DURING President Xi Jinping’s recent inspection trip in Shanghai, he visited the Zhangjiang Science City in the Pudong New Area and instructed those present to focus on cultivating a large number of cutting-edge talented people with a sense of mission, and to create favorable conditions for them to exert their intelligence.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visited the Shanghai Science and Technology Innovation Achievement Exhibition. He watched an infomercial that explained the overall situation of scientific and technological innovation in Shanghai, and carefully examined the display of scientific and technological innovation achievements in fundamental research, artificial intelligence, biomedicine, and other fields, and had cordial exchanges with representatives of research fellows.

“We should focus on cultivating a large number of cutting-edge talented people with a sense of mission, and create favorable conditions for them to exert their intelligence,” Xi said.

Xi’s speech sparked a warm response from science and technology workers in Shanghai, with them expressing their confidence and motivation in promoting the construction of the Shanghai International Science and Technology Innovation Center and accelerating the achievement of high-level scientific and technological self-reliance and self-improvement.

“The year of 2024 marks the 10th anniversary of the construction of the Shanghai International Science and Technology Innovation Center. At this moment, General Secretary Xi’s visit to Shanghai to inspect the progress of the construction of the International Science and Technology Innovation Center deeply demonstrates his intense attention and ardent expectations for the development of scientific and technological innovation in Shanghai.

“It also sends an important signal that the central leadership insists on taking scientific and technological innovation as the support and guidance of high-quality development and promoting the realization of a Chinese path to modernization with scientific and technological modernization,” said Xu Feng, secretary of the municipal Party committee for science and technology works.

“It is Shanghai’s mission to fully recognize and leverage the leading role of technological innovation, and vigorously promote the construction of the Shanghai International Science and Technology Innovation Center,” Xu said.

The first priority was to continuously strengthen the Party’s comprehensive leadership over scientific and technological work. Giving full play to the role of the Party committee in guiding direction, managing the overall situation, and promoting implementation to strengthen the national strategic scientific and technological strength, highlight the advantages of Shanghai’s agglomeration of major institutes, and make good use of the “national team” and “main force.”

The second was to focus on creating a good innovation ecosystem that is full of vitality. It must adhere to full chain innovation, strengthen the position of enterprises as the main force of scientific and technological innovation, rely on the construction of high-quality incubators to promote the two-way connection between scientific and technological innovation and investment, broaden diverse investment channels in society, and accelerate the deep integration of the innovation chain, industry chain, capital chain, and talent chain.

“We will continue to deepen the reform of the science and technology system and mechanism, strengthen the precision, systematicity, and continuity of policy and institutional design, and further delegate power and loosen constraints around the evaluation of scientific and technological talent and the transformation of innovative achievements, vigorously inspiring the vitality of scientific and technological innovation,” Xu said.

The third was to accelerate the construction of a high-level scientific and technological talent team. Focusing on the goal of building a top-notch talent high ground, and on cultivating young scientific and technological talents, and establish a scientific and technological talent training system that covers all aspects of talent growth.

Luo Dajin, director of the Shanghai Science and Technology Commission, after Xi’s speech, said, “Xi’s consistent expectations for Shanghai’s scientific and technological innovation, and I am deeply inspired and excited.”

Luo said that science and technology workers should have a sense of urgency that could not be slowed and a sense of responsibility that could not stay still, adhere to the main line of strengthening the function of science and technology innovation policy sources, adhere to the concept of full process and full chain innovation, and accelerate the construction of the Shanghai International Science and Technology Innovation Center.

“We must make every effort to cultivate and strengthen strategic technological capabilities, with service guarantee for the high-quality construction and operation of national laboratories,” he said.

“Strengthen support and guarantee for national scientific research institutions and high-level research-oriented universities, promote the integration of industry, academia, and research, and promote the emergence of original achievements.

“Meanwhile, leading technology companies will be cultivated and play a leading and driving role,” Luo said.

In response to Xi’s speech, Luo said the high-quality development of fundamental research should be accelerated; forward-looking, strategic, systematic, and driving layouts should be deepened; and the major scientific and technological layout in the fundamental frontier and cross-disciplinary fields be improved.

“We shall deepen the construction of ‘a pilot zone for fundamental research,’ implement long-term stable support and long-term evaluation, and support outstanding young scientists to carry out high-value and high-risk research.

“We will also expand the explorer program, further guide enterprises to increase investment in fundamental research, and form diversified investments.

“We should actively seize the strategic forefront and high ground, focusing on the three leading industries of integrated circuits, biopharmaceuticals, and artificial intelligence, accelerating the research and development of key technologies, promoting the development of strategic emerging industries, and strengthening the forward-looking layout of future industries.

“We must accelerate the transformation of scientific and technological achievements, smooth the two-way fast lane of fundamental research and industrial application, and promote the deep integration of scientific and technological innovation and industrial innovation,” Luo said.