China is stepping up efforts to solidify the role of enterprises as a core driver of innovation, as officials and experts urge a stronger synergy between scientific and industrial innovation to foster new quality productive forces, XINHUA reports.

Enterprises should lead in identifying innovation needs, investing in R&D, and applying results, said Liu Qing, director of the National Innovation Center par Excellence, at the latest episode of the China Economic Roundtable, an all-media talk show hosted by Xinhua News Agency.

„The biggest challenge lies in uncovering real demand,” Liu noted. To address this, the center has supported leading firms with research funding and co-developed technology roadmaps focusing on their specific needs, as well as those of their upstream and downstream partners.

Qin Haoyuan, an official with the Ministry of Science and Technology, said efforts are underway to institutionalize enterprise-led innovation by reinforcing their role in decision-making, R&D investment, research organization, and commercialization.

More enterprises are being supported to participate in key national research projects, with improved tax policies aimed at encouraging greater R&D spending, Qin noted.

In terms of research organization, leading tech enterprises are encouraged to take the lead in forming innovation consortia with universities, research institutes, and small and medium-sized enterprises, to build high-level innovation platforms, Qin added.

Echoing this, Gan Xiaobin, an official with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, emphasized the need to expand enterprise participation in the drafting of relevant guidelines and project evaluations.

Task-oriented and competitive mechanisms are being introduced to mobilize enterprises to address key technological challenges, Gan added.

Gan noted that truly integrating new technologies into enterprises requires moving beyond basic usability toward solutions that are widely adopted and valued.

He said the ministry would continue to support leading firms and innovative enterprises to build manufacturing innovation centers and key laboratories.

XINHUA