New materials serve as the cornerstone and driving force of the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation. The new materials industry is the guarantee for upgrading industrial product quality, the prerequisite for industrial technological innovation, and the foundation for the development of strategic emerging industries. It is a foundational, strategic, and pioneering industry that is vital to the national economy, people’s livelihoods, economic development, and national security.Building a major national new materials hub is the earnest expectation that General Secretary Xi Jinping has placed on Gansu. To thoroughly implement General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important instructions and the decisions and plans of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, and to further promote the high-quality development of the province’s new materials industry, this plan has been formulated.
I. Development Foundation
(1) Industrial Foundation.
Since the 13th Five-Year Plan period, the province has focused on the development goal of cultivating and building a 100-billion-yuan-level new materials industrial cluster. The pace of industrial development has continued to accelerate, the scale of the industry has gradually expanded, high-quality enterprises have grown rapidly, the innovation system has been continuously improved, breakthroughs in key technologies have been achieved, and a number of industrial clusters have been preliminarily established, with the new materials industry showing a positive development trend.
The scale of the industry has continued to expand, and industrial agglomeration has begun to take shape. In 2022, the output value of the province’s new materials industry reached 77 billion yuan, ranking second in the Northwest region and accounting for approximately 8% of the province’s total industrial output value. A number of leading domestic enterprises have emerged in fields such as non-ferrous metal new materials, petrochemical and chemical new materials, steel new materials, new energy battery materials, semiconductor new materials, and attapulgite new materials. Relying on the Jinchuan Group,Baiyin Nonferrous Group, the province is accelerating the development of industrial chains for the deep processing of rolled nickel, copper, and cobalt; nickel, copper, and cobalt powders; precious and rare metals; and nickel, copper, and cobalt metal salt chemicals. Relying on Jiuquan Iron & Steel Group, the province is actively addressing shortcomings in steel and aluminum new materials, gradually forming a nonferrous metal industrial cluster valued at 100 billion yuan.Jinchang City has been designated as a national pilot region for the regional clustering and development of strategic emerging industries in non-ferrous metal new materials, and the Jinchang nickel-copper-cobalt new materials industrial cluster has been selected as a national characteristic industrial cluster for small and medium-sized enterprises. The clustering effect of the new materials industry has begun to take shape.
The province is endowed with excellent mineral resources, and significant breakthroughs have been made in mineral exploration. Gansu boasts a rich variety of mineral resources, with distinct advantages in non-ferrous and precious metals. As of the end of 2022, 190 types of minerals (including sub-mineral categories) had been discovered across the province, of which 134 types have confirmed mineral reserves.Reserves of 12 mineral types—including nickel, cobalt, platinum, palladium, osmium, iridium, rhodium, ruthenium, selenium, foundry clay, attapulgite clay, and diorite for construction—rank first in the country. Reserves of 53 mineral types, such as chromium, zinc, tungsten, gold, tellurium,fluorite, and barite rank among the top five in the country.During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, basic geological surveys, mineral resource surveys and evaluations, and exploration work have progressed steadily. Thirteen new mineral deposits were discovered, and the proportion of large and medium-sized mines has exceeded 40%. Reserves of mineral resources such as copper, antimony, and vanadium have grown steadily, and significant breakthroughs have been achieved in the exploration of rare and rare-dispersed metal minerals. A local standard system for green mines has been preliminarily established,48 mines have been included in the green mine registry; the development of new rare earth materials ranks among the top in the country; the late-mover advantages of new inorganic non-metallic materials such as graphite and attapulgite are becoming increasingly evident year by year; the level of efficient utilization of major mineral resources within the province has significantly improved; the province’s strategic mineral resource reserves have gradually increased; and mineral resource exploration and development have provided strong support for the development of the province’s non-ferrous metal new materials, petrochemical and chemical new materials, and steel new materials industries.
Breakthroughs have been achieved in key technologies, and the innovation system continues to be refined. In the field of new materials, the province is home to the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ “One Academy and Three Institutes,”Lanzhou University, Lanzhou University of Technology, and Lanzhou Jiaotong University. Relying on these research institutes, universities, and enterprises, the province has established 7 National Key Laboratories, 1 National Engineering Research Center, 5 National Enterprise Technology Centers, 5 National-Local Joint Engineering Laboratories, 76 Provincial Enterprise Technology Centers, 11 Industry Technology Centers, 9 Industrial Technology Innovation Alliances, and 5 Manufacturing Innovation Centers.Four enterprise innovation consortia have been formed in the fields of new nickel-cobalt-copper materials, new petrochemical and chemical materials, new steel materials, and integrated circuit manufacturing materials,Key R&D platforms such as the State Key Laboratory of Carbonyl Synthesis and Selective Oxidation, the State Key Laboratory of Solid Lubrication, the State Key Laboratory of Functional Organic Molecules Chemistry, the State Key Laboratory of Advanced Processing and Recycling of Non-ferrous Metals, the Jinchuan Group National Key Laboratory for the Development and Comprehensive Utilization of Co-occurring Nickel-Cobalt Resources, and the State-Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for High-Performance Battery Materials have provided strong support for the innovative development of the new materials industry.The province has cumulatively won 23 National Science and Technology Awards in the new materials sector and secured approval for 23 provincial-level major special projects over the past five years. A number of key core technologies—including rare metal separation and extraction, master alloy preparation for high-temperature alloys, high-performance lubrication materials, and hydrometallurgical attapulgite—have been successfully developed and put into industrial application.
Industrial policies have been continuously refined, and the development environment has been consistently optimized. By thoroughly implementing the “Strengthening Industry” initiative and focusing on the critical importance of accelerating the development of the new materials industry—which leverages the province’s resource base and technological advantages to foster new growth points for the industrial economy—the province has successively formulatedthe "Implementation Plan for Accelerating the Development of the New Materials Industry," the "Special Action Plan for the Development of Gansu’s New Materials Industry," the "Implementation Plan for Enhancing the Level of Gansu’s New Materials Industrial Chain," and the "Action Plan for the Development and Expansion of the New Materials Industry in Provincial State-Owned Enterprises." These measures have intensified policy support in areas such as improving industrial chains, developing industrial clusters, enhancing innovation capabilities, fostering leading enterprises, providing financing and tax support, and attracting and cultivating talent. By continuously optimizing the industrial development ecosystem, these policies have provided robust policy safeguards for the high-quality transformation and development of our province’s new materials industry.At the same time, by intensifying investment promotion efforts, continuously optimizing the business environment, encouraging enterprise innovation and entrepreneurship, actively advancing industrial restructuring, vigorously developing emerging industries, and promoting economic transformation and upgrading, the environment for the new materials industry has been continuously optimized.
(2) Development Outlook.
The current period and the foreseeable future represent a crucial stage for accelerating the construction of a modern industrial system and a pivotal period for promoting the high-quality development of the new materials industry, presenting unprecedented opportunities and challenges both domestically and internationally.
From an international perspective, influenced by factors such as the backlash against economic globalization and geopolitical tensions, various unstable, uncertain, and unpredictable factors have significantly increased. Trade frictions and technical barriers to new materials are constantly escalating, and core technologies and new materials have become the focal point of competition among major and powerful nations.As a strategic and foundational industry, the level of development of the new materials sector has become a key indicator of a nation’s or region’s economic and technological strength. Countries around the world are intensifying their strategic planning for new materials and prioritizing them in future scientific and technological R&D. Against the backdrop of a new round of technological and industrial revolutions, emerging technologies and industries are continuously generating massive demand for new materials, and the global new materials industry is expected to maintain rapid growth.
Domestically, China’s new materials industry has made significant progress in scientific innovation, technological innovation, and industrial applications, with development accelerating and the industry’s scale expanding rapidly. According to statistics, in 2022, the total output value of China’s new materials industry reached approximately 6.8 trillion yuan, with an average annual growth rate exceeding 20% over the past five years. However, challenges remain in the R&D and production of advanced high-end materials, including insufficient innovation capacity and incomplete innovation, industrial, and supply chain systems.The current period marks a critical phase for the nation in advancing new industrialization and driving the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries, as well as a pivotal stage in China’s transition from a major producer of new materials to a leading power in the field. Leveraging the domestic economic cycle and further capitalizing on the advantages of China’s massive domestic market—particularly in sectors such as next-generation information technology, aerospace equipment, marine engineering and high-tech vessels, energy conservation and environmental protection, and new energy—has created vast market opportunities for the new materials industry while imposing higher demands on material quality, performance, and supply reliability.
From a provincial perspective, major strategies and policy initiatives—such as advancing the Western Development Strategy to form a new pattern in the new era, jointly building the Belt and Road, promoting ecological conservation and high-quality development in the Yellow River Basin, and achieving the “dual carbon” goals—are being implemented concurrently in our province. Our advantages are becoming increasingly prominent: a strategic depth in geographical location, immense potential in wind, solar, oil, gas, and energy storage, a rich variety and abundance of key mineral resources, and a marked improvement in ecological and environmental quality.With comprehensive supporting factors in place and a continuously improving business environment, the province is currently at a critical stage of gathering momentum, overcoming challenges, and catching up to advance. We will firmly grasp high-quality development as the primary task and the construction of a new development paradigm as the strategic task. We will thoroughly implement the “Strengthening Industry” initiative, adhere to the principles of strengthening leading enterprises, filling supply chain gaps,and fostering clusters, with a focus on building industrial clusters worth hundreds of billions of yuan and industrial parks worth tens of billions of yuan. We will also thoroughly implement a new round of strategic initiatives for breakthroughs in mineral exploration. The development of national-level new districts, industrial parks at all levels, and innovation platforms is now timely. Accelerating the development of the new materials industry will promote integrated innovation and coordinated development between new materials and traditional, emerging, and future industries, driving technological advancement and product upgrades, enhancing industrial vitality and product competitiveness, and achieving new breakthroughs in improving industrial quality and efficiency.
In the face of new circumstances and requirements, we must seize the opportunities for the development of the new materials industry. By closely aligning with the goals of safeguarding national strategic security and enhancing industrial competitiveness, we must effectively leverage our late-mover advantages to build on our strengths,address weaknesses, consolidate foundations, and strengthen areas of deficiency. We must integrate upstream and downstream industrial chains to foster the cluster-based development of high-end, intelligent, and green new materials industries characterized by distinct features and core competitiveness. We will promote the collaborative and innovative development of new materials with strategic emerging industries such as new energy and biomedicine, accelerate the formation of new-quality productive forces, and achieve a doubling of efficiency and high-quality development in the province’s new materials industry.
II. General Requirements
(I) Guiding Principles.
Guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, we will fully implement the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, thoroughly carry out the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important speeches, instructions, and directives regarding Gansu, and fully implement the work arrangements of the 14th Provincial Party Congress and the Second Plenary Session of the 14th Provincial Party Committee. We will focus on national needs, Gansu’s capabilities, the aspirations of the people, andand future trends. With the support of a modern industrial system and the assurance of materials security as the main focus, and with the enhancement of innovation capabilities, self-reliance, and core competitiveness in new materials as priorities, we will concentrate on three major fields—advanced basic materials, key strategic materials, and cutting-edge new materials—to vigorously develop new technologies, new models, and new business formats,revitalize existing capacity, attract new investment, improve quality, enhance vitality, and expand overall scale. We will promote the high-end, intelligent, green, and cluster-based development of our province’s new materials industry, achieve its transformation, upgrading, and structural optimization, and accelerate the creation of a national hub for innovative development in the new materials industry that is distinctively characteristic, leading in the western region, and possesses core competitiveness.
(2) Basic Principles.
Innovation-Driven, Integrated Development. Addressing the needs for high-quality development in new materials, new energy, and advanced manufacturing in the western region and across the nation, we will treat innovation as the primary driving force, adhere to innovation-driven development, and continuously enhance independent innovation capabilities. We will strengthen the role of enterprises as the main drivers of innovation, promote the concentration of various innovation factors—including talent—within enterprises, and foster the deep integration of various innovative technologies with the new materials industry to form a technology innovation system that deeply integrates industry, academia, research, and application.
Market-led, cluster-based development. Fully leverage the decisive role of the market in resource allocation while better utilizing the government’s role. Focusing on the construction of a unified national market, we will continuously deepen market-oriented reforms of production factors and foster a favorable development environment where “resources are transformed into materials and then into products.” Adhering to the laws of raw materials industry development and adopting a localized approach, we will rely on “chain-leading” enterprises with strong industrial foundations and capitalize on resource advantages to promote the cluster-based development of the new materials industry.
Digital Empowerment and Green Development. We will leverage the industrial internet to empower the real economy, promote the application of new materials across a broader range of scenarios, seize the major opportunity presented by the “East Data, West Computing” initiative, and accelerate the digital transformation of the industry. With the goal of achieving environmental, economic, and social benefits, we will closely align with the “Dual Carbon” strategic objectives, prioritize the research, development, and application of advanced green and low-carbon technologies, and promote carbon reduction, pollution control, ecological expansion, and growth throughout the entire lifecycle of new materials, thereby building an efficient, clean, and circular green manufacturing system.
Open Cooperation, Coordinated Development. With the domestic economic cycle as the mainstay and domestic and international cycles reinforcing each other, we will attract various resources to our province. We will strengthen international cooperation in the new materials sector with countries and regions along the “Belt and Road” route and promote the participation of competitive products in the global market. We will implement the Western Development Strategy, optimize the layout of major productive forces, and actively attract innovative resources from the new materials industries of eastern and central regions to settle in our province, thereby forming a coordinated mechanism for fostering new materials enterprises, park cooperation, and joint development of industrial platforms.
(3) Development Goals.
By 2030, the scale, strength, cluster effect, and innovation capacity of the province’s new materials industry will achieve new levels of development. The output value of the new materials industry will exceed 300 billion yuan, with an average annual growth rate of around 20%, continuously meeting the needs of traditional industries’ transformation and upgrading as well as the innovative development of strategic emerging industries. The province will be built into a major domestic and leading western new materials industrial cluster.
— Significant strengthening of flagship industries. Focusing on flagship sectors such as non-ferrous metal new materials, petrochemical and chemical new materials, and steel new materials, we will gradually expand the scale of the new materials industry and steadily increase its share of the province’s total industrial output. We will develop a range of distinctive products, build a reserve of key technologies, and apply major scientific and technological innovation achievements.
— Breakthroughs in industrial chain integration and cluster formation. The infrastructure for the new materials industry will be further improved, with comprehensive support for the allocation of production factors. Enterprises from across the industrial chain will relocate to industrial parks, gradually forming a number of distinctive new materials industrial clusters characterized by distinct regional features, leading brand value, and strong domestic influence.We will build two 100-billion-yuan industrial clusters for non-ferrous metal new materials and petrochemical new materials; one 40-billion-yuan cluster for new energy materials; one 30-billion-yuan cluster for steel new materials; one 10-billion-yuan cluster for semiconductor new materials; and four 5-billion-yuan clusters for inorganic non-metallic new materials, rare earth new materials, high-performance fibers and composite materials, and isotope new materials.
——Continuously improving the industrial innovation system. A new materials innovation system centered on enterprises, market-oriented, and featuring deep integration of government, industry, academia, research, application, and finance has been preliminarily established. We will attract more than 10 high-level innovation teams and foster the establishment of a number of national and provincial-level science and technology innovation platforms, effectively bridging the gap between fundamental theoretical research on new materials and the industrialization of new products.
——Public service platforms are continuously optimized. We will establish more than 10 resource-sharing service platforms, testing and evaluation service platforms, and new materials testing and certification centers for the new materials industry, and attract and foster approximately 10 market-oriented materials R&D and design institutions as well as specialized technical service providers.
— Demonstration application scenarios will continue to expand. A number of national-level green factories, green industrial parks, smart manufacturing demonstration factories, and exemplary application scenarios will be established, and active participation in the formulation of national, industry, and group standards will be pursued.
By 2035, substantial progress will be made in the high-end, intelligent, and green transformation and upgrading of traditional industries. A number of influential new materials industrial clusters will be formed, striving to become a domestic first-class hub for the innovative development of the new materials industry with distinctive characteristics and core competitiveness. The new materials industry will become a key pillar supporting the high-quality economic development of Gansu.
(IV) Spatial Layout.
Leveraging existing development foundations and resource advantages, and using industrial parks and industrial bases as key platforms, we will guide the clustering and development of the new materials industry to establish a “One Core, One Belt, Multiple Points” development pattern.
Led by the “One Core”—that is, with Lanzhou as the core, linking Lanzhou New Area and Baiyin—we will build a provincial R&D and innovation hub for the new materials industry. By fully leveraging Lanzhou’s scientific research resources, talent advantages, and industrial foundation in the new materials sector, and relying on industrial parks such as Lanzhou New Area, Lanzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone, Lanzhou High-Tech Industrial Development Zone, Baiyin High-Tech Industrial Development Zone, and Lanzhou Jinchuan Science and Technology Park,and research institutions and universities such as the Institute of Modern Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou University of Technology, and Lanzhou Jiaotong University, to provide innovative leadership and R&D empowerment for the province’s new materials industry.Priority will be given to developing new materials industry clusters focused on petrochemical and chemical new materials, non-ferrous metal new materials, new energy materials, rare earth new materials, high-performance fibers and composite materials, semiconductor new materials, and isotope new materials, thereby leading the innovative development of the province’s new materials industry.
"One Belt" Coordination: This refers to the Hexi Corridor as a belt for the coordinated development of the new materials industry. Relying on industrial parks such as the Jinchang Economic and Technological Development Zone, Zhangye Economic and Technological Development Zone, Linze Industrial Park, Jiuquan Economic and Technological Development Zone, Jiayuguan High-Tech Industrial Development Zone, Yumen Economic Development Zone, and Guazhou Industrial Concentration Zone,and “chain-leading” enterprises such as Jinchuan Group and Jiuquan Iron & Steel Group, to form a development system characterized by clear division of labor, complementary strengths, differentiated support, and coordinated synergy. The focus will be on developing new materials in non-ferrous metals, steel, new energy, inorganic non-metallic materials, high-performance fibers and composites, semiconductors, and isotopes, thereby achieving the chain-based, clustered, and scaled development of the new materials industry.
"Multi-point" development: Taking Qingyang, Tianshui, Wuwei,Longnan, Dingxi, and Pingliang as key nodes. Relying on "chain-leading" enterprises and key competitive enterprises, we will establish a series of new materials development bases, each with distinct characteristics and significant advantages. This will create an industrial landscape characterized by rational layout, clear priorities, distinctive features, and coordinated development, serving as a vital pillar for the "One Core" and "One Belt" strategy and promoting the co-creation, co-construction, sharing, and mutual benefit of the new materials industry across all regions of the province.The Non-ferrous Metal New Materials Base focuses on Jinchang, Baiyin, Jiayuguan, Pingliang, and Longnan. Relying on the Jinchang Economic and Technological Development Zone, the Baiyin High-Tech Industrial Development Zone, and the Jiayuguan High-Tech Industrial Development Zone, and leveraging the platforms of Jinchuan Group, Baiyin Nonferrous Metals Group, and Jiuquan Iron & Steel Group, the base will vigorously develop non-ferrous metal new materials and rare earth new materials.The Petrochemical and Chemical New Materials Base focuses on Lanzhou, Qingyang, and Jiuquan. Building on the industrial foundation and resource endowments, it fully leverages the strengths of leading enterprises such as Lanzhou Petrochemical, Qingyang Petrochemical, and Yumen Petrochemical. Relying on the Lanzhou New Area Fine Chemicals Industrial Park, Xigu Chemical Industrial Park, and Qingyang Xifeng Industrial Park, it is committed to developing chemical new materials and rubber new materials.The Steel New Materials Base will utilize key steel enterprises in Jiayuguan and Lanzhou as its core, radiating out to drive surrounding economic development zones and industrial parks, and will focus on developing high-end steel new materials and their derivative products. The New Energy Materials Base will focus on Jiuquan, Jiayuguan, Jinchang, Lanzhou, Qingyang, and Dingxi. It will fully leverage the advantages of the new energy sector, rely on local economic development zones and industrial parks to fully integrate the upstream and downstream industrial chains, and strive to create an industrial agglomeration effect.The Semiconductor New Materials Base focuses on Tianshui, Jinchang, Jiuquan, and Wuwei. Relying on the Tianshui Economic and Technological Development Zone, the Jinchang Economic and Technological Development Zone, the Wuwei Tianzhu Jinqiang Industrial Concentration Zone, as well as Jinchuan Group and Baiyin Nonferrous Metals Group as key platforms, it aims to establish a supply base for raw materials for electronic new materials.The attapulgite new materials base will focus on Zhangye and Baiyin, fully leveraging the expertise of the Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences to build a growth hub for the province’s full attapulgite new materials industrial chain.The Isotope New Materials Base will focus on Zhangye, Wuwei, and Lanzhou. By fully leveraging the province’s unique advantages in the nuclear industry and isotope sector, and relying on the Institute of Modern Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), and Northwest Yongxin as key platforms, we will establish a national pilot base for boron isotopes and thorium-based nuclear materials.The Lubrication and Sealing Materials Base will focus on Lanzhou, leveraging the Lanzhou Institute of Chemistry and Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences as a platform to build a world-class integrated R&D and testing base for lubrication and sealing materials.
III. Key Areas
We will pursue both traditional resource strengths and cutting-edge innovation, emphasizing the integration of existing foundations with long-term planning. Grounded in the positioning of our province’s new materials industry, we will focus on three key areas: advanced basic materials, critical strategic materials, and frontier new materials. We will concentrate on the most competitive sectors within the advanced basic materials industry—including new materials for non-ferrous metals, petrochemicals, steel, and inorganic non-metallic materials—to drive the development of industrial clusters;Focus on key strategic materials sectors such as new energy materials, semiconductor materials, rare earth materials, high-performance fibers and composites, and isotope materials. By deeply integrating international and domestic cutting-edge trends in new materials with Gansu’s resource endowments, we will vigorously promote basic research, establish channels for technology transfer, and achieve breakthrough development;Focus on cutting-edge new materials sub-sectors such as high-performance aerogel insulation materials, additive manufacturing materials, superconducting materials, smart biomimetic materials, liquid metals, high-entropy alloys, and quantum information materials; plan and layout proactively, explore development pathways, achieve leapfrog development, and establish Gansu Province’s “4+5+N” new materials industrial system.
(1) Vigorously develop advanced basic materials.
1. New Non-ferrous Metal Materials. With a focus on Jinchang, Jiayuguan, Baiyin, and Lanzhou, and supported by Pingliang, Longnan, and Gannan, we will leverage “chain-leading” enterprises such as Jinchuan Group, Jiuquan Iron & Steel Group,Baiyin Nonferrous Group, and other “chain-leading” enterprises, accelerate the progress of key projects such as expanding production capacity for high-end high-temperature alloys and sheets, ultra-fine electromagnetic wire, establishing production lines for precious metal powders and compounds, industrializing high-purity metal new materials, developing green high-end aluminum alloy production lines, and optimizing and upgrading deep-processing products of aluminum alloy sheets and strips.Prioritize the research and development of new non-ferrous metal materials such as nickel-based, copper-based, aluminum-based, titanium-based, zinc-based, precious metal, and carbonyl-based materials. Achieve the largest domestic production scale for high-end electroplating nickel salts and ultra-fine electromagnetic wire, and promote the diversified, high-end, and distinctive development of new non-ferrous metal products.We will advance the extension and supplementation of non-ferrous metal new materials industrial chains, comprehensively building non-ferrous metal new materials industrial chains such as the nickel-copper-cobalt rolling and deep processing chain, the nickel-copper-cobalt powder chain, the precious and rare metals chain, and the light metals chain, to create a non-ferrous metal industrial cluster worth 100 billion yuan.
2. Petrochemical and Chemical New Materials. Focusing on Lanzhou and Qingyang, with Jinchang, Jiuquan, and Tianshui serving as supporting hubs, and relying on “chain-leading” enterprises such as Lanzhou Petrochemical and Qingyang Petrochemical, we will accelerate the progress of key projects including the 1.2 million-ton ethylene upgrade, the multifunctional nitrile rubber facility, the integrated heavy oil catalytic cracking project, the phosgene chemical recycling industrial chain, electronic-grade ultra-pure lithium fluoride,polyacrylate rubber, and high-end epoxy resin purification. We will actively attract leading enterprises from outside the province to establish and build projects in Gansu that extend and complement the industrial chain, such as fluorochemicals, electronic chemical materials, and fine chemicals. Focusing on specialty chemicals like engineering plastics, specialty rubbers, and specialty coatings, as well as new fluorochemical materials, electronic-grade chemical materials,specialty lubricant materials, and polymer material additives, we will focus on R&D of high-value-added, high-performance, low-cost petrochemical and chemical new materials with broad applications. We will concentrate efforts on extending the product structure downstream to build industrial chains for high-performance engineering plastics, high-performance specialty rubber, and electronic chemical materials, driving the industry chain toward the mid-to-high end and forming a 100-billion-yuan petrochemical and chemical new materials industrial cluster led by leading enterprises.
3. New Steel Materials. With a focus on Jiayuguan and Lanzhou, and relying on “chain-leading” enterprises such as Jiuquan Iron & Steel Group, we will accelerate the progress of key projects including stainless steel bright annealing production lines, integrated hot-rolled pickled sheet and galvanized-aluminum-magnesium coating units, photovoltaic mounting bracket manufacturing, and short-process smelting of high-quality alloy steel.Prioritize the development of next-generation functional composite construction steel, high-quality stainless steel and corrosion-resistant alloys, and steel for hydrogen energy applications. Continuously expand the scope of these applications to achieve the largest production scale in western China for zinc-aluminum-magnesium-coated sheets and strips as well as premium stainless steel products. Form a competitive cluster of high-value-added products and establish a research, production, and processing base for high-quality and special steel.Gradually promote the transition from traditional models to internet-integrated models, enhancing capabilities in “customized” design, processing, and supply. Integrate the entire “ferrous metallurgy–equipment manufacturing” industrial chain to form a 30-billion-yuan steel new materials industrial cluster led by key enterprises.
4. Inorganic Non-metallic New Materials. Focusing on Jiuquan and Zhangye, with support from Lanzhou, Baiyin, Tianshui, and Longnan, and leveraging the province’s distinctive and competitive enterprises, we will accelerate the advancement of key projects such as the high-value utilization of attapulgite, photovoltaic glass production lines and supporting deep processing, the production and processing of specialty silicon materials, the production of graphitized materials, the integrated end-to-end production of anode materials, and the calcium-based new materials industrial park.Leveraging resource advantages such as attapulgite, quartz sand, and graphite, we will accelerate the extension of diverse product lines into downstream segments of the industrial chain, increase the proportion of high-value-added products, and cultivate industrial chains for attapulgite nanotechnology applications and high-end specialty glass. This will enable high-quality applications of inorganic non-metallic new materials and form a 5-billion-yuan-scale inorganic non-metallic new materials industrial cluster.
(2) Prioritize the development of key strategic materials.
1. New Energy Materials. Focusing on the Hexi region, Lanzhou, and Lanzhou New Area, with Tianshui, Baiyin, and Dingxi serving as supporting areas, we will leverage the province’s abundant wind and solar resources and its rich mineral resources such as nickel and lithium. Through “chain-leading” enterprises like Jinchuan Group, we will accelerate the development of key projects including nickel sulfate for power batteries, ternary precursors, lithium-ion battery cathode materials, lithium iron phosphate cathode materials,microporous membranes for lithium batteries, and high-grade battery-grade electrolytic copper foil. We aim to achieve the largest scale of cathode materials production in Western China and the largest scale of battery-grade copper foil production in Asia. We will establish a battery materials industrial chain, improve the green circular system for power batteries from production to recycling, effectively promote the development of strategic emerging industries such as energy conservation, environmental protection, and new energy, build a leading hub for new energy materials in Western China, and form a 40-billion-yuan new energy materials industrial cluster.
2. New Semiconductor Materials. Focusing on Jiuquan, Jinchang, Tianshui, and Wuwei, and relying on key enterprises such as Baiyin Nonferrous Metals Group and Jinchuan Group, we will accelerate the progress of key projects including monocrystalline wafers, new materials for semiconductor packaging, and novel thermoelectric conversion technologies.Accelerate the diversification of product types and the enhancement of value in optoelectronic conversion materials, electromechanical conversion semiconductor materials, power semiconductor materials, semiconductor sensing materials, new display materials, and thermoelectric materials. Cultivate industrial chains for semiconductor materials, new display materials, and bismuth telluride thermoelectric conversion, achieving second-place rankings in China for the production and sales of selenium,tellurium, and bismuth telluride to rank second in the country in terms of production and sales. We will establish a national-level leading R&D platform for new semiconductor materials in the western region and a production base for high-end products, forming a 10-billion-yuan-level new semiconductor materials industrial cluster.
3. New Rare Earth Materials. Centered on Baiyin and Lanzhou, and relying on key enterprises such as Gansu Rare Earth and Baiyin Nonferrous Metals Group, accelerate the development of new high-capacity, low-cost rare earth hydrogen storage electrode materials and the advancement of production lines for high-purity rare earth metal specialty alloys. Achieve breakthroughs in the R&D of rare earth functional materials, strengthen the application of research outcomes, build an industrial chain for rare earth functional materials, and create a 5-billion-yuan-scale industrial cluster for new rare earth materials.
4. High-Performance Fibers and Composite Materials. Centered on Lanzhou, Baiyin, Jiuquan, and Pingliang, and relying on leading enterprises with competitive advantages, we will accelerate the advancement of projects such as raw fiber spinning lines, large-tow carbonization lines, carbon fiber production lines, industrial remanufacturing and recycling demonstration parks for carbon fibers, industrial application demonstration parks for carbon fiber recycling, large-scale production of modified graphene composites, and production of carbon fiber-toughened silicon carbide high-performance ceramic matrix composites.Building on the stable production capacity of high-strength carbon fiber precursor filaments, we will promote domestic substitution for high-performance fibers and composite materials. We will accelerate the development of high-strength, high-modulus fibers; high-strength, corrosion-resistant fibers; carbon fibers and composite materials; and glass fibers and composite materials. We will improve the cost-effective engineering operations of carbon fiber precursor filaments and gradually establish a complete industrial chain spanning from carbon fiber precursor filaments to finished products and application-specific items such as cable cores and lightweight vehicle bodies, thereby creating a high-performance fiber and composite materials industrial cluster valued at 5 billion yuan.
5. Isotope-based New Materials. Centered on Lanzhou, Zhangye, and Wuwei,with Jinchang, Jiayuguan, Baiyin, and Jiuquan serving as supporting hubs, and relying on key enterprises such as China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) and Lanzhou Stone Group, we will accelerate the development of the 100-ton stable boron isotope facility in Zhangye, the research and development of medical isotope drugs in Lanzhou, the Accelerator-Driven Transmutation Research Facility, the domestic production of nuclear-grade graphite for high-temperature gas-cooled reactors, the Wuwei Thorium-based Molten Salt Reactor,and the research and development of the boron neutron capture therapy device at Lanzhou University. We will strengthen the R&D and production of boron isotope products, materials meeting service requirements for nuclear power equipment, and nuclear power coatings; proactively lay the groundwork for the boron isotope industry; achieve domestic production of a full range of nuclear power coatings; fully leverage our province’s unique advantages in the nuclear industry and isotope sector; and form a 5-billion-yuan-level isotope new materials industrial cluster.
(3) Actively develop cutting-edge new materials.
Proactively seize the trend of convergence between new materials technology and information technology, nanotechnology, and smart technology. Prioritize original innovation and disruptive technological innovation, align with national strategic priorities and emerging science and technology industries, and pay close attention to the national guidance catalog on key development areas for the industrialization of cutting-edge new materials. Identify key sectors and strategically position ourselves to develop a range of cutting-edge new materials.Focusing on regions such as Lanzhou, Jinchang, Baiyin, Jiayuguan, Jiuquan, Tianshui, and Qingyang, and relying on innovation consortia of leading provincial enterprises as well as universities and research institutes, we will accelerate breakthroughs in cutting-edge new materials technology research and industrial application.Focus on niche areas of cutting-edge new materials, such as high-performance aerogel insulation materials, additive manufacturing materials, superconducting materials, smart biomimetic materials, liquid metals, high-entropy alloys, and quantum information materials. Conduct research on frontier and interdisciplinary technologies in new materials. By developing, stockpiling, and applying a range of materials, achieve concentrated breakthroughs and secure a leading position in the industry.
IV. Major Projects
Adhering to the principle of driving overall development through key breakthroughs, we will fully organize and implement nine major initiatives: enhancing innovation infrastructure, tackling key core technologies, attracting and nurturing high-quality enterprises, constructing major projects, modernizing traditional industries through “three transformations,” building industrial chains and clusters, promoting high-quality development of industrial parks, establishing public service platforms, and advancing international exchange and cooperation. By targeting the downstream end of industrial chains and the high-end of value chains,comprehensively enhance industrial foundational capabilities and the modernization of industrial chains, achieve breakthroughs in qualitative improvement, and yield results in promoting reasonable quantitative growth.
(1) Project to Enhance Innovation Foundational Capabilities.
Fully leverage the role of scientific and technological innovation as a catalyst for growth. Relying on the innovative leadership of the province’s innovation platforms, centers, alliances, and enterprises in the new materials sector, we will focus on building a new materials industry innovation system centered on enterprises, supported by universities and research institutions, featuring deep military-civilian integration, and promoting synergy among industry, academia, research, and application. We will establish the Gansu Provincial New Materials Innovation Research Institute at an appropriate time and to high standards.We will strengthen talent education and vocational training in the field of new materials and reinforce the tiered development of the talent pool for the new materials industry. By establishing a provincial R&D and innovation hub for the new materials industry centered on Lanzhou, we will comprehensively enhance the province’s foundational innovation capabilities in new materials and lead the industry toward high-quality development.
(2) Key Core Technology R&D Project.
Focus on core technological bottlenecks in three major areas—advanced basic materials, critical strategic materials, and cutting-edge new materials. Closely aligning with national security requirements and the province’s socio-economic development needs, adopt an approach that combines enterprise-driven demand, proactive government planning, and support from research institutions to strengthen fundamental theoretical and technological research in new materials, expand reserves of foundational technologies, and drive technological advancement and industrial upgrading.Support provincial enterprise innovation consortia in actively pursuing national science and technology program projects and undertaking major provincial science and technology special projects. By pooling the province’s leading research capabilities to jointly tackle key generic technologies, we will enhance the self-sufficiency and security of new materials supply.
(3) Key High-Quality Enterprise Cultivation and Attraction Program.
Focusing on key and competitive fields of new materials within the province and prioritizing industrial chain security and supply chain stability, we will center efforts around “chain-leading” enterprises in the new materials sector—such as Jinchuan Group, Jiuquan Iron & Steel Group, Baiyin Nonferrous Metals Group, Lanshi Group, Lanzhou Petrochemical, and Qingyang Petrochemical—to attract and cluster upstream and downstream supporting enterprises in related fields, cultivate a new batch of leading enterprises, and continuously strengthen and optimize market entities.Leveraging national-level “Specialized, Refined, Unique, and Innovative” (“Little Giant”) enterprises and provincial-level “Specialized, Refined, Unique, and Innovative” enterprises in the new materials sector—such as Lanzhou Stone Heavy Industry and Jinchuan Group’s Nickel Salt Company—we will continuously expand the province’s cluster of such enterprises. Targeting leading enterprises in key domestic and international new materials sectors, we will introduce a group of backbone enterprises and key projects to foster the growth and scale of enterprises in the province’s new materials sector. We will actively promote the listing of eligible new materials enterprises to achieve tiered cultivation and expansion of the sector.
(IV) Major Project Construction.
Closely aligned with national major strategies and the development needs of the province’s new materials industry, we will focus on the direction of building the “4+5+N” new materials industrial system. We will organize and implement a series of projects to extend, supplement, consolidate, strengthen, and establish new materials industrial chains, thereby safeguarding the security of landmark industrial chains.In accordance with the requirements to have a batch of projects completed and put into operation, a batch under construction, a batch in the preliminary planning stage, and a batch in the planning and reserve stage, we will strengthen the planning of key projects and intensify the attraction of major projects. We will prioritize the promotion of major new materials projects with advanced technology and urgent demand from downstream industries, and establish a dynamically optimized project database for the new materials industry.
(5) “Three Modernizations” Transformation Project for Traditional Industries.
Focusing on the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries such as non-ferrous metals, petrochemicals, and steel within the advanced basic materials sector, we will accelerate the transition of traditional raw materials toward green, high-end, and specialized new materials. We will further extend industrial chains and enhance product value-added, driving significant achievements in the intelligent upgrading and digital transformation of new materials production, and bringing high-end, intelligent, and green development to a nationally advanced level.Centered on “carbon reduction at the source, carbon reduction during the process, and carbon sequestration at the end,” support leading enterprises in the new materials industry to optimize their energy consumption structures, vigorously develop and promote green and low-carbon technologies, and foster a green and low-carbon new materials industry.
(6) Industrial Chain and Cluster Development Project.
We will continue to implement the requirements of strengthening leading enterprises, filling gaps in the industrial chain, and fostering industrial clusters. Efforts will focus on consolidating existing capacity in key new materials industries, expanding the scale of advantageous new materials industries, extending the new materials industrial chain, and increasing the added value of new materials products. We will persistently advance the campaign to enhance the industrial foundation and modernize the industrial chain, addressing weaknesses and strengthening strengths to promote the extension of the new materials industrial chain upstream and downstream, thereby forming a relatively complete industrial chain and industrial clusters.We will build an industrial ecosystem featuring the coordinated development of “chain-leading enterprises + supporting enterprises,” driving the new materials industry to extend from upstream resources to midstream and downstream sectors. This will integrate the entire industrial chain from “resources to materials to finished products,” reduce product costs, and strengthen the industrial chain. We will actively integrate into domestic and international new materials industrial chains to expand the influence of our province’s new materials industrial ecosystem.
(7) High-Quality Development Project for Industrial Parks.
Centering on the “One Core, One Belt, Multiple Points” development pattern for the new materials industry,fully leverage the agglomeration and project-hosting functions of industrial parks in various cities and prefectures. Based on local conditions, identify 1–2 dominant development directions for the new materials industry within each park. Following the development model of “one park, one platform, one leading enterprise, and one dominant new materials development direction,” and the development philosophy of “parks driving projects, and projects driving industries,” clarify differentiated development positioning to achieve complementary and coordinated development among industrial parks, thereby cultivating and building industrial parks with significant domestic and international influence.
(8) Public Service Platform Construction Project.
Focusing on the three major directions of advanced basic materials, critical strategic materials, and cutting-edge new materials, support the development and sharing of resources, promote collaborative innovation within the industry, and advance the construction of platforms such as new materials testing and evaluation services. Encourage prioritizing the enhancement of market-oriented professional service levels in the field of basic materials. Accelerate the establishment of a comprehensive public service platform system to significantly strengthen integrated service capabilities in areas such as resource linkage, testing and evaluation, and innovative development within the new materials industry.
(9) Project for Opening-up, Exchange, and Cooperation.
Seizing opportunities presented by the joint construction of the “Belt and Road,” the formation of a new pattern for the Western Development in the new era, and the construction of the Western Land-Sea New Channel, we will benchmark against leading enterprises and industrial parks in the new materials sector to strengthen cross-regional collaboration. We will guide provincial new materials enterprises to expand exchanges and cooperation with leading enterprises outside the province, learn from and draw on advanced experiences in the development of all elements, the entire industrial chain, and the full value chain of the new materials industry, and strive to master new technologies and directions in the field.
Strengthen cooperation with countries and regions along the “Belt and Road” route, support new materials enterprises in expanding their global footprint, develop new materials raw material bases and product application markets, and enhance their operational capabilities in international markets.Actively organize enterprises to participate in international and national forums, conferences, and major exhibitions to enhance corporate visibility and expand brand influence. Leveraging major exhibition platforms such as the “Lanzhou Investment and Trade Fair,” establish specialized new materials exhibition zones to fully showcase the achievements of our province’s new materials industry development and attract leading domestic and international enterprises to invest in Gansu. Guide provincial enterprises to introduce advanced foreign technologies through various channels and support the implementation of various science and technology innovation transformation projects in Gansu.
V. Support Measures
(1) Strengthen the Coordination and Collaboration Mechanism.
Fully leverage the guiding role of the plan and the high-level promotion role of industry chain leaders. The Provincial Development and Reform Commission will take the lead in overall coordination, fully implement the responsibilities of the lead departments and provincial-level departments, clarify task divisions, strengthen coordination, and solidly advance the development of key areas and the implementation of major projects, while comprehensively promoting the fulfillment of the plan’s objectives and tasks.Further innovate management and enhance services, prioritizing the allocation of key resources—including land, energy consumption, environmental capacity, and carbon emissions quotas—for major new materials projects across the province. Concentrate superior resources to drive the research and development, engineering, industrialization, and application of new materials. Continuously optimize the new materials industry’s standard system, collaborative innovation system, and talent policy framework, and persistently advance the integrated development of the “government-industry-academia-research-application-finance” six-pronged approach across all regions and departments.
(2) Focus on Talent Development.
Leveraging major provincial talent recruitment initiatives, we will focus on attracting and cultivating a cohort of top-tier domestic and international talents, strategic scientific and technological talents, leading scientific and technological figures, innovation and entrepreneurship teams, young scientific and technological talents, outstanding engineers, Longyuan Artisans, and highly skilled professionals who possess independent intellectual property rights and master core technologies.Guide and encourage enterprises to establish expert workstations (research stations) for the new materials industry. Identify innovation teams possessing core technologies and utilize incentives such as equity, stock options, and profit sharing to stimulate the innovative vitality of scientific and technological talent, while providing preferential support for entrepreneurship. Cultivate a diverse pool of scientific and technological talent, skilled workers, key personnel, and specialized teams in the new materials industry who are well-structured, highly skilled, proficient in digital applications, and committed to green and low-carbon practices.
(3) Establish a Think Tank Advisory System.
Leveraging expert resources in the provincial new materials sector and leading innovators from leading enterprises, establish a Gansu Provincial New Materials Industry Development Advisory Think Tank. Actively forge strategic partnerships with national-level think tanks such as the National Expert Advisory Committee on New Materials Industry Development, the Iron and Steel Research Institute, and the Beijing Nonferrous Metals Research Institute to provide advisory recommendations on industry planning, industrial policies, and major projects, thereby strengthening macro-level guidance and information direction for the development of our province’s new materials industry.Invite enterprises and experts in the new materials sector to participate in high-level forums on new materials industry development hosted by our province. Invite key national research institutions and project teams in the new materials sector to provide guidance for the development of our province’s new materials enterprises. Effectively leverage the role of the think tank advisory system to provide consulting services to new materials enterprises in areas such as industrial policy, environmental compliance assessments, smart manufacturing, production line equipment, low-carbon initiatives, and legal matters.
(4) Increase fiscal and financial investment.
Make full use of the Green Ecological Industry Development Fund, relevant sub-funds under the Lan-Bai Pilot Zone Technology Innovation Drive Fund, government-backed industrial investment funds, the Provincial SME Development Fund, the Provincial Special Fund for High-Quality Manufacturing Development, and the Data and Information Development Fund, among others, to attract social capital and increase support for key projects related to the industrialization and large-scale application of new materials. Prioritize support for the development and application of new materials products that fill domestic gaps, possess significant market potential, and hold major demonstrative significance.Implement tax preferential policies for high-tech enterprises in the new materials industry and support enterprises in accessing tax incentives under the national Western Development Strategy. Actively promote key enterprises and projects in the province’s new materials sector to financial institutions, encouraging them to provide credit support to new materials enterprises. Facilitate equity restructuring and listings, bond issuance, and mergers and acquisitions for new materials enterprises to increase the proportion of direct financing.
(5) Improve Supporting Industrial Policies.
Adhering to the principle of “two unwavering commitments,” we will deepen the transformation of government functions to create a first-class business environment. This includes fostering a more convenient and efficient administrative environment, an open and accessible investment environment, a fair and competitive market environment, and a relaxed yet orderly business environment.Implement “one enterprise, one policy” targeted support for major projects and key enterprises. Prioritize major industrialization projects in key new materials development areas for inclusion in provincial-level major project lists, provide support and guarantees regarding factor supply, and conduct environmental impact assessments and energy conservation reviews in accordance with regulations.We encourage localities to increase support for new materials projects in terms of renewable energy allocation. We will support the scientific and effective integration of renewable energy projects with new materials industry projects in the Hexi region to achieve “low-carbon” and “carbon-neutral” new materials production, thereby establishing a national benchmark for the high-quality development of “green” new materials. For critical strategic materials and cutting-edge new materials, we will provide active support in terms of industrial positioning, project implementation, and policy assistance.We will fully implement all policies designed to benefit and stabilize enterprises, support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in enhancing their specialized capabilities, and promote the integrated development of large, medium, and small enterprises. This will foster an industrial ecosystem characterized by joint product innovation, shared value creation, and mutual benefit sharing.
(6) Strengthen the evaluation of plan implementation.
Strengthen the organization and implementation of the new materials industry development plan, implement departmental accountability systems, and clarify work objectives and tasks. Improve statistics on the new materials industry to comprehensively reflect the implementation of the plan and guide the healthy development of the industry.Improve the evaluation mechanism for new materials industry development plans; monitor, evaluate, and dynamically adjust the implementation of the plan; and strengthen dynamic tracking of new situations and issues that arise during implementation to coordinate and resolve them in a timely manner. Strengthen monitoring and analysis of the new materials industry, release policy information on the sector, and guide and promote the standardized and orderly development of the new materials industry. Improve the social oversight mechanism for plan implementation, and invite and encourage public participation in supervising the implementation of the plan.
