Sincethe18thCPCNationalCongress,thenewgenerationoftechnologicalrevolutionandindustrialtransformationhasbeenaccelerated,thegloballandscapeforinnovationisquicklybeingreshaped,theworldeconomyisundergoingprofoundchanges,andChinahasenteredacriticalperiodofdevelopmentmodeltransformation,economicrestructuringandgear-changingofgrowthmomentums,withinnovationincreasinglybecomingthekeytocrackingdevelopmentproblems.Facingnewopportunitiesandchallenges,underthestrongleadershipofthePartyCentralCommitteewithComradeXiJinpingatitscore,thewholecountryhasresolutelyimplementedthenewdevelopmentconcept,followedthroughtheinnovation-drivendevelopmentstrategy,strengthenedstrategicscientificandtechnologicalresearch,andadvancedthe“massentrepreneurshipandinnovation”campaign.Chinahassinceachievednewtechnologicalbreakthroughs,fosterednewdevelopmentmomentums,vigorouslydevelopeditsneweconomy,andenteredtheranksofinnovativecountries.Atthesametime,scienceandtechnologyareincreasinglyplayingaleadingroleinpromotinghigh-qualitygrowthandbettermeetingpeople’sneedsforabetterlife.I.Animprovedstructureandabetterecosystemforinnovation1.Greaterinvestmentininnovation-In2021,China’sinvestmentinRDreachedRMB2.8trillion,anincreaseof1.7timesover2012atcurrentprices,withanaverageannualgrowthof11.7%,rankingsecondgloballyaftertheUnitedStates.-In2021,theratioofRDinvestmenttoGDPreached2.44%,0.53percentagepointshigherthanin2012andclosetotheaverageofOECDcountries.-In2021,theinvestmentinbasicresearchhitRMB181.7billion,anincreaseof2.6timescomparedwith2012,withanaverageannualgrowthof15.4%;accountingfor6.5%ofthetotalinvestmentinRD,anincreaseof1.66percentagepointscomparedwith2012.2.Dominantroleofenterprisesininnovation-In2021,theinvestmentinRDbyenterprisesofalltypeshitRMB2.2trillion,anincreaseof1.7timesover2012,withanaverageannualgrowthof11.9%,accountingfor76.9%ofChina’stotalinvestmentinRD.-In2021,38.3%ofindustrialenterprisesabovedesignatedsizehadRDactivities,24.6percentagepointshigherthanin2012;Atotalof825,000RDprojectswerecarriedout,anincreaseof1.9timesover2012.-Attheendof2021,high-techenterprisesowned1.1millionvalidinventionpatents,accountingfor63.6%ofthetotalnumberofvalidinventionpatentsofdomesticenterprises.3.Burgeoninginnovationplatforms-Attheendof2021,533nationalkeylaboratoriesand191nationalengineeringresearchcenterswereinoperation,and20nationalscientificdatacentersand31nationalgermplasmandexperimentalmaterialrepositorieshadbeenlaidoutandconstructed.-Attheendof2021,therewere1,287nationalscienceandtechnologybusinessincubatorsand1,636nationalcorporatetechnologycenters.Thelandscapeofinnovationcontinuestobeoptimized,withBeijing,Shanghai,Guangdong,HongKongandMacaoGreaterBayArearankingamongthetop10globalscienceandtechnologyclusters,andtheconstructionofcomprehensivenationalsciencecentersinHuairoudistrictofBeijing,Zhangjiang,Shanghai,andHefei,Anhuiwaskickedoff.II.Greatermomentumsofinnovationunderpinnedbynewmarketplayers1.The“massentrepreneurshipandinnovation”campaignhasbeenadvanced-Attheendof2021,thetotalnumberofmarketentitiesinChinareached154million,anincreaseof1.8timescomparedwiththeendof2012,withanaverageannualgrowthof12.1%.Sincethe18thCPCNationalCongress,thetotalnumberofnewlyaddedtax-payingmarketentitiesnationwidehasreached93.2million,anaverageannualincreaseofmorethan10million;thenumberofgeneralVATtaxpayersincreasedfrom5.4millionattheendof2015to12.4millionattheendof2021,anincreaseof1.3times.2.Newhi-techenterprisesareshowinggreatvitality-In2021,thenumberofhigh-techenterprisesinChinareached330,000,andtheamountoftaxpaidincreasedfrom0.8trillionyuanin2012to2.3trillionyuan.3.Newindustriesandproductsaregrowingvigorously-In2021,theaddedvalueofhigh-techmanufacturingandequipmentmanufacturingenterprisesabovedesignatedsizeaccountedfor15.1%and32.4%oftheaddedvalueofindustrialenterprisesabovedesignatedsize,up5.7and4.2percentagepointsrespectivelyfrom2012.-In2021,theaddedvalueofinfo-transmissionsoftwareandITservicesandleasingandbusinessservicesaccountedfor7.2%and5.8%oftheaddedvalueofservices,respectively,up2.5and1.1percentagepointsfrom2012.-Theoutputofgreenandintelligentproductsisgrowingrapidly.In2021,theoutputofnewenergyvehicles,industrialrobots,solarcellsandintegratedcircuitsincreasedby28.2times,12.5times,4.4timesand2.5timesrespectivelycomparedto2014.4.Newbusinessmodelsarebooming-In2021,theonlineretailsalesofphysicalcommoditiesreached10.8trillionyuan,accountingfor24.5%ofthetotalretailsalesofconsumergoods,up15.3percentagepointsover2014;theoverallvolumeofexpressbusinessexceededthe100billionmarkforthefirsttime,reaching108.3billionparcels,anincreaseof18timesover2012,rankingfirstintheworld.-In2021,thetotaltrafficdataviamobilesInternetreached221.6billionGB,252timesmorethanin2012.TheStatisticalReportontheDevelopmentoftheInternetinChinashowsthatasofDecember2021,thescaleofonlineofficeandonlinemedicalusersinChinahadreached469millionand298millionrespectively,andthenumberofonlinevideoandshortvideousershadhit975millionand934millionrespectively.III.Thrivingdigitaleconomyunleashinggreatpotentialofinnovation1.GreatachievementsinbasicandfrontierresearchTheinfrastructuresformajorscientificandtechnologicalresearchhavebeenimproved,andanumberofkeyprojectshavebeenrolledout,includingtheScatteredFissionNeutronSource,theFive-hundred-meterApertureSphericalradioTelescope(FAST),theFullSuperconductingTokamakNuclearFusionExperimentalDevice,thePulsedStrongMagneticFieldExperimentalDevice,andtheNationalProteinScienceResearchFacility,whichistheworld’sfirstcomprehensivescientificdeviceinthelifesciences.AllthesehavelaidasolidfoundationforfurtherdevelopmentofChina’sbasicresearch.Chinahassuccessfullyisolatedtheworld’sfirststrainofthenovelcoronavirus,completedthegenomesequencingofthevirus,developedagreatnumberofclinicaldrugs,testingequipmentandreagentsaswellasvaccines.ScienceandtechnologyhaveplayedakeyroleinthepreventionandcontrolofCovid-19.2.NewbreakthroughsinthefieldsofstrategichightechnologyThenewgenerationofcarrierrockethasmadeitsmaidenflight;the“Tianhe”coremoduleoftheChineseSpaceStationwassuccessfullylaunched;theShenzhou13mannedspacecraftandthe“Tianhe”coremoduleachievedradialrendezvousanddockingforthefirsttime;theChineseSpaceStationenteredintoafull-scaleconstructionphase.TheTianwen-1roversuccessfullylandedonMars,andtheZhurongroverroamedonMars.The“Striver”mannedsubmersiblecompleteda10,000-meterseatrial;the“HaidouNo.1”unmannedsubmersiblerefresheditsrecordofdivedepth;theBeidounavigationsystembecamefullyoperational;the“GuoheNo.1”and“HualongNo.1”third-generationnuclearpowertechnologymadenewbreakthroughs;thefirstself-developedaircraftcarrierwascommissioned,andtheFujianAircraftCarrierwaslaunched.China’sself-developedlargecivilaircraftC919madeitsfirstflight;theHongKong-Zhuhai-MacauBridgewasopened;China’shigh-speedrailwaysetworldrecordsforthehighestoperatingspeedandlowestoperatingtemperature,andthe600km/hhigh-speedmagneticlevitationsystemwassuccessfullylaunched.3.Acceleratedpaceoftechcommercialization-In2021,thenumberofpatentsgrantedinChinahit4.6million,anincreaseof2.7timescomparedwith2012,withanaverageannualgrowthof15.5%;Asofend2021,thenumberofvalidpatentshadhit15.4million,anincreaseof3.4timescomparedwiththeendof2012.4.Emergingdigitaleconomy-In2020,theaddedvalueofChina’scoredigitaleconomyindustriesaccountedfor7.8%ofGDP,withthetotaloutputofdigitaleconomyleapingtothesecondplaceintheworld.-Asofend2021,Chinahaddeployedandopenedatotalof1.4million5Gbasestations,accountingformorethan60%oftheworld.IV.Decisiveachievementsinbuildinganinnovation-drivencountrywithinnovationplayingasolidroleinadvancingsocio-economicdevelopment1.Giantleapsininnovation,competitiveness,andsustainabledevelopment-In2021,China’sinnovationindexranked12thintheworld,up22placesfrom2012.-In2019,Chinaranks28thamong141countriesandregionsintermsofcompetitiveness.-In2021,China’sSustainableDevelopment(SDG)Indexhit72.1,ranking57thglobally,up14placesfrom2017.2.Innovationdrivingeconomictransformation-ThecontributionofscientificandtechnologicalprogresstoChina’seconomyincreasedfrom52.2%in2012toover60%in2021,andthecontributionofagriculturaltechnologicalprogresstoChina’seconomygrewfrom53.5%toover60%.-In2021,totallaborproductivity(at2020prices)hitRMB146,380perperson,80.3%higherthanin2012,withanaverageannualincreaseof6.8%,and0.2percentagepointshigherthantheaverageannualgrowthofGDP.Editor:DisclaimerTheviewsandopinionsexpressedinthisarticlearethoseoftheauthor's,GMW.cnmakesnorepresentationsastoaccuracy,suitability,orvalidityofanyinformationonthissiteandwillnotbeliableforanyerrors,omissions,ordelaysinthisinformation.