On November 30, the general secretary presided over a symposium on in-depth promotion of the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta in Shanghai and delivered an important speech, eagerly expecting the Yangtze River Delta region to better play a leading and exemplary role in Chinese-style modernization. In the five years since the implementation of the national strategy for the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta, important breakthroughs have been made in the fields of infrastructure connectivity, industrial synergy and complementarity, coordinated economic and social development, and joint protection and governance of the ecological environment, but there are still many deep-seated problems to achieve the goals of "integration" and "high quality", and efforts need to be made in scientific and technological innovation and institutional innovation. An integrated science and technology system is an important support for achieving high-quality development, and the Yangtze River Delta region should vigorously promote scientific and technological innovation. Coordinate the promotion of high-level self-reliance and self-improvement in science and technology, relying on the comprehensive national science centers of Shanghai and Anhui, and combining the scientific and technological innovation resources of Jiangsu and Zhejiang, focusing on a number of world-leading scientific issues of common concern, and building major scientific and technological infrastructure clusters. Scientifically lay out and build major innovation bases such as national laboratories, national technology innovation centers, and national industrial innovation centers, and establish a scientific and technological innovation community with risk sharing, benefit sharing, and multiple subjects, so as to enhance the ability to curate innovation. Focusing on the major needs of the country, in the fields of basic research, applied basic research, and applied technology research and development, we will jointly implement major scientific and technological projects, establish a unified scientific and technological plan management platform, promote the sharing of scientific and technological achievements, build a regional integrated technology transfer system, and promote the deep integration of science and technology with the economy and society. It is necessary to focus on promoting the deep integration of scientific and technological innovation and industrial innovation. Facing the needs of industrial innovation, focusing on key areas such as integrated circuits, biomedicine, artificial intelligence, advanced materials, and high-end equipment, we will jointly carry out key core technology research, and establish a number of common technology public platforms such as chip design, industrial software research and development, material verification, and equipment technology, so as to provide high-quality services for industries, industries, and enterprises. Facing the industrial innovation chain, relying on the national high-tech industrial development zone, we will promote cross-regional and cross-field cooperation among various innovation subjects of industry, academia, research and application, and build a whole-process industrial innovation chain of basic research, technology development, achievement transformation and industrial growth. Focusing on regional advantageous industries, we will establish technological innovation alliances, create a number of industry-university-research collaborative innovation centers with enterprises as the main body, and promote the formation of world-class high-end industrial clusters. Facing new industries, new business forms and new models, we will give full play to the value and role of strategic resources of data elements, coordinate the establishment of high-quality industrial data sets in key industries, vigorously promote the application of big data and artificial intelligence, fully stimulate the enthusiasm of enterprises for product innovation and service innovation, give birth to new business forms and new models with digital technology breakthroughs and business innovation, and cultivate a number of leading enterprises in the digital economy. An integrated institutional system is an important guarantee for achieving high-quality development, and the Yangtze River Delta region should vigorously promote institutional innovation. The three provinces and one municipality should adhere to the idea of a game of chess, break down regional division and administrative barriers, eliminate local protectionism, dismantle local interest barriers, strengthen the convergence development strategy, take the initiative to connect with the overall goals and key tasks when formulating various plans, and form a top-level design that is consistent with the orientation, goals and layout of economic and social development. It is necessary to take the lead in establishing a unified market, and jointly create a first-class business environment with unified market rules, policies, and unified market access and supervision. It is necessary to realize the rational flow and efficient allocation of resource elements, coordinate the planning and management of construction land, guide the rational layout of industry and economy, establish a unified human resources market system, promote the orderly flow of talents and labor in the region, make full use of the functions of the Shanghai ** Exchange and the Shanghai Data Exchange, accelerate the cultivation and development of a unified data and capital market, promote the development of the digital economy, and build a modern industrial system. It is necessary to actively explore the formulation of unified public service standards, sort out the business handling process, handling materials and processing time of each government service brand of "one network", "one run at most" and "non-face-to-face approval", so as to realize the seamless connection of cross-regional business handling, so that enterprises and the masses have more sense of gain and satisfaction. Efforts should be made to promote the continued exploration and practice of institutional innovation in the demonstration zone. Since its establishment in November 2019, the Yangtze River Delta Ecological Green Integrated Development Demonstration Zone has formed a total of 136 institutional innovation achievements, of which 38 have been replicated and promoted across the country. After more than four years of exploration, the demonstration zone has implemented "one map for planning", formed "one ruler for environmental protection", promoted "market integration", and carried out "one network office for government affairs", showing a new look of high-quality and integrated development. For example, the water environment quality of key transboundary water bodies in the demonstration zone has reached or exceeded the 2025 target ahead of schedule by carrying out joint protection and management of key transboundary water bodies and establishing a "three unifications" system for ecological and environmental governance. The Yuandang Lake water system, located in Qingpu in Shanghai and Wujiang in Jiangsu, presents the beautiful scenery of "green water and clear waves" and "shallow bottom of fish flying", vividly demonstrating the remarkable effect of institutional innovation in promoting the improvement of the ecological environment. Next, the demonstration zone should continue to deepen the innovation of the integrated system, carry out deeper reform practices in the overall planning of land space, the guarantee of construction land indicators, and the joint protection and management of cross-border water bodies, further strengthen the breakthrough and effect release of institutional and mechanism innovation, and provide a good institutional supply for green and low-carbon development. It is believed that by vigorously promoting scientific and technological innovation and institutional innovation, we will be able to make new major breakthroughs in the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta more quickly, better play the role of pioneering exploration, leading demonstration, and radiation, and make new and greater contributions to the new journey of comprehensively promoting the construction of a strong country and national rejuvenation with Chinese-style modernization. 
The author of this article is Shao Zhiqing, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and full-time deputy chairman of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Zhi Gong Party.
*: CPPCC Daily (December 14, 2023 Edition 03).
Author: Shao Zhiqing Layout Editor: Wang Huifeng Xin**Editor: Hong Lin Review: Zhou Jiajia