Innovation-Driven Development Strategy

Take scientific and technological innovation as a strategic support for improving social productivity and overall national strength, and a development strategy that is at the core of the overall national development. Its main goals are: to make the market play a decisive role in the allocation of resources and to give better play to the role of the government, remove all ideological barriers and institutional barriers that restrict innovation, stimulate the innovation vitality and creative potential of the whole society, improve the efficiency and effectiveness of labor, information, knowledge, technology, management and capital, strengthen the connection between science and technology and the economy, the connection between innovations and the industries, the connection between innovation projects and the actual productivity, and the connection between the innovative labor of research and development personnel and their income, enhance the contribution of scientific and technological progress to economic development, and create the policy environment and institutional environment of widespread entrepreneurship and innovation.

In January 2006, Hu Jintao proposed in his speech at the National Science and Technology Conference that to insist on taking the path of independent innovation with Chinese characteristics. We must “solidly complete the major strategic task of building an innovative country”. We need to make the development of science and technology closely focus on the central task of economic and social development and solve the key issues that restrict economic and social development. It was clearly proposed to establish an innovation system that takes enterprises as the key players and the market as the orientation, and integrates production, education and research to make enterprises become the key players in innovation. The 17th CPC National Congress put forward, “Improve independent innovation capabilities and build an innovative country. This is the core of the national development strategy and the key to improving overall national strength”.

The 18th CPC National Congress proposed to stick to the path of independent innovation with Chinese characteristics and implement an innovation-driven development strategy. This is a major development strategy after China’s economic development has entered a new stage, and it is also an important sign that China’s economic development has turned to a new development mode. At the 2014 Central Finance and Economic Leading Group Meeting, Xi Jinping focused on the considerations of the CPC Central Committee regarding the implementation of the innovation-driven development strategy, requiring a comprehensive study and judgment of the world’s technological innovation and industrial change trends, enhancing the understanding of innovation-driven development, and proceeding from reality to determine innovation direction. Xi Jinping emphasized that the direction of China's scientific and technological development is innovation, innovation and then, innovation. To implement the innovation-driven development strategy, we must firmly lead an ox by its nose in technological innovation. We must promote comprehensive innovation with technological innovation as the core, adhere to demand-oriented strategy and the direction of industrialization, adhere to the dominant position of enterprises in innovation, give play to the decisive role of the market in resource allocation and the advantages of the socialist system, and enhance the impact of technological progress on economic growth, forming a new source of growth power and promote sustained and healthy economic development. In order to accelerate the implementation of the innovation-driven development strategy, in March 2015, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council issued the “Several Opinions of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on Deepening the Reform of System and Mechanism and Accelerating the Implementation of the Innovation-driven Development Strategy”, which further clarified the main goals and overall ideas for the implementation of the innovation-driven development strategy. To implement the innovation-driven development strategy, the first is to further improve independent innovation capabilities. Deploy the innovation chain around the needs of industrial development, and improve the mechanism of technology to effectively support and lead industrial development. The second is to further deepen the reform of the science and technology system. We should accelerate the establishment of a system and mechanism for technological research and development and innovation of enterprise-led industries, so that enterprises will become the key players in decision-making of technological innovation, research and development investment, scientific research organization and application of fruits, improving the market-oriented innovation pattern. The third is to further optimize the innovation environment. We need to actively study and formulate policies and measures to deepen the reform of the science and technology system and accelerate the construction of the national innovation system. The fourth is to further expand scientific and technological open cooperation. It is required that we proceed from a global vision and an international perspective, speed up the flow and reorganization of international science and technology resources, and improve China's industrial technology level and scientific and technological strength through open cooperation.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, China has achieved remarkable achievements in implementing the innovation-driven development strategy. The report of the 19th CPC National Congress pointed out that the innovation-driven development strategy has been vigorously implemented and the construction of an innovative country has achieved fruitful results. Major scientific and technological achievements such as Tiangong, Jiaolong, Tianyan, Wukong, Mozi and Big Airplane have come out one after another. China will continue to coordinate and promote this strategy in the decisive period of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects in the future. The implementation of the innovation-driven development strategy and placing scientific and technological innovation at the core of the overall national development is conducive to comprehensively improving the quality and efficiency of China's economic growth, conducive to promoting the transformation of economic development mode, conducive to transforming traditional industries and enhancing industrial competitiveness and conducive to reducing costs, forming new advantages in international competition, and providing a strong impetus for China's sustainable development.