China sees hi-tech innovation as a boon for its global competitiveness and manufacturing dominance
- Plan would create five pilot-scale facilities to turn research and development and innovative ideas from laboratories and research papers into mass-produced goods
- The initiative aims to shore up the resiliency of China’s supply chains while helping it catch up in the realms of artificial intelligence, quantum computing and biomedical
In the face of Washington’s tech-containment efforts, Beijing has unveiled a new strategy to turn home-grown innovations into commercialised products that it hopes will compete with international offerings.
The ambitious plan, unveiled on Tuesday, will revolve around forming five advanced pilot-scale production facilities that are intended to help China climb up the global value chain and consolidate its status as the world’s top manufacturer.
“We need to promote the simultaneous development of pilot-scale trials, innovation chains and industrial chains to provide strong support for the high-quality development of the manufacturing industry,” the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said.
Pilot-scale production is a process linking laboratory research with mass production. And Beijing considers this vital as it strives to cultivate various speciality giants to strengthen the resiliency of its supply chains and also catch up in areas such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing and biomedical manufacturing.
The ministry said it would increase the supply of products commonly used in pilot tests, including precise measuring instruments, high-end testing equipment and design simulation software.
“We will prioritise testing materials, products and equipment with major application prospects and high value-added [benefits] … for an industrial restructuring,” it added.
Also, manufacturers were urged to increase their use of machine-learning, artificial intelligence and digital technologies in pilot tests, and to share data with suppliers, in a bid to shorten research-and-development cycles while reducing related costs.