Large projects, new industries

On March 16, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology held a cadre meeting to convey and study the spirit of the National Two Sessions, and to deploy implementation work. The meeting proposed that all key tasks this year should be thoroughly implemented to promote a good start for the “14th Five-Year Plan,” including launching major projects for the “14th Five-Year Plan,” building emerging pillar industries such as integrated circuits, aerospace, and biomedicine, promoting the establishment of mechanisms for future industry investment growth and risk sharing, moderately advancing the layout of new information infrastructure like 5G and intelligent computing, and cultivating a batch of characteristic intelligent entities.

The “14th Five-Year Plan” proposal places “building a modern industrial system and consolidating and expanding the real economy” as the top strategic task, proposing to “construct a modern industrial system with advanced manufacturing as the backbone.”

The meeting emphasized fully consolidating the steady and improving trend of the industrial economy. It called for the in-depth implementation of the new round of the ten key industry stabilization work plans, supporting industrial powerhouses to take the lead. Launch major projects for the “14th Five-Year Plan.” Make good use of policies such as ultra-long-term special government bonds and special re-lending for technological transformation to encourage and guide healthy private investment.

“Against the backdrop of accelerated reform measures, this year’s industrial economy will continue to develop towards high, new, and green,” said Guan Bing, director of the Industrial Economy Research Institute at CCID Consulting. He believes that with the launch of major projects for the “14th Five-Year Plan,” investment environment continues to optimize, funding support increases, and industrial investment growth is expected to stabilize and pick up.

Focusing on promoting the optimization and upgrading of the industrial system, the meeting proposed implementing actions to revitalize traditional industries, deploying major technological transformation and upgrading projects, piloting new technological transformation cities, and strengthening standards, quality, and brand building. It also emphasized cultivating and expanding emerging and future industries, building new pillar industries such as integrated circuits, aerospace, and biomedicine, and establishing mechanisms for future industry investment growth and risk sharing.

Recently, a relevant official from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology told the “Economic Reference News” that in recent years, China’s development in key future industry sectors has achieved new breakthroughs. Superconducting quantum computers and optical quantum computers have demonstrated quantum supremacy; key products like single-atom catalytic materials and atomic-level manufacturing equipment have annual sales exceeding 10 billion yuan; laser manufacturing technology has reached the world’s top level; biomanufacturing products are expanding their applications in medicine, health, daily chemicals, cosmetics, and green energy. These fields have solid technological foundations and broad market prospects, and are expected to become new benchmarks showcasing China’s manufacturing strength and supporting the development of new productive forces.

The official also stated that future industries are characterized by foresight, strategy, and disruptive innovation. It is necessary to unblock “bottlenecks” in science and technology, industry, finance, and talent. Establish a regular mechanism for future industry technology foresight, periodically release frontier technology research directories, and promote precise convergence of capital, talent, and other resources into core research areas. Strengthen financial support to address practical concerns about investment and vigorously develop “patient capital.” Both national and local governments can set up special funds for future industries, leveraging government-guided funds to attract more social capital, and build a capital support system from angel investment and venture capital to industrial investment.

This year’s government work report first proposed “creating a new form of intelligent economy,” and clearly outlined specific paths such as “accelerating the promotion of new-generation intelligent terminals and intelligent entities,” “implementing ultra-large-scale intelligent computing clusters and computing-electricity collaboration infrastructure,” and “accelerating the development of satellite internet.”

To implement the spirit of the Two Sessions, the meeting proposed promoting deep integration of informatization and industrialization, moderately advancing the layout of new information infrastructure like 5G and intelligent computing, and creating an upgraded version of “5G + Industrial Internet.” It called for digital transformation in manufacturing, deepening the “AI + Manufacturing” initiative, and cultivating a batch of characteristic intelligent entities. It also emphasized accelerating the development of satellite internet.

Currently, China’s industrial internet applications cover all 41 major industrial categories, with positive progress in gradient construction of smart factories. There are 504 excellent smart factories and 1,260 high-level 5G factories.

Gu Weixi, director of the Intelligent Research Institute at the China Industrial Internet Research Institute, believes that cultivating and expanding new forms of the intelligent economy must be guided by the deepening and expansion of “AI +.” This involves strengthening fundamental AI technology research, deploying frontier directions such as embodied intelligence and general intelligence to solidify the technological foundation of the intelligent economy; deepening the integration and application of “AI +,” expanding large-scale application scenarios in key fields like manufacturing, building high-quality industrial data sets, and developing industrial intelligent entities. Innovation in scenarios will drive technological iteration, industrial upgrading, and mode innovation. Additionally, it is necessary to cultivate and expand the intelligent industry ecosystem, promote collaboration among large, medium, and small enterprises, and continuously lower the barriers for small and medium-sized enterprises to transform intelligently.