Annual Conference

Innovation Restarts in the New Decade, Celebrating the Closing of 2018 Pujiang Innovation Forum

Source:Original    Author:admin    Time:2019-02-11    View:22

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By Ling Jiwei, xinhuanet, October 31, Shanghai. Innovation never stops. Politicians, experts & scholars and entrepreneurs from all over the world gathered in Shanghai once again for Pujiang Innovation Forum.

 

On October 30, Pujiang Innovation Forum, founded in 2008, ushered in its 11th opening. After ten years of development, the new era has come. At the critical moment for developing a world science and technology power and building a science and technology center with global influence in Shanghai, the Forum strictly followed the new requirements of China to promote high-quality development and respond to new concerns about innovative development in various countries around the world. Participants brainstormed innovation ideas in the Forum, giving rise to a great upsurge in innovation and making the innovation back in the spotlight all over the world.

 

Collaboration in designing innovation approaches and determining innovation strategies. With the theme of “Innovation-Driven Development and Supply-Side Structural Reform in A New Age”, the Forum comprised 1 opening ceremony and plenary, 4 special forums, and 11 special subject forums surrounding different topics such as entrepreneur, regional development, finance, policy, industry, future science and culture, attracting more than 200 speakers, the largest number ever.

 

Restart by Promoting Innovation

 

Refreshing innovation ideas through frequent discussion. This year, the forum focused on the new requirements of high-quality development in the new age, which has special connotation of the times.

 

As highlighted in the keynote speech by Wang Zhigang, Minister, Ministry of Science and Technology, science and technology innovation is the core driving force leading high-quality development, providing new growth space, key focus and main support system for high-quality development.

 

The fundamental for achieving high-quality development is to strengthen the strategic support role of science and technology innovation. How to play the role well has been the purpose of Pujiang Innovation Forum for ten years.

 

 “Openness is the greatest advantage of Shanghai, while synergy is an inevitable trend for science and technology innovation.” Li Qiang, Secretary of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) should unswervingly adhere to the road of open and collaborative innovation, build a platform for international innovation, and promote the effective alignment, collaboration and organic linkage of global technologies, capital and talents to make Shanghai the first choice for innovation with high openness, strong attraction and fruitful results

 

Ying Yong, Deputy Secretary of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and Mayor of Shanghai, expressed his sincere hope that all guests would share their insights, seek common innovation development in Pujiang Innovation Forum, and provide suggestions and contributions to the construction of the science and technology innovation center in Shanghai as well as the development global science and technology innovation cause.

 

On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of reform and opening up as well as the 40th anniversary of springtime of science, the forum this year took a broad and long-term view and remained true to our original aspiration. With more forward-looking, strategic and systematic discussions, it will make new progress in building a world S&T power and a science and technology center with global influence, and assume the new mission entrusted by the times.

 

As highlighted in the speech of Wang Yiming, Vice President of Development Research Center of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, “The best way to commemorate the 40th anniversary of reform and opening up is to continue the promotion of reform and opening up.” For Pujiang Innovation Forum, the best way to restart in the new decade is to continue another round of innovation and breakthroughs.

 

A new future for international cooperation

 

Open perspective and international cooperation are necessary for development and innovation. Characterized by internationalization, Pujiang Innovation Forum builds an excellent platform for the expansion of cooperation between the governments and the industrial circle.

 

Since the mechanism of the Country of Honor was launched in 2012, six countries have been invited as the Country of Honor to the forum and become beneficiaries of international innovation cooperation. The Country of Honor this year is Portugal, a country highly enthusiastic about innovation with many innovative achievements closely related to people's lives.

 

Paulo Ferrao, President of the Portugal Foundation for Science and Technology, led a delegation to attend the Forum. He addressed in his speech that Portugal would further strengthen cooperation with relevant Chinese institutions, among which Pujiang Innovation Forum would be a highlight.

 

As mentioned by Paul Ferro, in China-Portugal S&T Innovation Cooperation Workshop held on the morning of October 31, Portugal not only demonstrated its innovation achievements, but also expressed its vision of leveraging the forum to enhance cooperation with China in the fields of renewable energy, biology, agriculture, marine and new material.

 

Actually besides Portugal, the Country of Honor, many other international politicians and businessmen attending the forum also expressed the same vision.

 

Antoine Petit, President of the French National Center for Scientific Research, promised to pave the way for the promotion of Sino-French scientific and technological exchanges, expand the effectiveness of bilateral international cooperation through a series of research projects, and promote the strategic cooperation between the two countries.

 

In the Green Technology Bank Summit Forum, Head of Trade, Investment and Innovation Division of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), expressed congratulations via video, hoping to strengthen the cooperation in green technology to jointly drive the realization of sustainable development goals.

 

Cooperation is the only way to address the common challenges human faces. Speaking of the difficulties encountered in international cooperation, Mario Cervantes, Senior Economist of the OECD’s Science and Technology Policy Division, said that the root cause lied in the lack of an international perspective in some countries. Cervantes called for building trust among nations and removing barriers in cooperation.

 

Prospects of Frontier Innovation Fields 

 

As science and technology are advancing rapidly, the world has become increasingly complex. This year, one of the frontier fields targeted by Pujiang Innovation Forum is the complex network. This new study has aroused great interest among scientists around the world. How will the mastery of complexity shape our understanding of the world?

 

According to Hernan Makse, Professor of Physics, City University of New York, the complexity science in the future will have two key dimensions, i.e. machine learning and network science. The study of complex networks involves mathematics, genetics and many other interdisciplines, therefore interdisciplinary cooperation will be the core of future innovation.

 

Following the “Human Genome Project”, the human phenome research has become another strategic commanding height, which provides a new breakthrough for biomedical research.

 

 “With deep genomics, we’re able to gain insights into how to better prevent chronic diseases.” As noted in the Forum by Leroy Hood, Academician of the National Academy of Sciences, at first human did not realize that the in-depth phenomics could enhance our understanding of diseases, and its scientific significance is being explored.

 

Since the unknown is always greater than the known, young scientists are always enthusiastic about deciphering the unknown world.

 

In order to better gather the forces of the youth and transmit the voice of the youth, 2018 Pujiang Innovation Forum held S&T Innovation Young Leaders Round-table Summit for the first time.

 

At the meeting, a number of young scientists and innovation and entrepreneurship pioneers with global influence under the age of 45 including Lu Chaoyang, Professor at University of Science and Technology of China and the 1st prize winner of China's State Natural Science Award, and Wei Si, Associate Dean, AI Research Institute, IFLYTEK Co., Ltd., had a heated discussion about future world trends in science and technology innovation, the ideal innovative urban form et al., with focus on the innovative strength and growth path of young people.

 

"Now many young scientists have dug deeper than any others, which shows the vitality of innovation and promising technological development of China in the future." Ding Kuiling, Academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences, marked after listening to the discussion.

 

Speaking of the theme of this seminar - the Nth Possibility about the Future, as noted by Ma Junru, former Director of Bureau of Foreign Experts Affairs, one inevitable possibility is that the future world will be constantly created by young people.

 

 “Since research is a long-term investment, it’s hard to predict when it will bear fruit.” Frank Wilczek, Winner of 2004 Nobel Prize in Physics, called for supporting young people from the very beginning in terms of long-term planning for the future and paving the way for their research capability development from beginner to expert.

 

Increasingly Prominent Role as Think Tank

 

Reviewing the previous achievements, it’s not difficult to find out that Pujiang Innovation Forum itself has been pursuing innovation and change, and trying to organize the forum in diversified forms and release the latest innovation ideas.

 

This year, the Forum and relevant organizations jointly planned and released a series of think tank research results, including the first release of “China Regional Science and Technology Innovation Evaluation Report 2018” and ongoing release of “2018 Annual Review of China Science and Technology Finance Ecology”, “2018 Shanghai Science and Technology Innovation Center Index Report”, “2018 Asia-Pacific Knowledge Competitiveness Index Report”, etc.

 

It’s worth noting that, in the light of the meeting mechanism of annual conference + conference season, a number of seminars and innovation & entrepreneurship activities with focus on  important topics have also been incorporated into Pujiang Innovation Forum.

 

This year, the 1st two-day Green Technology Bank Summit Forum was launched as a special cooperation forum in Pujiang Innovation Forum. “We look forward to developing the Green Technology banks in line with the development ideas and principles of internationalization, marketization and specialization, seizing the opportunities and developing solidly to allow for solid, sound and effective construction of the Green Technology Bank,” appealed by Wu Yuanbin, Executive Deputy Leader of the Leading Group of Green Technology Bank Construction and Director-General of Social Development Division, Ministry of Science and Technology.

 

In today's world, a new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation has presented a new trend of multi-field, interdisciplinary and mass breakthroughs, while the acceleration of technology change, diversification of business forms, integration of industries and networking of organizations have become inevitable trends. The multi-factor innovation model provides new opportunities for building an innovative, dynamic, linked and inclusive world economy.

 

In this context, the Policy Forum gave full play to the role of prospective guidance, timely followed “Making Innovation Policies to Facilitate Integration” and invited Chinese and foreign experts on science and technology innovation policies to diagnose and discuss, and figure out solutions for future difficulties.

 

Hu Zhijian, President of Chinese Academy of Science and Technology for Development, proposed at the meeting that the future evolution of China's innovation system should be considered from both international and domestic perspectives, and innovation development should be well integrated with coordinated development as well as with green, open and shared development.

 

Great achievements by regional cooperation

 

Regional economic innovation development is a key strategic choice for many countries and regions to address current and long-term challenges. Looking at the construction of science and technology powers in the world, supports from the regional economies are essential.

 

The integration of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Yangtze River Delta Region is an important part of China's regional innovation system. Keeping abreast of the situation, Pujiang Innovation Forum this year focused on the development of the two major regions and sought for plans and approaches towards staggered and coordinated development.

 

In the Regional & Urban Forum, all parties reached consensuses on a series of issues and signed the Strategic Cooperation Agreement for Accelerating the Construction of Regional Innovation Community in the Yangtze River Delta Region and launched the Initiative of Promoting the Coordinated Development of the National Demonstration Zone for Science and Technology Achievement Transfer and Commercialization in the Yangtze River Delta and Jointly Building a National Highland for Science and Technology Achievement Transfer and Commercialization  to build the Service Platform for Science and Technology Resource Sharing in the Yangtze River Delta.

 

 “In the next stage, three provinces and one municipality will promote one cohesive force, three linkages and one alignment, work together to push forward national key tasks, strengthen the coordination of high-quality resources in the Yangtze River Delta, integrate the S&T strengths in the Yangtze River Delta, and cooperatively drive the co-construction, sharing and integrated development of high-level science and technology platforms like national laboratories, major scientific and technological infrastructure groups.” said Zhu Qigao, Deputy Director of Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality.

 

Guangdong Province is a hot spot for innovation and entrepreneurship, where there is not only good natural ecology but also good innovation ecology, not only strong manufacturing bases but also strong demands for science and technology by entrepreneurs.

 

Guangdong is not only a national independent innovation demonstration area, but also a demonstration area for the transfer and commercialization of scientific and technological achievements in the Pearl River Delta, and the core area of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area International Science and Technology Innovation Center under construction as well.

 

As Vice Governor of Guangdong Province, the Province of Honor of this Pujiang Innovation Forum, Huang Ningsheng led a delegation to attend the forum. As mentioned by him at the opening ceremony, one of the key tasks that Guangdong Province will focus on in the near future is to seize the significant historical opportunity of developing Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, strengthen the cooperation with Hong Kong and Macao, and jointly promote the construction of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao and Greater Bay Area International Science and Technology Innovation Center.

 

In the past decade, Pujiang Innovation Forum has been consistently committed to becoming a platform for release of important signals, for guidance on key topics, and for source of critical statements, as well as continuously improving international influence, to play a greater role in promoting science and technology innovation both in China and worldwide, and supporting and leading global innovative development.

 

2018 was the beginning year to put into practice the spirits of the 19th National Congress of the CPC, as well as the opening year of the “New Decade” of Pujiang Innovation Forum. Keeping a foothold in the new era and the new starting point, how the forum, as an idea dissemination platform with focus on innovation as its mission, will show the world in terms of innovation is worth looking forward to!

Editor in Charge: Ran Xiaoning


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