Leading the Development of New Quality Productive Forces with Technological Innovation - This is How China Will Achieve Economic Growth by 2025

At the beginning of the new year, new trends in the field of innovation write footnotes for the development of new quality productivity —

The revised "Regulations on the National Natural Science Foundation" has been implemented, clarifying that "for major original and interdisciplinary innovation projects funded by the foundation, the foundation management agency can formulate special application and review regulations"; the S1000 type floating wind power generation system successfully flew and generated electricity in Jiangxi, with enterprises and universities working together to achieve the conversion of high-altitude wind energy into electrical energy; the Future Industry Research Institute in Wuhan, Hubei is continuously tracking and discovering key projects in future industries...

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "We must lead industrial innovation with technological innovation and actively cultivate and develop new quality productivity." The Central Economic Work Conference held at the end of last year proposed, "Lead the development of new quality productivity with technological innovation and build a modern industrial system."

Accelerating the development of new quality productivity is a current necessity, an urgent development need, and a trend for the future. Since the beginning of the year, various regions and departments have developed new quality productivity according to local conditions, continuously promoting the gathering of new momentum, the emergence of new business formats, and the growth of new industries, injecting more driving force and support for high-quality development.

The experiment is entering a critical stage — researchers carefully drop the liquid precursor onto the electrode, then place the electrode on a heating platform, waiting for it to turn into a solid electrode.

In Huairou, Beijing, at the Clean Energy Materials Testing Diagnosis and R&D Platform Laboratory of the Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, researcher Yu Xiqian leads a team conducting solid-state lithium battery R&D experiments.

△ The ultra-fast laser building control system project of the Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing Huairou, constructed by Nanjing Expansion Technology (click the image for details)

"Compared to the commonly used liquid electrolyte lithium batteries, solid-state lithium batteries use stable solid electrolytes, which can improve battery energy density and safety," said Yu Xiqian, adding that the team has successfully developed samples and is striving for early industrialization.

Tackle cutting-edge topics and continuously enhance the original innovation sourcing power.

Recently, domestic lithium research has made several advances in the "first kilometer": Tsinghua University has unveiled the veil of lithium bonds and lithium-ion bonds for the first time; the University of Science and Technology of China has discovered key factors that break through the capacity bottleneck of lithium-oxygen batteries; South China University of Technology's results provide new research materials and ideas for lithium metal anode interface protection...

The construction of national strategic scientific and technological forces is accelerating, with original innovation and industrial development "resonating in sync," allowing lithium to accelerate from the laboratory to application, driving the development of industries such as new energy vehicles, energy storage, and communications.

△ The Sichuan New Energy Vehicle Innovation Center project constructed by Nanjing Expansion Technology (click the image for details)

Currently, China's scientific and technological support capabilities are continuously strengthening, laying a good foundation for industrial development.

Seeing the diffraction pattern data analysis results of the deepest measurement point at the welded joint of the oil pipe, members of the neutron diffraction team of the China Spallation Neutron Source Engineering are overjoyed.

Using neutron diffraction technology, they recently completed the first domestic residual stress test of large-diameter high-strength oil and gas pipeline circumferential welds. "The results introduce new technology for pipeline research and highlight the supporting role of national major scientific and technological infrastructure," said team leader Li Xiaohu.

△ The "sister device" of the China Spallation Neutron Source - Southern Advanced Light Source Research Testing Platform (SAPS-TP) project constructed by Nanjing Expansion Technology (click the image for details)

Establish high-level R&D platforms to foster more significant research results.

In Hangzhou, Zhejiang, the ultra-weak magnetic large scientific device is being built and developed simultaneously, with results such as magnetometers providing fresh water for new industries; in Hefei, Anhui, the construction of the superconducting tokamak large scientific device cluster is accelerating, promoting the development and application of fusion energy...

"A strong science and technology country must possess strong original innovation capabilities. Large scientific devices can give birth to new scientific discoveries and keep technological innovation ahead," said Chinese Academy of Sciences academician Fang Jiancheng.

△ The Shanghai Super Strong Ultra Short Laser Experimental Device (SULF) project constructed by Nanjing Expansion Technology (click the image for details)

At the Juxin Coal Mine in Liupanshui City, Guizhou Province, 400 meters underground. Hard rock layers are being cut, crushed, and transported out. As the world's first mobile hard rock tunneling machine, the "Liangdu" has a maximum monthly excavation volume of 417.9 meters. With its assistance, the Juxin Coal Mine began production two years ahead of schedule.

"The first set of policy support has allowed new products to quickly grow into 'flagship products' and expand into dynamic after-sales services, equipment leasing, and other businesses," said Jiang Tao, office director of Guizhou Heila Technology Equipment Co., Ltd. Currently, the "Liangdu No. 2" shield machine under research is expected to be offline this year, with the company's overall sales revenue expected to exceed 1.2 billion yuan.

Act as a "magnifier" for market application, with scenario innovation becoming a new engine.

Beijing released a list of 30 innovative demands for smart cities; Zhejiang proposed exploring new operating models for intelligent connected vehicles in scenarios such as airports and scenic spots... Driven by policies, more and more new technologies, new products, and new scenario applications are landing, leading to technological breakthroughs and industrial upgrades.

"To promote high-quality development, we must strengthen technological innovation, especially original and disruptive technological innovation, and timely apply technological innovation results to specific industries," said Liu Dongmei, secretary of the Party Committee of the Chinese Academy of Science and Technology Development Strategy Research Institute.

△ The Nanjing Expansion Technology constructed the South Intelligent Advanced Optoelectronic Integrated Technology Research Institute project (click the image for details)

Traditional industries are being renewed and upgraded, and the transformation of new and old driving forces is accelerating with the development of new quality productivity.

At the factory of Ansteel Group Guan Baoshan Mining Co., Ltd., large ball mills roar, inspection robots collect data on equipment temperature, vibration, etc. in real-time, and cleaning robots continuously sweep dust.

The company's equipment deputy manager Liu Chunhui said that compared to traditional mineral processing methods, intelligence has improved the processing capacity of raw ore, concentrate output, and metal recovery rate, while enhancing the efficiency of ball mills and filter presses and reducing overall energy consumption.

From unmanned mines to smart ports, under the empowerment of digital technology and green technology, new quality productivity in traditional industries is also accelerating formation. In 2024, China's manufacturing industry investment in technological transformation is expected to grow by 8% compared to the previous year. By 2025, China aims to build more than 500 intelligent manufacturing demonstration factories leading industry development.

△ The advanced additive manufacturing laboratory (AAM Lab) project of Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou) constructed by Nanjing Expansion Technology (click the image for details)

Strategic emerging industries continuously seek innovation to create differentiated competitive advantages.

In one minute, more than 10,000 solar cells can be produced. Currently, 70% of the global photovoltaic modules come from China.

In recent years, China's "new three samples" products have performed well, but some emerging industries face repeated layouts and "involution" competition, which not only reduces resource utilization and allocation efficiency but also hinders the healthy development of the industry.

How to break the situation? Trina Solar Limited provides the answer: transform from "price involution" to "value creation."

In Changzhou, Jiangsu, over 200 researchers are advancing the research of next-generation high-efficiency solar cell technology.

"We focus on three major directions: crystalline silicon, perovskite, and III-V solar cells, striving to reduce costs and increase efficiency," said Gao Jifan, chairman of Trina Solar. "Against the backdrop of the construction of a new power system, the company's revenue from integrated solar storage solutions has exceeded 30% of total revenue, becoming the 'second growth curve.'"

Strategic emerging industries are key areas for cultivating new momentum for development and creating new advantages in our country. In 2024, the added value of high-tech manufacturing above designated size in our country increased by 8.9% compared to the previous year, significantly faster than the growth rate of industrial enterprises above designated size. Last year, the effective number of invention patents in strategic emerging industries reached 1.349 million, a year-on-year increase of 15.7%.

△ The Ordos New Energy Research Institute project constructed by Nanjing Expansion Technology (click the image for details)

*Main content excerpted from "People's Daily" (February 7, 2025, Page 01)