National laboratories should integrate resources

During the two National Conferences in 2014, “Upgrading Original Innovation Capabilities and Accelerating the Construction of National Laboratory” was determined by the Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference as a key supervision proposal, and the Education, Scientific, Cultural, Physical and Health Committee conducted the supervision of the proposal in the form of special investigations.

Integrate Resources to Establish a National Interdisciplinary Cross Country Laboratory

The construction of national laboratories is an inevitable choice for implementing innovation-driven development strategies. The construction of national laboratories with large volumes and comprehensive interdisciplinary disciplines, guided by breaking strategic bottlenecks, and organizing research on major scientific issues, is a necessary form of upgrading the country’s core competitiveness and original capabilities in the new period, and also a precondition for seizing the commanding heights of science and technology among big powers. Important innovation carrier. China has formed a pattern of original research on basic research with the Chinese Academy of Sciences and research universities as the mainstay, but it lacks national laboratories that organize the intersection of disciplines and adapt to the research of strategic and major scientific issues at a higher level.

Quantum information, as one of the characteristic research areas of China's micro-scale national laboratories, has already had a strong international competitiveness. Doing quantum communications requires a close intersection between many disciplines such as quantum optics, atomic, molecular, and quantum electronics. It also requires breakthroughs in many key technologies such as optoelectronics, materials, and space technologies. National laboratories are characterized by the intersection and integration of disciplines, and are ideally suited to the urgent need for quantum information as an area of ​​innovative research.

Taking a certain research direction as the main line of research, the key technologies it has developed are applied to national laboratories in multiple cross-domains. This is the case with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in the United States. Based on advanced measurement techniques, it is widely used in physics, chemistry, materials, engineering, and information science, and it has continuously generated discoveries that have important impacts on human beings. In addition, NIST is a relatively independent organization in its operational mechanism. It also maintains close and extensive collaboration with universities and enterprises. There are about two to three thousand researchers participating in the cooperation each year.

Integrate related forces and increase support

It is suggested that in the construction of our national laboratories, we must integrate relevant forces and increase support. Considering the actual national conditions of our country, we have integrated certain national research institutes, national key laboratories, etc. in the subject areas that have formed certain advantages and urgently need for collaborative innovation. On the basis of previous operating experience, we can improve the laboratory operation mode. The country’s major scientific and technological tasks and major projects are hauled to form a “networked” national laboratory. This platform must have a support unit, a university, or a research institute, but it must achieve a healthy flow of talent. Relying on such a platform, it is possible to coordinate the research strengths of the most advanced research institutes in universities and colleges, and to maintain close cooperation with relevant enterprises and to concentrate on breakthroughs in major scientific research projects.

As the highest ranking, the smallest number, and the largest investment unit in scientific research institutions, the national laboratory represents the “national team” with the highest scientific research level in a country, and is a mainstay of a country’s innovation in the use of its resources. In this regard, it is recommended that:

First, strengthen the top-level design and distinguish the “national team”, “local team” and “enterprise team” of scientific research work, and clearly position different teams. For example, taking the large institutes of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and other famous universities as the main body, we have established a group of national laboratories as the “national team” to carry out the frontier work of source innovation.

Second, in the confirmation process of national laboratories, special attention should be paid to avoiding duplication and overlap, ensuring that the best scientists are concentrated in one direction and that the best work can be carried out.

3. National science and technology expenditures for basic research are mainly used to support the "national team", allow failures, encourage exploration, and allow the "national team" to concentrate on carrying out work without having to think too much about objective conditions such as funding.

Fourth, to strengthen the operation and management of national laboratories, we can draw on the selection system for athletes to allow the scientific research “national team” to select the best scientific research personnel directly from the “local team” and “corporate team” according to the needs of the development of disciplines and ensure the work of national laboratories. Always walk at the forefront of the international community.