The 2024 Provincial High-quality Development Conference will focus on industrial science and technology innovation and seek the future, continue to build a solid foundation for the real economy and manufacturing industry, continue to promote high-quality development, and loudly sound the clarion call to accelerate the mutual promotion of industrial science and technology, and strive to build a modern new Guangdong that relies on innovation, innovation, and innovation. This is a conference with a clear direction, firm confidence, and inspiring enthusiasm, which will surely lead the whole province to continuously shape new momentum and new advantages for development, and strive to promote high-quality development.
For two consecutive years, the "First Meeting of the New Year" focused on the same theme, which shows that Guangdong attaches great importance to high-quality development - it is the last word in the new era, and it is the only way, a bright road, and a road to forge ahead for Guangdong to achieve modernization. Promoting industrial scientific and technological innovation and developing new quality productive forces is Guangdong's strategic move and long-term strategy, and it will also be a hard race, endurance race, and relay race. Looking at the overall situation, seizing opportunities, and taking the road, Guangdong, as a major economic province and manufacturing province, must unswervingly take the road of high-quality development, promote the spirit of self-confidence and self-improvement, show the creation of rapid change, and strive to be at the forefront of promoting Chinese-style modernization. Based on the present, how to accelerate the development of new quality productivity and continuously enhance the "hard power" of high-quality development? How to grasp the "bull's nose" of scientific and technological innovation and support modernization with high-quality development? How to be energetic from reform and effectively break through the stuck points that restrict industrial scientific and technological innovation? Guo Wanda, a member of the expert group of the Chief Executive Policy Group of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), an advisor to the National Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies, and executive vice president of the China (Shenzhen) Comprehensive Development Research Institute, explained and interpreted the decision-making and deployment of the "First Meeting of the New Year" from multiple levels and perspectives, and made suggestions and suggestions for the high-quality development of Guangdong.
The ** Economic Work Conference held in December 2023 emphasized that it is necessary to "lead the construction of a modern industrial system with scientific and technological innovation", and clearly requires that industrial innovation be promoted by scientific and technological innovation, especially disruptive technologies and cutting-edge technologies to give birth to new industries, new models, new kinetic energy, and develop new quality productivity. As an important international science and technology innovation center, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area has an important strategic position in the national innovation system. At present, in the context of a new round of scientific and technological revolution and accelerated industrial transformation, the Greater Bay Area should continue to implement the innovation-driven development strategy, and make efforts in five aspects: improving original innovation capabilities, promoting the integrated development of industrial clusters, improving the scientific and technological innovation ecosystem, smoothing the international scientific and technological cycle, and promoting the integration of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao science and technology market, so as to promote industrial innovation with scientific and technological innovation and accelerate the construction of an international science and technology innovation center.
The first is to strengthen basic research and cutting-edge research, improve the ability of original innovation, and enhance the level of scientific and technological innovation.
The original innovation ability is the basic support for the international science and technology innovation center to maintain its comprehensive competitiveness, and it is also an important guarantee for enterprises to continuously break through high and new technologies and maintain innovation vitality. Compared with advanced cities in China and first-class international bay areas, the original innovation capabilities of the Greater Bay Area need to be improved. For example, there are two national laboratories in the 11 cities in the Greater Bay Area, fewer than four in Beijing and three in Shanghai. The proportion of R&D investment in basic research in the Greater Bay Area is only 47%, much lower than Beijing (14.).8%) and Shanghai (78%), which is also lower than the New York Bay Area and Tokyo Bay Area. In the 2022 Nature Index – Research Cities Top 100 list released by Nature magazine, Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Shenzhen ranked 10th, 23rd and 28th respectively, while Beijing, Shanghai and Nanjing ranked 1st, 3rd and 8th respectively, leading the Greater Bay Area cities. In the context of intensified global science and technology competition and accelerated restructuring of the industrial chain, strengthening basic research and cutting-edge research is particularly important for the construction of an international science and technology innovation center in the Greater Bay Area.
Specifically, in the northern metropolis of Hong Kong and major cooperation platforms such as Hengqin, Qianhai, Nansha and Hetao, Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao should jointly plan and build national laboratories, national engineering research centers and large scientific facilities in key areas such as information technology, life sciences and biotechnology, and strengthen joint research on key core technologies. It is necessary to set up a decision-making body for scientific research infrastructure in the Greater Bay Area, coordinate the construction management of existing large-scale scientific research infrastructure in the Greater Bay Area and future planning and construction, and initiate and organize relevant large-scale scientific research projects and international forums. It is necessary to support universities and scientific research institutions in Hong Kong, Macao and the Greater Bay Area to independently or jointly apply for the National Key Basic Research and Development Program, the National High-tech Research and Development Program, the National Science and Technology Support Program and the National Science and Technology Major Project. Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao will join hands to attract and promote the world's top universities to set up campuses in key areas such as the Northern Metropolis, gather global high-end innovation resources and talents, and enhance the level of scientific and technological innovation in the Greater Bay Area.
Second, it is necessary to accelerate the integrated development of "science and technology clusters + industrial clusters", promote industrial innovation, and cultivate and develop new quality productivity.
The new quality productivity is the result of the common development of scientific and technological innovation and industrial innovation, and the breakthrough and industrialization of disruptive technology and cutting-edge technology are the key to the generation of new quality productivity. The Greater Bay Area has world-leading science and technology clusters and industrial clusters, which promote the integrated development of clusters, and are expected to give birth to disruptive and cutting-edge technologies, as well as industrialization and scale. According to the Global Innovation Index report released by the World Intellectual Property Organization, the "Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou" science and technology cluster has ranked second in the world for four consecutive years. In the list of 45 national advanced manufacturing clusters officially announced by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Greater Bay Area has 6, tied with Jiangsu Province for the first place. In addition, Guangdong is making every effort to build "Ten Strategic Pillar Industrial Clusters" and "Ten Strategic Emerging Industrial Clusters", which will surely promote the integrated development of industrial clusters in the Greater Bay Area.
Under the new situation, the Greater Bay Area needs to accelerate the integrated development of "science and technology clusters + industrial clusters", promote strategic emerging industrial clusters to continue to move towards high-end, intelligent and green, and promote the development of new industries, new formats and new models with breakthroughs in strategic cutting-edge technologies. It is necessary to take Hong Kong, Macao, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen as the core, plan and build the "Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Science and Technology Innovation Corridor", and plan major projects in the reform and innovation of scientific research system, the joint construction of scientific research platform carriers, the open sharing of scientific research resources, the industrial transformation of scientific and technological achievements, and the linkage development of science and technology parks, so as to gather various innovative elements. It is necessary to rely on key innovation platforms such as Qianhai Cooperation Zone, Hetao Cooperation Zone, Xili Lake International Science and Education City, Guangming Science City, Dongguan Songshan Lake Science City, China-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City, Guangzhou Science City, etc., to coordinate the layout of advanced manufacturing industrial parks in the Greater Bay Area, promote the linkage and coordination between innovation platforms and industrial parks in terms of space, factor resources, and achievement transformation mechanisms, and improve the innovation level and level of industrial clusters. It is necessary to rely on the six national advanced manufacturing clusters, promote the joint preparation of cross-regional strategic industrial cluster planning in Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Foshan, Dongguan, Huizhou and other cities under the overall planning of the provincial level, promote the coordinated development of strategic industries in the top-level design, explore a more market-oriented effective model of industrial gradient transfer and integrated development and sharing, and build a world-class leading strategic industrial cluster.
Third, it is necessary to strengthen the reform of the system and mechanism, explore the Guangdong path of the "new first-class system", and improve the scientific and technological innovation ecosystem.
The development experience of the world's major international science and technology innovation centers shows that whoever can create a world-class scientific research environment through institutional innovation, create a vibrant innovation ecosystem, and maximize the value of scientific and technological innovation elements in the system will be able to attract global resources and continue to maintain a leading position in the field of science and technology. As one of the regions with the highest degree of openness in China, the Greater Bay Area must be at the forefront of the country in the reform of the scientific and technological innovation system and mechanism, and accelerate the construction of a more dynamic and free scientific research environment.
Specifically, it is necessary to speed up the implementation of the Guangdong path of exploring the "new first-class system" of scientific research organizations, reform the organization and implementation of scientific research projects, and improve the allocation and management methods of basic research funds. Establish a technological innovation system with enterprises as the main body, market-oriented, and deep integration of production, education and research, and encourage and support enterprises to participate in and lead major scientific and technological projects. Deeply connect with Hong Kong and international scientific research management systems, and carry out whole-process innovation in scientific research project evaluation, fund expenditure, achievement transformation, incentive system, etc. With new R&D institutions as the carrier, we will create more "government-industry-university-research" complexes, accelerate scientific research cooperation between different subjects, and stimulate more scientific creation and scientific discovery. It is necessary to adhere to the establishment of a talent evaluation system guided by innovation value, ability and contribution, and establish a targeted evaluation system for different types of scientific and technological talents. Guide the agglomeration and development of innovative capital such as angel investment, venture capital, and private equity investment, explore diversified scientific and technological financial service models such as investment-loan linkage, intellectual property pledge financing, and science and technology innovation insurance, and explore the establishment of financing mechanisms that meet the requirements of the development of new productive forces and meet the characteristics of science and technology enterprises.
Fourth, it is necessary to deepen international cooperation, smooth the international cycle of scientific and technological innovation, and take the lead in promoting the institutional opening of rules, regulations, management and standards that are conducive to scientific and technological innovation.
The construction of an international science and technology innovation center in the Greater Bay Area must be open, cooperative and win-win, rather than a "closed-door" style of "self-appreciation". In particular, the Greater Bay Area has two international free ports, Hong Kong and Macao, and naturally has the advantage of integrating into the world. In the future, the Greater Bay Area International I&T Center needs to give full play to its existing foundation and advantages to carry out international scientific research cooperation in a wider range of fields and at a deeper level.
To this end, the Greater Bay Area should implement a number of high-level, forward-looking and strategic international major scientific programs, scientific projects and major scientific and technological projects, focusing on cutting-edge scientific fields such as brain science, genetic engineering, infectious diseases, artificial intelligence, and deep-sea discovery. Encourage enterprises and R&D institutions in the Greater Bay Area to carry out scientific and technological cooperation with universities and research institutions in Hong Kong, Macao and around the world, and build a scientific and technological innovation alliance composed of universities, scientific research institutions, science and technology enterprises, intellectual resources and venture capital institutions in the Mainland, Hong Kong, Macao and other international institutions, so as to create a platform for sharing scientific and technological innovation resources. Well-known universities and scientific research institutions in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao have joined hands to jointly set up a new type of cross-border R&D institution, which is independent of universities, enterprises and enterprises in operation, and carries out cross-border scientific research projects in the fields of medicine, biology, chemistry, computing, engineering, digital, physics and other fields.
Fifth, it is necessary to facilitate the cross-border flow of scientific research elements and promote the integrated development of the science and technology market in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao.
"One country, two systems" is an important difference between the Greater Bay Area and other regions at home and abroad, there are certain obstacles to cross-border scientific research elements such as personnel, funds and data, and it is necessary to transform the "differences in systems" into "institutional benefits", so as to give full play to the advantages of Hong Kong and Macao's internationalization, as well as the advantages of the mainland cities of the Greater Bay Area with large market scale, broad application scenarios and complete industrial chains, so as to promote the flow of scientific research elements and resources in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, and accelerate the integrated development of the science and technology markets of the three places.
Specifically, it is necessary to promote the customs clearance mode of "first-line highly convenient entry and exit" for scientific research personnel, and implement highly convenient and non-inductive entry and exit management for scientific research personnel entering and exiting the "first line". It is necessary to accelerate the pilot work of cross-border data transmission (export), support the Shenzhen Data Exchange and other institutions to explore the establishment of cross-border data transaction mechanisms, and promote the pilot implementation of data such as scientific research, finance, medical care, and transportation. Strive to expand the Ministry of Science and Technology's "pilot work on promoting the reform of cross-border free flow of scientific research materials" to more cities in the Greater Bay Area, and simplify the entry and exit procedures for scientific research samples, experimental reagents and genetic resources. We will explore the implementation of a new mechanism for the management of science and technology funds that is highly open, and try out new policies to facilitate cross-border scientific research funding in specific areas such as the Shenzhen Park of the Hetao Cooperation Zone.
This article was published in the A04 edition of the Southern ** February 26, 2024: Theory Weekly Monograph.