material and cultural life, but their demands for higher-level and more diverse ecological products, cultural products, etc., are also stronger. Accelerating the formation and development of new quality productive forces and improving the level of scientific and technological innovation will help promote industrial transformation and upgrading, form a high-quality, efficient, and diversified supply system, provide more high-quality products and services, and continuously meet the people’s needs for a better life.

发展新质生产力是更好满足人民群众对美好生活需要的必然要求。进入新时代，人民美好生活需要日益广泛，不仅对物质文化生活提出了更高要求，而且对更高层次、更加多元的生态产品、文化产品等需求也更为强烈。加快形成和发展新质生产力，提高科技创新水平，有助于推动产业转型升级，形成优质高效多样化的供给体系，提供更多优质产品和服务，不断满足人民群众对美好生活的需要。

Basic Characteristics

基本特点

Compared with traditional productive forces, new quality productive forces are productive forces that encompass elements of an entirely new quality, signifying a leap in the level of productive forces.

与传统生产力相比，新质生产力是包容了全新质态要素的生产力，意味着生产力水平的跃迁。

From the perspective of the main body, traditional productive forces are mostly carried by traditional industries, while new quality productive forces are mostly carried by new industries that apply new technologies. Of course, traditional industries are not necessarily backward industries; after transformation and upgrading, they can also give birth to new industries and form new quality productive forces.

从主体来看，传统生产力大多由传统产业作为承载主体，新质生产力大多由运用新技术的新产业承载。当然，传统产业不一定就是落后产业，经过转型升级后，也能够孕育新产业、形成新质生产力。

From the perspective of growth potential, traditional productive forces have low growth potential and slow growth rates; new quality productive forces have relatively high growth potential and relatively fast growth rates, showing an accelerating development trend.

从成长性来看，传统生产力成长性较低，增长速度较慢；新质生产力则具有比较高的成长性，增长速度比较快，呈现加速发展趋势。

From the perspective of labor productivity, the labor productivity of traditional productive forces is relatively low, while new quality productive forces exhibit a higher level in the three aspects of laborers, means of labor, and objects of labor, resulting in relatively high labor productivity. They provide new products and new services, or their products and services have better new performance.

从劳动生产率来看，传统生产力的劳动生产率相对较低，而新质生产力在劳动者、劳动资料、劳动对象三个方面都呈现出更高的水平，劳动生产率比较高，提供的是新产品新服务，或其产品和服务具有更好的新的性能。

From the perspective of the competitive environment, the technical threshold for industries forming traditional productive forces is relatively low, competition is relatively fierce, and profit margins are relatively low; the emerging industries forming new quality productive forces belong to new tracks, the technical threshold for entry is relatively high, competition is relatively small, and profit margins are relatively high.

从竞争环境看，形成传统生产力的产业技术门槛相对较低，竞争比较激烈，利润率也相对较低；形成新质生产力的新兴产业属于新赛道，进入的技术门槛比较高，竞争相对较小，利润率相对较高。

From the perspective of the constituent elements of productive forces, the industries where traditional productive forces are located do not require high labor quality; while the new industries forming new quality productive forces require higher labor quality and can develop and utilize more factors of production.

从生产力的构成要素看，传统生产力所在的产业对劳动力素质要求不高；而形成新质生产力的新产业对劳动力素质要求更高，能够开发和利用更多的生产要素。

Formation Logic

形成逻辑

The recently held Central Economic Work Conference pointed out that we must use scientific and technological innovation to promote industrial innovation, especially to use disruptive technologies and cutting-edge technologies to give birth to new industries, new models, and new momentum, and develop new quality productive forces. [2]2 The Central Economic Work Conference is an annual high-level meeting convened by the CPC Central Committee to set economic policy priorities for the following year. Emerging industries are important carriers for forming new quality productive forces. Emerging industries are dynamically developing. Compared with previous emerging industries, in the current era, scientific and technological innovation can give birth to more new industries, and the fields covered are also broader. During the First Industrial Revolution, the fields covered by emerging industries were mainly textiles, coal, and other industries; during the Second Industrial Revolution, emerging industries were more reflected in the fields of the electric power industry, chemical industry, petroleum industry, and automobile industry; during the Third Industrial Revolution, emerging industries were mainly concentrated in the fields of information technology, network technology, etc. Currently, emerging industries involve energy conservation and environmental protection, new-generation information technology, high-end equipment manufacturing, new energy, new materials, intelligent manufacturing, etc., covering an increasingly wide range of fields and capable of driving the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries. The technology of emerging industries has a process of continuous maturation from research and development to promotion and application, and emerging industries also have a growth process of emergence, development, and expansion.

近日召开的中央经济工作会议指出，要以科技创新推动产业创新，特别是以颠覆性技术和前沿技术催生新产业、新模式、新动能，发展新质生产力。新兴产业是形成新质生产力的重要载体。新兴产业是动态发展的。与以往的新兴产业相比，当今时代，科技创新能够催生出更多新产业，覆盖领域也更加广泛。第一次工业革命时期，新兴产业覆盖领域主要是纺织、煤炭等行业；第二次产业革命时期，新兴产业更多地体现在电力工业、化学工业、石油工业和汽车工业等领域；第三次产业革命时期，新兴产业主要集中在信息技术、网络技术等领域。当前，新兴产业则涉及节能环保、新一代信息技术、高端装备制造、新能源、新材料、智能制造等，覆盖领域越来越广，能够带动传统产业改造升级。新兴产业的技术有一个从研发到推广应用的不断成熟的过程，新兴产业也有一个产生、发展和壮大的成长过程。

Emerging industries come from advanced technology. Advanced technology comes from scientific discoveries and technological inventions. Both scientific discoveries and technological inventions are inseparable from talent, platforms, and funding. The cultivation of talent depends on various schools, research institutes, and enterprises. This requires deepening the reform of the education system. Whether it is basic education, higher education, or vocational education, attention must be paid to stimulating the innovative thinking and creative abilities of talent. It is necessary to deepen the reform of the scientific research system and mechanism, attach importance to basic research, focus on cultivating talent in basic disciplines, concentrate on major inventions, discoveries, and scientific and technological achievements, and focus on tackling key problems around major practical issues. Cultivating talent also requires platforms; without first-class experimental platforms, it is difficult to cultivate first-class talent and produce first-class scientific research results. In today’s highly developed science and technology, first-class scientific research results require first-class laboratories as support. It is necessary to build national key laboratories around major strategic needs; build regional comprehensive national key laboratories around regional strategic needs and practical issues; and build key laboratories in universities, research institutes, and enterprises around teaching and research needs. The cultivation and expansion of emerging industries, especially strategic emerging industries, and the development of future industries also require financial support. At the same time, it is necessary to build mechanisms conducive to stimulating the enthusiasm and creativity of talent, encouraging more and better results; there must be mechanisms for tolerating failure, especially for some scientific discoveries and technological inventions with very long research and development cycles, requiring strategic patience.

新兴产业来自于先进技术。先进技术来自于科学发现和技术发明。无论是科学发现还是技术发明，都离不开人才、平台、资金。人才的培养依赖各类学校、科研院所和企业。这就需要深化教育体制改革，无论是基础教育、高等教育还是职业教育，都要注重激发人才的创新性思维和创造性能力。需要深化科研体制机制改革，重视基础研究，着力培养基础学科人才，着眼于重大发明、发现和科技成果，围绕重大现实问题集中攻关。培养人才还需要平台，没有一流的实验平台就难以培养出一流的人才并产生一流的科研成果。在科技高度发达的今天，一流的科研成果需要一流的实验室作为支撑，要围绕重大战略需求，建设国家重点实验室；围绕区域战略需求和现实问题，建设区域综合性国家重点实验室；围绕教学和科研需求，建设高校科研院所和企业重点实验室。新兴产业特别是战略性新兴产业的培育壮大和未来产业的发展还需要资金支持。同时，要构建有利于激发人才积极性创造性的机制，鼓励多出成果、出好成果；要有宽容失败的机制，特别是对于一些研发周期很长的科学发现和技术发明，需要保持战略耐心。

In addition to technological factors, institutional factors are also particularly important for forming new quality productive forces. Productive forces always move forward, and they do not develop at a uniform speed; sometimes they develop quickly, sometimes slowly. Countries around the world also do not develop at the same speed; some develop quickly, some slowly. Since the founding of New China, especially since reform and opening up, the development of China’s productive forces and the progress of science and technology have entered a period of accelerated development, gradually narrowing the gap with developed countries. In some fields, China has increasingly shifted from following behind to running alongside and taking the lead. Forming and developing new quality productive forces requires comprehensively deepening reform to provide institutional guarantees for continuously improving productive forces.

形成新质生产力除了技术因素外，制度因素也尤为重要。生产力总是要向前进步的，而且并不是匀速地发展，有时发展快，有时发展慢；世界各国也不是以相同的速度发展的，有的国家发展快，有的国家发展慢。新中国成立特别是改革开放以来，我国生产力发展和科学技术进步进入了加速发展时期，与发达国家的差距逐渐缩小，在一些领域由过去的跟跑，越来越多地转变为并跑和领跑。形成和发展新质生产力，需要通过全面深化改革，为持续提高生产力提供制度保障。

Specifically, to form new quality productive forces, it is necessary to have an ecosystem and mechanism for transforming scientific and technological achievements into actual productive forces. Scientific and technological achievements are not yet actual productive forces; a transformation mechanism needs to be established, and the construction of a high-standard technology trading market must be accelerated. An open innovation ecosystem should be built, with efforts focused on promoting the integrated development of industry, academia, research, and application. Priority should be given to perfecting basic reforms such as the evaluation system, and implementing systems such as "open competition to select the best candidates" and "horse racing" [3]3 "Open competition to select the best candidates" (揭榜挂帅) and "horse racing" (赛马) are institutional mechanisms used in China's science and technology management to encourage competition and select the most capable teams or individuals for research projects., so that scientific and technical personnel with genuine talent can have a stage to display their abilities.

具体来看，形成新质生产力，需要有科技成果转化为现实生产力的生态和机制。科技成果还不是现实生产力，需要构建转化机制，加快建设高标准技术交易市场。要构建开放创新生态，着力推进产学研用一体化发展，重点抓好完善评价制度等基础改革，实行“揭榜挂帅”“赛马”等制度，让有真才实学的科技人员英雄有用武之地。

Furthermore, the formation and development of new quality productive forces require both an effective market and a competent government. An effective market is reflected in the allocation of production factors through the market and market pricing to enhance efficiency and benefits; a competent government is reflected in creating a favorable innovation ecosystem and stimulating the vitality of innovation entities. The market should be allowed to play a decisive role in resource allocation, while the government's role should be better utilized. The institutional advantage of China's ability to concentrate resources to accomplish major undertakings and the advantage of the ultra-large-scale market should be leveraged to overcome difficulties, strengthen and expand strategic emerging industries, and accelerate the innovative development of future industries.

此外，形成和发展新质生产力，既需要有效市场也需要有为政府。有效市场体现在通过市场配置生产要素、市场定价提升效率和效益，有为政府体现在营造良好创新生态，激发创新主体活力。要让市场在资源配置中发挥决定性作用，更好发挥政府作用，用好我国集中力量办大事的制度优势与超大规模市场优势，攻克难关，做大做强战略性新兴产业，加快促进未来产业创新发展。

Profound Impact

深刻影响

The scientific and technological innovation that forms new quality productive forces is not ordinary scientific and technological innovation, but innovation in basic science, frontier technologies, and disruptive technologies with enormous potential. These major scientific and technological innovations will profoundly change people's modes of production, lifestyles, and ways of thinking, thereby bringing profound and lasting transformations to the economy and society.

形成新质生产力的科技创新不是一般性的科技创新，而是具有巨大潜力的基础科学、前沿技术和颠覆性技术的创新。这些重大科技创新将深刻地改变人们的生产方式、生活方式、思维方式，进而为经济社会带来深刻而持久的变革。

At the economic level, it can bring about significant efficiency changes and power changes. The efficiency change brought about by new quality productive forces is not an improvement in the efficiency of a single production factor, but an increase in total factor productivity. The power change it generates comes from the core driving force of scientific and technological innovation. By improving the quality and efficiency of the supply system, it uses high-quality supply to lead and create new demand, thereby promoting high-quality development of the economy. The scale and quality of strategic emerging industries that a country or region possesses at a globally leading level, as well as the cultivation and development status of future industries, determine to a certain extent the economic strength and position of that country or region.

从经济层面上看，能够带来显著的效率变革和动力变革。新质生产力所带来的效率变革不是单个生产要素的效率提高，而是全要素生产率的提高，其所产生的动力变革来自于科技创新这一核心推动力，通过提高供给体系质量和效率，以高质量供给引领和创造新需求，从而推动经济实现高质量发展。一国或地区拥有的处于全球领先地位的战略性新兴产业的规模和质量，以及未来产业的培育和发展状况，在一定程度上决定了该国或地区的经济实力和地位。

At the social level, it can bring about profound impacts on production, life, and other aspects. First, new quality productive forces greatly improve labor productivity. While bringing more profits to enterprises, they also significantly reduce labor intensity, especially the intensity of heavy physical labor, improve the working environment, and effectively shorten labor time. Second, the new products and new services provided by new quality productive forces enhance people's quality of life and improve their living standards. Third, in the long term, the technological progress brought about by developing new quality productive forces will increase mental labor and prompt more laborers to engage in research and development, services, and other work. It should also be noted that while the application of new technologies promotes the progress of social civilization, it may also bring some negative impacts. For example, the development of information technology can bring great convenience to people, but it also carries risks such as leaking personal privacy, which objectively requires further improvement of relevant systems and rules.

从社会层面上看，能够带来生产生活等多方面的深刻影响。首先，新质生产力极大提高了劳动生产率，在给企业带来更多利润的同时，也大大降低了劳动强度特别是重体力劳动强度，改善了劳动环境，有效缩短了劳动时间。其次，新质生产力所提供的新产品、新服务提高了人们的生活品质，改善了生活质量。再次，从长期来看，发展新质生产力带来的技术进步会使脑力劳动增加，并促使更多的劳动者从事研发、服务等工作。还要看到，新技术的应用在推动社会文明进步的同时，也可能带来一些负面影响，比如信息技术的发展能够给人们带来极大便捷，但也有泄露个人隐私等风险，客观上需要进一步完善相关制度和规则等。

[The author is a researcher at the Research Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era at the Party School of the Central Committee of the CPC (National Academy of Governance) and Director of the Department of Economics.]

【作者系中央党校（国家行政学院）习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想研究中心研究员、经济学教研部主任】

Online editor: Zhang Fujun

网络编辑：张福军