Building an industrial innovation system, improving the collaborative innovation of the industrial chain
The new materials industry is a strategic and fundamental industry, and also a key area of high-tech competition. In recent years, the self-sufficiency rate of new chemical materials in China has been continuously increasing, but the self-sufficiency rate of certain sub categories is still relatively low, and the overall quality needs to be improved. At the recently held 2024 Second China Chemical New Materials (Key Monomer) Development Conference, several experts proposed that the chemical new materials industry should continue to innovate independently, build an industrial innovation system, improve the collaborative innovation of the entire industry chain, and enhance international competitiveness.
The self-sufficiency rate continues to improve, and overall quality still needs improvement
The innovative development of new chemical materials is entering a new stage, shifting from a 'following' stage to a partially 'leading' stage, "emphasized Xiao Jinsong, Director of the Materials Institute of the CCID Research Institute of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and Deputy Secretary General of the Secretariat of the National New Materials Industry Development Expert Advisory Committee.
Xiao Jinsong pointed out that the engineering level of new chemical materials in China is currently lagging behind, particularly in terms of material stability, reliability, and consistency. It is also difficult to promote in practical applications, partly due to the lack or incompleteness of key basic parameters such as relevant patents and standards.
Fan Xing, Deputy Director of the Chemical Green Development Center at the Petroleum and Chemical Industry Planning Institute, believes that the overall quality of domestic chemical new materials needs to be improved, and there is still a gap in performance indicators compared to foreign countries. Some new materials need to achieve breakthroughs in upstream key supporting raw materials. In addition, chemical new material enterprises are generally small in scale, with weak innovation capabilities and competitiveness, and a shortage of strategic and innovative talents, which will constrain the development of enterprises and industries.
It is worth mentioning that the self-sufficiency rate of domestic chemical new materials is continuously improving, but the self-sufficiency rate of some sub categories is still relatively low. For example, in 2023, the self-sufficiency rate of electronic chemicals is 64%, and the self-sufficiency rate of high-end polyolefins is only 44%, "Fan Xing pointed out.
The sub categories with high self-sufficiency rates are also facing new challenges. High performance fibers have a self-sufficiency rate of 85%. Carbon fiber, as a representative of high-performance fibers and new chemical materials, has made significant progress from relying on imports to independent breakthroughs. However, it still faces challenges such as severe overcapacity at the low-end, "grabbing the cake" at the mid-range, and "shouting slogans" at the high-end. Xu Jian, a member of the National New Materials Advisory Committee and a professor at Shenzhen University, pointed out that China needs to form a carbon fiber industry system with its own characteristics and property rights, and move towards high strength and high modulus.
Building an industrial innovation system to enhance international competitiveness
How should the chemical new materials industry respond to challenges? Xiao Jinsong summarized the key development direction as "filling gaps, forging long plates, and grasping the forefront".
Xiao Jinsong explained that in order to focus on the following four key directions, we must first focus on the urgent needs of major national strategies and industrial development bottlenecks, and enhance the ability to guarantee key strategic materials; Secondly, we need to promote the intelligent and green transformation of the production process, and enhance the international competitiveness of advanced basic materials; Once again, we need to accelerate the layout of cutting-edge new materials and seize the commanding heights of the future development of the global cutting-edge new materials industry; Finally, we need to leverage the advantages of unique resources and promote the sustainable development of new materials such as rare earths, lithium, and graphite.
In addition, Xiao Jinsong pointed out that the new materials industry also needs to enhance its innovation capabilities, build an innovation system for the new materials industry, including implementing key research and development plans, launching the "2030 New Materials Special Project", and supporting the construction of a batch of new material pilot platforms.
Regarding the development of the carbon fiber industry, Xu Jian emphasized that China needs to enhance its market competitiveness, improve the quality and performance of products and equipment, increase research and development efforts in cutting-edge technologies, promote the guidance of advanced composite technologies, and build a sound development system for the new materials industry.
Improve industrial chain collaboration and promote market-oriented applications
Experts attending the meeting pointed out that improving the collaborative mechanism of the industrial chain and promoting market-oriented applications are also important directions for the future development of the chemical new materials industry.
Materials are at the upstream of the industrial chain and are crucial to the supply chain. We need to use systematic thinking to shift from breakthroughs in individual products to innovative breakthroughs in the entire industrial chain. Xiao Jinsong emphasized that breakthroughs in the entire industrial chain and key areas are key development directions. China needs to strengthen the connection between upstream and downstream, take multiple measures to promote the market-oriented application of new materials, including establishing a collaborative mechanism between upstream and downstream of the industrial chain, and improving the cooperation mechanism between upstream and downstream.
Xu Jian also pointed out that the industry should promote collaborative innovation across the entire industry chain, strengthen the organization and implementation of scientific research projects, and actively participate in competition and cooperation in the international new materials industry.
Associate Professor Chen Zheng from the School of Chemistry at Jilin University proposed that the new materials industry needs to further expand its production capacity and pay attention to its upstream and downstream development as well as its impact on key monomers in the future. We need to establish a complete industrial chain so that the industry can have stronger vitality, "said Chen Zheng.
