The State Council Information Office held a press conference to introduce the progress and achievements made in the first phase of the Pioneer Initiative in Beijing on September 16.

A press conference is held to introduce the progress and achievements made in the first phase of the Pioneer Initiative in Beijing on September 16. [IMAGE: SCIO.GOV.CN]

According to CAS President Bai Chunli, the academy made major scientific and technological achievements as well as landmark progress in the first phase of the initiative.

He attributed these achievements to the academy’s comprehensive advantages of multi-disciplinary institutionalization and the great efforts made by a large number of CAS scientists.

"We’ve successfully accomplished the goals and tasks of the period, with a large collection of scientific and technological achievements in various industries, including quantum information and condensed matter physics," Bai said.

He also cited scientific achievements in some strategic fields such as deep space and deep sea, which supported economic and social development in China.

In addition, the academy took part in a group of large scientific device development programs, including the country’s Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST) in Guizhou Province, which is the world's largest single-dish radio telescope, and the China Spallation Neutron Source in Dongguan, Guangdong Province.

In Bai’s introduction, he unveiled data showing that CAS contributed to 14 of the 22 technological breakthroughs mentioned in President Xi Jinping’s New Year speech.

Among the seven first prize winners of the National Natural Science Award, CAS captured three as most important contributor and one as main contributor, accounting for 57 percent of the country’s total.

In the international Nature Index ranking CAS has placed first among the global scientific and educational institutions for eight consecutive years. In the annual "Top Ten Scientific and Technological Progresses in China " selected by academicians of CAS and the Chinese Academy of Engineering, CAS took part in 32 sub-items, accounting for 53 percent of the nation’s total.

Its transfer and transformation of scientific and technological achievements helped enterprises achieve a total of 2.44 trillion yuan ($357.77 billion) in sales revenue and brought additional profits and tax totaling 298.3 billion yuan.

Bai said that the academy has greatly improved its scientific and technological innovation capacity and nurtured a number of leading and top-notch talents in science and technology circles.

It has completed the pilot program of building national high-end think tanks, which provided strong support for national macro decision-making, he noted, adding that the international influence and competitiveness of a number of CAS research institutes have been greatly improved.

According to its deployment plan, the Pioneer Initiative will be carried out in two phases, and the academy is expected to be a pioneer in making great scientific and technological progress, producing more innovative talent and becoming an influential scientific think tank for China as well as a world-class research institute by 2030.

Bai said the academy is working on a plan for the goals and tasks of the second phase, which will include further reform on systems and mechanisms, and clearer positioning of research institutes. It vows to facilitate China’s goal of growing into a leading innovation-driven country by 2035 and a strong power in science and technology by 2050.

At the press conference, Bai also briefed the media on the progress of the academy’s international cooperation and exchange as well as on research on COVID-19 prevention and control. CAS Secretary-General Wang Keqiang outlined the construction of scientific innovation centers in Beijing, Shanghai and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Xie Pengyun, director of the CAS development planning bureau, reported on the progress and achievements of building an influential scientific think tank for China at the event.

Source: China Science Daily