Premier calls on firms to pursue innovations

Li says more targeted policies should be introduced to support enterprises

Premier Li Qiang has emphasized the need to further enhance the leading role of enterprises in making scientific and technological innovations and to achieve breakthroughs in core technologies in key fields.

He made the remarks during a fact-finding trip to Central China's Hubei province on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Li visited a water conservancy project, enterprises, an industrial park, a key national laboratory and an airport during the tour, which took him to Yichang, Wuhan and Ezhou.

In Wuhan, the provincial capital, Li learned about the development of flash memory chips when visiting the production lines of Chinese memory chip company Yangtze Memory Technologies Co, and about the laser industry during a visit to HGTECH, an industrial technology enterprise that produces laser equipment.

He called for efforts to promote closer collaboration among industries, universities and research institutes, and to introduce more targeted policies to support enterprises so that more scientific research achievements can be better turned into productivity.

At Wuhan University's key national laboratory of information engineering in surveying, mapping and remote sensing, Li fully recognized the laboratory's progress after listening to a report on its research and development of major projects as well as the industrial application of advances.

He expressed the hope that the laboratory staff will make vigorous efforts to gather and integrate more innovative resources and make greater breakthroughs in core technologies in key fields, thus making contributions to the country's goal of promoting high-level self-reliance and self-improvement in science and technology.

The premier's trip comes after the tone-setting Central Economic Work Conference last month, which emphasized using scientific and technological innovation to advance the construction of a modern industrial system.

The meeting also stressed the importance of implementing high-quality development actions for key industrial chains and boosting the resilience and safety of industrial and supply chains.

When visiting a battery material industrial park in Yichang that boasts a sound supply chain, Li affirmed the efforts there to develop a circular economy. He also encouraged the enterprises to aim at the high end of industrial and value chains and take the lead in developing the green and low-carbon economy.

Noting that the Central Economic Work Conference outlined the priorities for the country's economic work this year, Li said Hubei province should forge ahead with determination and hard work, in order to make new contributions to the country's overall growth with its achievements in high-quality development.