Scientific research and testing instruments and equipment are the basis of innovation and the guarantee of the strategy of manufacturing a strong country. The R & D and manufacturing capabilities of high-end instruments and equipment are an important symbol of the national scientific and technological development level. In November 2022, during the "High-level Expert Seminar on Scientific Experimental Instruments and Equipment" hosted by the China Association for Science and Technology and undertaken by the Chinese Society for Inspection and Testing, the Analysis and Testing Encyclopedia Network and the Test Equipment Branch jointly interviewed Academician Li Jinghong, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and director of the Analysis Center of Tsinghua University, asking him to talk about the current development status of domestic instruments and how to better support domestic instruments.

Development of domestic instruments: the source of independent innovation

Academician Li Jinghong believes that scientific instruments are the source of scientific innovation, and only by using good instruments can researchers have more standard and accurate data to explore. In scientific research, public services, national development and the "four aspects", scientific instruments play an important role, but also provide a guarantee for obtaining scientific data, of which large-scale instruments are a very important pillar tool in the field of national industrialization, scientific research institutes and education.

"During the '20th National Congress', we put forward a call to establish independent and self-reliant scientific and technological forces, develop national scientific and technological innovation capabilities, and realize independent scientific and technological innovation." Academician Li Jinghong further said, "The development of domestic instruments is of great significance to China's realization of independent innovation in science and technology and the establishment of a science and technology country. It is an inevitable trend to vigorously develop domestic instruments and make domestic instruments an important weapon for scientific research, national economy and social development. We hope that in the future, domestic instruments will play a leading role in providing guarantee for us to obtain scientific research data, promote scientific research development, and promote economic development. ”

Domestic instruments need to make breakthroughs in "three aspects" to improve comprehensive performance

Academician Li Jinghong is not only the director of the Analysis Center of Tsinghua University, but also the director of the University Analysis and Testing Committee of the Analysis and Testing Association, and he has always been concerned about the development of domestic instruments. He said that domestic instruments have developed rapidly and the level has been continuously improved in recent years, but there is still a certain distance from the level of international advanced instruments, which is mainly reflected in the following three aspects: new technology, new application, and new principle. Many Nobel Prizes are due to the fact that the instrument has achieved breakthroughs in three aspects. Therefore, if domestic instruments want to compete with international advanced instruments, domestic instrument manufacturers need to continue their efforts to achieve breakthroughs in three aspects.

How to achieve breakthroughs in three areas? Academician Li Jinghong said: First of all, it comes from the field of scientific research. Instrument manufacturing is a major that intersects and integrates with each other, which requires colleges and universities to continuously innovate in talent training, discipline construction, engineering education, etc., and promote the progress of China's scientific instrument manufacturing industry on the basis of realizing the development of related disciplines. Secondly, it is necessary for domestic instrument R&D manufacturers to cooperate with scientific research institutions to achieve a high degree of integration of production, education and research. This integration requires colleges and universities and instrument manufacturers to be market-oriented, through feedback on the needs of users, to improve the level of domestic instruments, better out of the road of independent innovation, and promote scientific research to a higher stage.

On behalf of the users of the instrument, Academician Li Jinghong, also put forward expectations for domestic instrument enterprises: the important criteria for customers to choose instruments are the stability, reliability, advancedness, convenience and cost performance of the instrument, most of which are related to the quality of the instrument, that is, the comprehensive performance of the instrument. Market orientation and technical requirements are for reliable data, and the quality of the instrument is the most important evaluation criterion. Vigorously developing domestic instruments is to improve the comprehensive performance of instruments, and instrument performance is the premise and necessary condition for attracting users to purchase.

Four major aspects help support the development of domestic instruments

On how to support the development of domestic instruments at the national and social levels, Academician Li Jinghong put forward the following suggestions:

First of all, talent first. The "20th National Congress" of the Communist Party of China pointed out that talent should be elevated to a higher height and the trinity of science and technology, education and talent should be realized. The government should always put talent first, and with talent, there will naturally be new creation and new development.

Second, in the process of industrial improvement, by improving the national scientific and technological innovation ability, information ability and industrialization ability, the manufacturing chain is supplemented, the industrial ecosystem is improved, and the instrument industry is coordinated and developed. For example, the state can support the construction of an instrument industrial park, and realize an independent industrial ecology in the whole chain of instrument R&D and manufacturing, including hardware, software, and parts, so as to be unrestricted and better promote the development of domestic instruments.

Third, give more support to domestic instruments in relevant policies, including finance and taxation, industry-university-research systems, etc., to create a good living environment for domestic instruments.

Fourth, advocate an innovation-driven ecological environment, so that enterprises can better achieve innovative development and avoid product homogenization.

It is expected that domestic instruments will make greater contributions to social development

In recent years, the domestic instrument manufacturing industry has achieved good results and continues to move towards a higher level, but there is still a lot of room for development. There are many Chinese ports, the market potential is huge, and the ability of scientific and technological innovation is expected.

Finally, Academician Li Jinghong said: China wants to become a strong country in science and technology, talent and education, and puts forward higher requirements for domestic instruments. In order to achieve this goal as soon as possible, it is necessary to set higher goals for the development of domestic instruments. It is expected that with the continuous improvement of the performance of domestic instruments, we will contribute more to the realization of strong science and technology and the happiness and health of the Chinese people.