Ministry of Science and Technology: Actively explore regulatory approaches such as "sandbox regulation" and trigger-based regulation for new technology applications, creating a favorable innovation ecosystem for the development of emerging industries and the cultivation of future industries.

Everyday Economics Reporter | Zhou Yifei Everyday Economics Editor | Dong Xing Sheng

On March 18, the State Council Information Office held a press conference to introduce the “2026 Zhongguancun Forum Annual Conference.”

At the event, Vice Minister of Science and Technology Lin Xin introduced that the theme of the “2026 Zhongguancun Forum Annual Conference” is “Deep Integration of Scientific and Industrial Innovation.” The conference features five main sections: forum meetings, achievement releases, technology transactions, frontier competitions, and supporting activities, with over 100 events planned. It is expected that more than a thousand guests from over 100 countries and regions will participate.

Jin Wei, a member of the Beijing Municipal Party Committee and Vice Mayor, further stated that this year’s forum will promote the widespread application of artificial intelligence. Attendees will experience firsthand how AI evolution empowers various industries. For example, the AI “Translator” will be on duty throughout, expanding language services from Chinese and English to include French, Russian, Spanish, and other languages, enabling seamless communication among guests from all over the world. Robot cafes will also open to welcome visitors.

at the press conference site Photo source: Zhou Yifei, Everyday Economics

Encourage universities and research institutes to open scientific research data, instruments, and innovation platforms to enterprises

This year’s Zhongguancun Forum will focus on “Deep Integration of Scientific and Industrial Innovation.” What are China’s key work priorities and deployment in this area moving forward?

Lin Xin stated that to promote the integration of science and industry, the government has introduced a series of policies to facilitate the transformation of scientific achievements and encourage corporate R&D investment. Moving into a new era, promoting deep integration of scientific and industrial innovation requires grasping new trends and characteristics of the latest technological revolution and industrial transformation, as well as the new demands for high-quality development. The guiding principles are: “Technology innovation should be demand- and application-oriented, while industrial innovation should focus on enhancing technological levels.” The tech and industrial sectors must work together, coordinate efforts, plan and deploy jointly, and push forward as one to build pathways from technological strength to industrial, economic, and national strength.

Lin Xin emphasized that the next steps will involve multiple measures. First, strengthen high-quality technological supply. Accelerate major national science and technology projects, focus on identifying scientific issues from industry and enterprise needs, and integrate scientific research, technological development, product R&D, standard setting, and industry cultivation into coordinated design, promotion, and assessment. Promote seamless connection between scientific innovation and industrial application.

Second, reinforce the role of enterprises as innovation leaders. Accelerate the cultivation of leading tech companies, support enterprises in undertaking more R&D tasks, support the formation of industry-university-research joint ventures led by enterprises, and encourage large companies to open up research conditions and application scenarios to small and medium-sized enterprises. This will accelerate the promotion and application of innovative products from SMEs and drive overall industry technological progress. Policies will be improved to attract innovation resources to enterprises, and mechanisms for the dual flow and mutual employment of universities, companies, and researchers will be refined to motivate more top talent to innovate and start businesses on the front lines of industry.

Third, promote efficient transformation of scientific achievements. Improve and implement incentive policies for the transfer of scientific results, encourage universities and research institutes to open scientific data, instruments, and innovation platforms to enterprises, and support the construction of public service platforms for proof-of-concept and pilot testing to accelerate iteration and application of scientific results. Additionally, develop science and technology finance to provide diversified funding support, especially guiding long-term capital to “invest early, small, long-term, and in hard tech.”

Fourth, create a market environment that incentivizes innovation. Improve policies supporting the large-scale application of new technologies and products, support pilot projects in local areas, and encourage local governments to expand application scenarios and open up in fields like government services and smart cities. Actively explore new regulatory approaches such as “sandbox regulation” and trigger-based supervision to foster a favorable innovation ecosystem for emerging and future industries. Strengthen intellectual property protection and standardization, and cultivate a social and legal environment that respects knowledge and creativity.

Implement a “package” of policies around major technological tasks, emerging industries, and future industry cultivation

The Zhongguancun Forum is an important platform supporting the construction of an international science and technology innovation center. The 2025 Central Economic Work Conference proposed expanding Beijing’s international science and technology innovation center to include Jing-Jin-Ji. How will the Ministry of Science and Technology advance this?

Lin Xin pointed out that the Ministry will work with relevant departments and local governments to jointly promote the construction of the Beijing (Jing-Jin-Ji) International Science and Technology Innovation Center. In strengthening regional coordination, support Beijing to play a leading role. Using Zhongguancun as the main hub, with the Jing-Jin and Jing-Xiong corridors as the backbone, and Tianjin Binhai New Area, Hebei Xiong’an New Area, and Shijiazhuang as key nodes, a collaborative innovation network of “one platform, two corridors, three hubs” will be built. This involves jointly mapping out innovation chains and industrial chains, reinforcing policy mutual recognition, resource sharing, platform co-construction, and joint research projects, to facilitate free flow of innovation elements, leverage advantages, and collaboratively develop a world-class source of technological innovation.

Regarding central-local cooperation, policies will be intensified. Focus will be on strategic science and technology forces, major scientific infrastructure and platform deployment, major technological tasks, and the cultivation of emerging and future industries, with a package of policies introduced. Support will be given to Jing-Jin-Ji in producing significant original results in fields like artificial intelligence, biomedicine, commercial aerospace, and hydrogen energy, fostering world-class industrial clusters.

“At the same time, we also emphasize local responsibility, encouraging local experimentation. Support Jing-Jin-Ji in exploring integrated development of education, science, and talent; financial support for science and technology; and building an open environment. Deep reforms in talent evaluation and scientific research management will be promoted to establish a comprehensive innovation support system,” Lin Xin said.