To thoroughly implement General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important directives on developing new-quality productive forces, seize the opportunities presented by the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation, accelerate the cultivation of new-quality productive forces, and promote high-quality development in Hubei, the following implementation guidelines have been formulated with the approval of the Provincial People’s Government.

I. General Requirements

Guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, we will thoroughly implement the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, fully carry out the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important speeches and instructions regarding Hubei’s work, and fully, accurately, and comprehensively implement the new development philosophy. We will adhere to the principles of adapting to local conditions, establishing new systems before dismantling old ones, and adopting differentiated approaches. By fully leveraging Hubei’s comparative advantages, we will build science and technology innovation supply chain platforms and activate the core elements of new-quality productive forces with a “practical application” orientation. We will use the construction of supply chain systems as a lever to build a modern industrial system,strengthen the industrial foundation for new-quality productive forces; take the in-depth implementation of comprehensive river basin management as the basis to promote green and low-carbon transformation and highlight the distinctive character of new-quality productive forces; and promote a virtuous cycle of education, science and technology, and talent through institutional and mechanism innovation to shape a favorable ecosystem for new-quality productive forces. This will provide strong impetus for accelerating the construction of a national pilot zone for building a new development paradigm and vigorously advancing the Hubei practice of Chinese-style modernization.

The primary objectives are: over the next five years, to strive for an average annual growth rate of over 14% in total R&D investment across society; to increase the local conversion rate of scientific and technological achievements to over 80%; to achieve an average annual growth rate of over 10% in the added value of strategic emerging industries; to raise the share of manufacturing added value in GDP to over 30%;comprehensive optimization of the “four major structures” (industry, energy, transportation, and land use), a reduction in energy consumption per unit of GDP by more than 10%, and full efforts to establish a national pilot zone for high-level self-reliance and strength in science and technology, a world-class advanced manufacturing cluster, a pilot zone for a Beautiful China, a core area for national strategic hinterland development, and a demonstration zone for reform of the high-level socialist market economy system, thereby accelerating the creation of a national hub for the development of new-quality productive forces.

II. Activating Core Elements of Scientific and Technological Innovation

(1) Strengthen Original and Disruptive Scientific and Technological Innovation. Accelerate the development of Wuhan into a nationally influential center for scientific and technological innovation, and strive to establish the East Lake Comprehensive National Science Center. Make every effort to build the Optics Valley Science and Technology Innovation Corridor, the Han-Xiao-Sui-Xiang-Shi Automotive Industry Innovation Corridor, and the Yichang-Jingzhou-Jingmen Chemical and New Materials Industry Innovation Corridor.Strive to establish an additional 2 national laboratories (bases), build more than 30 national key laboratories, operate more than 10 major scientific facilities, host more than 200 national-level innovation platforms, and establish more than 600 new-type R&D institutions. Guided by major initiatives such as the National Science and Technology Innovation 2030 Program, establish the Wuhan Center for Disruptive Technology Innovation and conduct approximately 15 interdisciplinary disruptive technology research projects annually.(Responsible Units: Provincial Department of Science and Technology, Provincial Development and Reform Commission, Provincial Department of Economy and Information Technology; relevant municipal and prefectural people’s governments)

(2) Win the battle for key core technologies. Deepen the implementation of the “Spearhead” Technology R&D Project, accelerate breakthroughs in “bottleneck” technologies such as foundational software and hardware, basic components, key foundational materials, and critical instruments, equipment, and reagents, and build a “core technology pool” in areas of strength.Implement a project evaluation mechanism where “downstream applications assess upstream technologies, applications evaluate technologies, the whole system evaluates components, and the market evaluates products,” achieving breakthroughs in approximately 30 key technologies in competitive fields annually. Support capable enterprises in leading major R&D initiatives and establish a series of collaborative industrial technology innovation consortia for automotive-grade chips, fiber lasers, and other areas. (Responsible Units: Provincial Department of Science and Technology, Provincial Development and Reform Commission, Provincial Department of Economy and Information Technology; relevant municipal and prefectural people’s governments)

(3) Strengthen the Transformation and Application of Scientific and Technological Innovation Achievements. Adhere to a “use-oriented” approach, with enterprises as the main body and projects as the vehicle, to advance the construction of scientific and technological innovation supply chain platforms. Improve the “Big Dipper”-style achievement transformation system integrating government, industry, academia, research, finance, services, and application. Organize more than 300 technology achievement transformation and matching events annually, striving to exceed 1 trillion yuan in annual technical contract transactions across the province.Implement cultivation plans for leading science and technology enterprises, specialized, refined, distinctive, and innovative (SED) enterprises, high-tech enterprises, and “new species” science and technology innovation enterprises. Strive to reach 15 leading enterprises with annual revenue exceeding 100 billion yuan, 800 national-level SED enterprises, over 50,000 high-tech enterprises, and more than 2,500 newly added “new species” enterprises. (Responsible units: Provincial Department of Science and Technology, Provincial Development and Reform Commission, Provincial Department of Economy and Information Technology; relevant municipal and prefectural people’s governments)

III. Building a Modern Industrial System with Advanced Manufacturing as the Backbone

(4) Accelerate the Transformation and Upgrading of Traditional Industries. Deepen the implementation of major technical transformation and upgrading projects in manufacturing and large-scale equipment renewal initiatives. Launch a new round of the “10,000 Enterprises, 1 Trillion Yuan” technical transformation campaign, with a focus on winning the “three major battles” for the transformation of the automotive, steel, and chemical industries. Strive to ensure that new energy vehicles account for more than 50% of the total, high-quality special steel (such as offshore engineering steel and special-grade steel) accounts for approximately 70% of total capacity, and food-grade and electronic-grade chemical products account for more than 50%.Accelerate the implementation of the “Digital and Digitalized Hubei” initiative to drive a doubling of computing power, storage capacity, network capacity, and green power—the “Four Capacities.” Establish a national computing power hub node, aiming to achieve an advanced computing power scale of 20 EFLOPS, storage capacity exceeding 100 EB,inter-provincial internet bandwidth to reach 90T, and new energy installed capacity to exceed 60 million kilowatts. We will accelerate the adoption of cloud computing, data utilization, and intelligent applications among enterprises, aiming for a cloud coverage rate of over 75% among large-scale industrial enterprises. We will thoroughly implement the three-year action plan for supply chain system development, enhance the functionality of public information platforms for supply chain logistics, and expand and strengthen supply chain platforms in key sectors, striving to cultivate approximately three supply chain platforms with national influence.Accelerate the integrated development of the primary, secondary, and tertiary sectors, establish an agricultural and rural supply chain platform, and create 30 benchmark industrial clusters for the integration of agriculture and industry. (Responsible Units: Provincial Department of Economy and Information Technology, Provincial Development and Reform Commission, Provincial Department of Science and Technology, Provincial Department of Public Security, Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Provincial Department of Commerce, Provincial Data Bureau, Provincial Energy Bureau, Provincial Communications Administration, and the People’s Governments of all cities and prefectures)

(5) Accelerate the Cultivation and Expansion of Emerging Industries. Improve the “chain leader + anchor enterprise + innovation hub” mechanism, achieve breakthrough development in the five key advantage industries, and lead the accelerated rise of the “51020” modern industrial clusters.Accelerate the construction of major projects in fields such as optoelectronics and automobiles; vigorously advance the integration of medical care and elderly care as well as the modernization of traditional Chinese medicine; and drive the “optics-chips-displays-terminals-networks,” automotive manufacturing and services, and life sciences and health industries to rapidly surpass the 1 trillion yuan mark. Focusing on machine tools, green and intelligent ships, and commercial space, accelerate the growth of the high-end equipment manufacturing industry toward the 1 trillion yuan level; consolidate and upgrade the full industrial chain of “chips, satellites, terminals, networks, and applications,” and drive the Beidou industry to rapidly exceed 100 billion yuan.We will thoroughly implement the “AI+” initiative, led by smart chips, driven by large-scale models, and supported by advanced computing power. We will coordinate the research, development, and application of both general-purpose and vertical large-scale models, expand AI application scenarios in smart manufacturing, autonomous driving, public services, urban governance, and agriculture, and accelerate the construction of national AI innovation hubs and application pilot zones.Accelerate the expansion and quality improvement of emerging and distinctive industries such as software and information services, smart terminals, energy conservation and environmental protection, digital creativity, and new materials, fostering the formation of industrial clusters. Cultivate and strengthen key growth drivers worth 100 billion yuan, such as the low-altitude economy, aerospace technology, and bio-manufacturing, to build a robust and mutually supportive tiered structure for emerging industries. Strive to achieve an added value of 1.8 trillion yuan in strategic emerging industries, accounting for 25% of GDP.(Responsible Units: Provincial Department of Economy and Information Technology, Provincial Development and Reform Commission, Provincial Office for Military-Civil Fusion, Provincial Department of Science and Technology, Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Provincial Department of Commerce, and the People’s Governments of all cities and prefectures)

(6) Accelerate the forward-looking layout of future industries. Focusing on future manufacturing, future information, future materials, future health, future energy, and future space as key directions, we will plan and implement eight major projects in key areas where our province possesses innovation advantages and a solid industrial foundation.Implement the Humanoid Robot Breakthrough Project, adhering to the principle of “using the whole to drive the parts and using the parts to strengthen the whole,” to accelerate breakthroughs in key technologies for the “brain, cerebellum, perception, torso, and limbs,” and achieve “0-to-1” breakthroughs as soon as possible.Implement the 6G Innovation and Development Project, simultaneously advancing the large-scale application of 5G-A (5G-Advanced, the evolved and enhanced version of 5G networks) and tackling 6G technology challenges, to accelerate breakthroughs in 10 key technologies including 6G communications, sensing, and integrated air-space-ground systems. Implement the High-End AI Chip Enhancement Project, focusing on the development of memory chips, silicon photonics chips, IoT chips, and third-generation semiconductor materials to meet the demands of artificial intelligence development.Implement the Quantum Technology R&D Project to achieve breakthroughs in core technologies such as quantum precision measurement, quantum communication, and quantum computing, and foster the development of “Quantum+” industries. Implement the Brain-Computer Interface Integration Project to strengthen research and development of key technologies such as implantable brain-computer interfaces and brain-inspired chips, and accelerate the expansion of clinical application scenarios and product commercialization. Implement the Synthetic Biology Leadership Project to accelerate breakthroughs in key technologies such as multi-enzyme catalysis, microbial strain selection and breeding, and fermentation process scaling.Implement the Gene and Cell Therapy Innovation Project to strengthen the development of technologies and products such as gene editing, immunotherapy, and biological breeding. Implement the Hydrogen Energy and New Energy Storage Foundation Project to strengthen R&D in hydrogen production, storage, and transportation technologies, and achieve full-chain commercial application of new energy storage. (Responsible Units: Provincial Development and Reform Commission, Provincial Department of Economy and Information Technology, Provincial Department of Science and Technology, Provincial Health Commission, Provincial Market Regulation Bureau, Provincial Data Bureau, Provincial Energy Bureau, and relevant municipal and prefectural people’s governments)

IV. Accelerating the Green Transformation of Development Models

(7) Deepen the Comprehensive Management of River Basins. Comprehensively advance the integrated management of small river basins, improve standards for land use classification, infrastructure layout, and development and construction controls in small river basins, and explore new pathways for green and low-carbon development. Deeply implement the Ten Major Actions for High-Level Protection, Quality Improvement, and Efficiency Enhancement of the Yangtze River, enforce the strictest water resource management system, and ensure that water quality in the Hubei section of the Yangtze River mainstem and the Danjiangkou Reservoir area remains stable at Class II or higher.Systematically advance ecological restoration in key areas, and accelerate the construction of the Three Gorges (Dam Area) Comprehensive Pilot Zone for Coordinated Development and Safety, as well as the Danjiangkou Reservoir Area Pilot Zone for Green and Sustainable Development. (Responsible Units: Provincial Department of Ecology and Environment, Provincial Department of Natural Resources, Provincial Department of Water Resources, Provincial Development and Reform Commission, and the People’s Governments of all cities and prefectures)

(8) Build a green, low-carbon, and circular economic system. We will advance the coordinated reduction of carbon emissions, pollution, and expansion of green growth. We will implement ten major green transformation projects, including energy-saving and carbon-reduction upgrades in key industries, and strive to ensure that energy efficiency benchmark levels in nine key sectors—including steel, petrochemicals, and non-ferrous metals—exceed 30%. We will develop ten circular economy industrial chains, such as urban mining, straw utilization, and the recycling of used batteries.Vigorously promote the shift from road to water and road to rail transport. Accelerate the construction of eight national multimodal transport demonstration projects, including Huahu Airport, with the annual growth rate of container rail-water intermodal transport volume exceeding 15% and port container throughput surpassing 6 million TEUs. Implement a comprehensive evaluation system based on “output per mu” for development zones at the provincial level and above to drive intensive, economical, and efficient land use.(Responsible Units: Provincial Development and Reform Commission, Provincial Department of Economy and Information Technology, Provincial Department of Ecology and Environment, Provincial Department of Transportation, Provincial Department of Natural Resources, and municipal and prefectural people’s governments)

(9) Improve long-term mechanisms for green development. Promote the innovation of the “China Carbon Exchange” platform by diversifying business models and expanding functions; establish a carbon footprint management system; and systematically integrate seven major functions, including electricity-carbon linkage, green technology, and greenhouse gas emissions trading. Encourage financial institutions to innovate carbon financial products and facilitate the “electricity-carbon-finance” market.Improve mechanisms such as cross-basin ecological compensation and the realization of the value of ecological products, and accelerate reforms for the market-based allocation of pollution discharge rights, energy consumption rights, and water use rights. (Responsible Units: Provincial Department of Ecology and Environment, Provincial Development and Reform Commission, Provincial Energy Bureau, Provincial Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, Provincial Local Financial Administration Bureau, and the People’s Governments of all cities and prefectures)

V. Deepening Institutional and Mechanism Reform and Innovation

(10) Accelerate the construction of a high-standard market system. Actively integrate into the national unified market, implement the new version of the market access negative list, and comprehensively carry out market access efficiency assessments.Deepen the comprehensive reform pilot for the market-based allocation of factors of production nationwide, and accelerate the development of the “four major markets”: data, technology, carbon trading, and finance. Focus on deepening the reform of market-based allocation of data as a factor of production, establish a provincial-level data trading venue, implement the “Data Factor ×” Action Plan, explore the authorized operation of public data, and build a central hub for the national data factor market. (Responsible Units: Provincial Development and Reform Commission, Provincial Department of Commerce, Provincial Data Bureau, Provincial Market Regulation Bureau, and the people’s governments of all cities and prefectures)

(11) Stimulate the vitality of all types of business entities. With cost control as the core and the efficient completion of tasks as the central focus, we will thoroughly implement five major initiatives—market-oriented reform demonstration, upgrading of rule-of-law-based development, promotion of international cooperation, and others—to create an upgraded version of the business environment. We will implement the “Double Ten Major Initiatives” for the high-quality development of provincial state-owned enterprises and the promotion of private economic growth, advance the “Double Thousand” enterprise high-quality development project, and implement new mechanisms for public-private partnerships (PPP).We will improve mechanisms for regular government-business communication and the direct and rapid delivery of business-friendly policies to support entrepreneurs in daring to act, innovate, and invest. (Responsible Units: Provincial Development and Reform Commission, Provincial State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, Provincial Department of Economy and Information Technology, Provincial Department of Finance, and People’s Governments of all cities and prefectures)

(12) Expand high-level opening-up. Accelerate the construction of the Mid-Yangtze River Shipping Center, strive to establish a central hub for China-Europe freight trains, and create an international free trade aviation hub at Huahu Airport, aiming to exceed 3 million tons in cargo and mail throughput at Huahu Airport. Develop the Hubei Pilot Free Trade Zone to high standards, accelerate the construction of an international trade digital platform, establish overseas warehouses, promote collective overseas expansion by enterprises, and strive to exceed 1 trillion yuan in total import and export volume.Deeply implement the “Belt and Road” Science and Technology Innovation Action Plan, encourage local enterprises, universities, and research institutions to establish R&D platforms overseas, support foreign investors in setting up R&D centers in Hubei, and build a more competitive new hub for inland opening-up. (Responsible Units: Provincial Development and Reform Commission, Provincial Department of Commerce, Provincial Department of Transportation, Provincial Department of Science and Technology, Hubei Port Group, Hubei Airport Group, and the People’s Governments of all cities and prefectures)

VI. Facilitating a Virtuous Cycle of Education, Science, Technology, and Talent

(13) Strengthen the development of a high-quality education system. Focusing on fostering human creativity, deepen reforms of the education evaluation system, launch initiatives to expand and improve the quality of basic education, continue to deepen the “Double Reduction” policy, and use digital technology to empower educational consortia to expand their reach and enhance quality. Strive to become a pilot for comprehensive higher education reform, optimize the disciplinary structure of universities within the province, and establish a number of Future Technology Colleges, Modern Industry Colleges, and Colleges with Distinctive Specializations.Implement the Vocational Skills Improvement Initiative, promote the accelerated development of 100 industry-education consortia, and strive to establish a national innovation platform for industry-education integration in artificial intelligence. (Responsible Units: Provincial Department of Education, Provincial Department of Human Resources and Social Security, Provincial Development and Reform Commission, and municipal and prefectural people’s governments)

(14) Foster a favorable ecosystem for innovation. Upgrade and implement the “Fertile Soil Initiative” for science and technology incubation services, and accelerate the construction of a number of pilot-scale testing platforms, proof-of-concept centers, and inspection and testing centers. Introduce incentive policies for the province’s “Four Firsts” (first-of-a-kind equipment, first-batch materials, first-version software, and first-round engineering silicon wafers), providing a combined award and subsidy of up to 10 million yuan to both domestic R&D entities and demonstration application entities.Better leverage the role of the 400 billion yuan government-led investment fund cluster; establish a 50 billion yuan (with an initial tranche of 20 billion yuan) special loan program for technological innovation; allocate a separate 10 billion yuan quota for re-lending and rediscounting; and guide financial institutions to comprehensively promote technology-focused credit services such as the “Enterprise Innovation Credit Score Loan.” (Responsible Units: Provincial Development and Reform Commission, Provincial State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, Provincial Department of Science and Technology, Provincial Department of Economy and Information Technology, People’s Bank of China Hubei Branch, and municipal and prefectural people’s governments)

(15) Cultivate and Utilize Talent in a Comprehensive Manner. Focusing on innovation value, capability, and contribution, comprehensively advance the pilot reform of the comprehensive evaluation system for national science and technology talent, and ensure that the reform of granting rights to scientific and technological achievements arising from official duties covers all provincial universities and research institutes.Coordinate the implementation of the “Four Major Special Programs” for leading strategic science and technology talent, the growth of outstanding young talent, the gathering of outstanding engineers, and the cultivation of master craftsmen. Introduce and cultivate 50 strategic scientists, 500 leading science and technology talents, 2,500 outstanding engineers, 10,000 outstanding young science and technology talents, and 200 high-level science and technology innovation teams.(Responsible Units: Provincial Department of Education, Provincial Department of Human Resources and Social Security, Provincial Department of Science and Technology, Organization Department of the Provincial Party Committee, and People’s Governments of all cities and prefectures)

VII. Support Measures

(16) Strengthen Organizational Leadership. Enhance strategic planning and coordinated oversight at the provincial level, and promptly address major issues of overarching and long-term significance, as well as major cross-regional and cross-departmental matters. Relevant provincial departments shall formulate specific work plans, introduce supporting policies, and ensure effective implementation in accordance with the responsibilities outlined in this opinion, thereby fostering a cohesive effort across the board.

(17) Promote Implementation by Category. All cities and prefectures shall implement this opinion creatively, formulating implementation plans for developing new-quality productive forces tailored to local conditions—taking into account local resource endowments, industrial foundations, and research capabilities—rather than adopting a one-size-fits-all approach or a single model. They shall selectively promote the accelerated development of new industries, new business models, and new growth drivers.

(18) Dynamic Monitoring and Evaluation. All localities and departments shall, in accordance with their respective responsibilities, conduct dynamic monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of these guidelines. They shall conduct in-depth research on the development trends of new-quality productive forces, comprehensively grasp industry development dynamics, promptly replicate and promote advanced experiences and exemplary practices, resolve bottlenecks and obstacles in the development of new-quality productive forces, and jointly promote the smooth implementation of these guidelines.