Context Innovation to Turn Sci-tech Breakthroughs into Application

China has issued a guideline to accelerate the development of application contexts for new technologies and products, marking a strategic step toward fostering new quality productive forces and high-quality development.

The guideline, released by the General Office of the State Council, defines "contexts" as real-world settings that validate the industrial use of new technologies, products, business models and supporting policies, serving as a bridge between R&D and the market.

"This is the first time China has made a systematic deployment of context cultivation and opening at the national level," said Li Chunlin, deputy head of the National Development and Reform Commission, at a State Council policy briefing on November 10.

He said the goal is to leverage China's super-large market and rich application contexts to create an "experimental field" for innovation, an "accelerator" for emerging industries, and a "touchstone" for institutional reform.

Contexts, he added, have become a key innovation resource, integrating technological advancement, industrial transformation, and systemic reform. The guideline outlines clear pathways and innovative policy measures to enable broad participation and drive deep integration of science and industry.

Zhu Zhihua, an expert from the Beijing Great Wall Enterprise Strategic Research Institute, told Science and Technology Daily, "This is the first time China has holistically mapped out socio-economic application contexts at the national level. It provides a practical roadmap for governments, enterprises, and institutions across all sectors."

The plan identifies 22 priority areas under five directions — AI, digital economy, smart manufacturing, social governance, and daily-life services — and calls for three types of contexts: comprehensive mega-contexts, sector-integrated contexts and high-value niche contexts targeting specific challenges.

Chen Hongsheng, an official from the Ministry of Science and Technology, described contexts as a "training ground" for turning scientific breakthroughs into real-world impact.

"Large-scale context application not only validates technology but also guides R&D priorities," he said, describing a rapid innovation cycle: demand-driven R&D, technological breakthrough and industrial application.

Yao Jun, director-general of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology's Planning Department, announced an upcoming "AI + Manufacturing" action plan to embed AI across the entire manufacturing lifecycle —from design to operations to amplify its "multiplier effect."

According to Gui Gang, an official from the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, central enterprises have already built over 800 AI-related contexts and opened 190 pilot platforms offering more than 400 services to external partners.

"We welcome private firms, SMEs, and research institutes to co-develop contexts with central enterprises," he said.

With coordinated implementation across ministries and regions, China aims to transform its contextual advantage into a powerful engine for innovation-led, high-quality economic growth.

Source: Science and Technology Daily