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The National Twelfth Five-Year Plan points out that cultivating and developing strategic emerging industries is of great significance for promoting industrial restructuring and accelerating the transformation of economic development patterns. Breakthroughs in key common technologies supporting the development of strategic emerging industries must be a priority in scientific and technological development.
1. Market Potential of the Laboratory Instrument Industry:
Annual demand is approximately 32 billion RMB, indicating a large market demand. Currently, some projects have been listed as key national support and development projects.
2. Opportunities for Self-Reliance in Food Safety Equipment:
During the Twelfth Five-Year Plan period, the state will focus on investing in food safety monitoring capacity building. 1) According to relevant systems and plans, my country's agricultural, quality supervision and inspection, food and drug supervision and management, grain, and health systems have initially formed a systematic four-level (national, provincial, municipal, and county) food safety inspection (monitoring) system. 2) The first three levels have approximately 2,608 institutions, while the establishment of county-level institutions has not yet been determined. 3) There are large gaps in the establishment of county-level food inspection institutions, and their configuration is incomplete. 4) The lack of rapid testing capabilities at the grassroots and frontline levels and other capacity building issues urgently need to be addressed, requiring the supplementation and updating of a large number of food safety testing instruments. 5) The demand from hundreds of thousands of food processing enterprises and testing institutions in my country constitutes a sustained and stable market demand for food safety testing instruments. 6) It is estimated that equipment demand will exceed 40 billion yuan during the 12th Five-Year Plan period.
3. Opportunities in Medical and Health Equipment:
(1) 163 major medical equipment items should be equipped in primary healthcare units, approximately 68% of which are laboratory instruments, analytical instruments, and optical instruments, of which about 50% are products specialized by laboratory subcommittees.
(2) During the 12th Five-Year Plan period, the state plans to build 100 national-level disease control centers, 200 provincial-level disease control centers, and 300 municipal-level disease control centers.
(3) Nearly 20,000 primary healthcare units in my country urgently need to improve and equip themselves with technical equipment. The state will allocate 96 billion yuan for medical instrument procurement within three years (20.5 billion yuan has already been allocated). It will take 15-20 years to completely change the backward state of technical equipment in primary healthcare units in my country.
(4) The laboratory instrument industry should focus on the development of complete sets of instruments and equipment to better serve users and improve the level of technical cooperation within the industry. (5) New technologies and specific needs in related fields have provided greater development space for the laboratory instrument industry.
(6) With the development of science and technology and the establishment of high-tech industries in my country, strong technical support has been provided for the development of high-end instruments and equipment in the laboratory instrument industry, thereby achieving product upgrading and winning a larger market and development space for laboratory instruments.
Due to the large variety of laboratory instruments, numerous small and medium-sized enterprises, and fierce market competition, it is essential to establish a modern laboratory instrument, application technology, and complete set technology base in my country. This will greatly promote the comprehensive development of my country's laboratory instrument industry and help it catch up with and reach the world's advanced level as soon as possible.
Last year was the first year of the "Twelfth Five-Year Plan." In this new historical stage, laboratory instruments must increase their efforts in technological innovation, achieve product upgrading through the introduction, digestion, and absorption of advanced foreign technologies and independent innovation, strive to explore fundamental original innovations, and accelerate the digitalization, intelligentization, and networking of instruments. We must thoroughly implement the scientific development concept in every specialty of laboratory instruments, earnestly implement the national strategic plan for the development of my country's scientific instruments, and forge ahead. Let us take the revitalization of the instrumentation industry as our responsibility, persevere in our respective work, and China's instrumentation industry will surely be revitalized and lead the world.
Analysis of my country's Laboratory Instrument Market during the 12th Five-Year Plan Period
1) Electronic Balances: my country's electronic balance industry focuses on developing high-precision electronic balance technology with readings of 1mg to 0.1mg, improving balance quality in terms of temperature compensation, time drift, and repeatability. The adoption of surface-mount IC integration and specialized equipment in assembly processes effectively reduces human error, thereby improving the technical level of my country's electronic balances. Significant progress has been made in my country's large-capacity electromagnetic technology through independent innovation. Electronic balances are expected to achieve breakthroughs during the 12th Five-Year Plan period, gaining greater development space.
2) Laboratory Centrifuges: Currently, centrifuges have become an important specialty in laboratory instruments in my country, with over 110 manufacturers producing over 50 varieties across 4 major series. These centrifuges are widely used in many fields such as medical, blood bank, university, research institutions, biopharmaceutical, fine chemical, agriculture, animal husbandry, new materials, petroleum, food, environmental protection, and genetic engineering. Mid-to-low-end centrifuges not only meet domestic production needs but are also exported worldwide. High-end centrifuges mainly refer to those with speeds of 40,000–50,000 r/min. With further improvements in control technology, safety protection technology, temperature control technology, and rotor manufacturing technology, we can achieve mass production of high-end centrifuges in the near future, bringing laboratory centrifuges to world-class levels.
3) Thermal Analysis Instruments: my country has a 35-year history of developing thermal analysis instruments. Currently, the variety of thermal analysis instruments in my country is limited, and the overall level of thermal analysis technology is not high. Future focus should be on the research and development of comprehensive thermal analysis technology, emphasizing the introduction of new foreign thermal analysis instrument manufacturing technologies to promote the development of my country's thermal analysis instruments.
Among thermal analysis instruments, calorific value analysis is the fastest-growing sub-specialty. The development of my country's coal and energy industries has spurred the rapid development of calorific value analysis, with most products reaching or approaching world-class levels. In the future, calorific value analysis technology should particularly emphasize field development and the advancement of comprehensive testing technologies.
4) Environmental Laboratory Equipment: Environmental testing equipment is the largest specialty in laboratory instruments, with over 100 manufacturers. Most large-scale laboratory instrument companies are concentrated in this field, with 6-7 companies having an output value exceeding 100 million RMB. These companies produce environmental testing equipment needed by my country's defense, aerospace, transportation, industry, agriculture, science, and medical and health departments. In the future, environmental equipment manufacturers should further strengthen market development: enhance the development of test chambers with special requirements; develop test chambers and incubators urgently needed in medical and health fields; and focus on establishing well-known brands in the industry. The market prospects for environmental laboratory equipment are very promising.
5) Electrophoresis Instruments: Domestic electrophoresis instruments are a specialty in laboratory instruments that urgently needs development. Currently, Chinese manufacturers of electrophoresis instruments attach great importance to aligning with international advanced levels, and most instruments are close to advanced foreign levels. However, the electrophoresis instrument market still needs further development, and most high-end electrophoresis instruments still rely on imports.
Emphasis should be placed on collaborating with research institutions and universities to develop high-end electrophoresis instruments; further improve the electrophoresis instruments needed by grassroots medical units; and strengthen the application of new technologies and materials. The development of electrophoresis instruments in my country still has a long way to go.
6) Strain and Vibration Testing Instruments: my country has over 50 years of development history in strain and vibration testing instruments, resulting in significant advancements in testing technology and standards. Currently, they are widely used in civil engineering, water conservancy facilities, road and bridge construction, automobiles, high-speed rail, petroleum, aerospace, scientific research, and universities. Future development will focus on dynamic testing systems, improving their anti-interference, anti-noise, automatic calibration, high molecular weight ratio, rapid testing, and stability. Establishing an industry standard system and building multi-functional production and development bases are also crucial.
7) Ceramic Testing Instruments: my country is a major ceramic producer, and its ceramic testing technology is among the world's leading. Ceramic testing has entered a new stage of development. The development direction for ceramic instruments should include networking, online monitoring, intelligent control systems, and human-machine interface technology. Simultaneously, emphasis should be placed on product standard setting to open new avenues for ceramic instruments and establish initial export channels.
8) Power Testing Instruments: After nearly 50 years of development, my country's power testing instruments have entered a period of rapid growth, evolving from single-parameter measurement to multi-parameter integrated testing systems, bench testing, online measurement, and remote control technology. This covers fields such as automobiles, engines, motors, fans, water pumps, aerospace, shipbuilding, and high-speed rail. During the 12th Five-Year Plan period, efforts should be made to: improve the technical level of sensors, especially their precision machining technology, to catch up with and reach world-class levels; enhance comprehensive testing capabilities; strengthen the standardization of power testing instruments, improve the formulation and revision of product standards, and align with international advanced technologies, thereby further expanding my country's market for power testing instruments.
9) Vacuum Instruments and Devices: my country's vacuum instrument industry is currently experiencing rapid development, with 53 key enterprises. With the development of the nation's power, energy, steel, petrochemical, fertilizer, and scientific research sectors, the vacuum equipment manufacturing industry has ushered in new development opportunities, while also placing higher demands on vacuum equipment. It also faces strong challenges from large-scale foreign vacuum equipment manufacturers. my country's vacuum industry must strive to: further develop its advantageous products and expand exports; improve the technical and management levels of enterprises and strengthen independent innovation capabilities; and expand the application areas of vacuum technology to enhance market competitiveness, enabling the vacuum industry to truly enter a stable development stage.
Ministry of Science and Technology Measures: Approved national laboratories for construction should undergo acceptance testing as soon as possible.
The 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China clearly proposed accelerating the construction of a national innovation system and promoting the efficient allocation and comprehensive integration of innovation resources. Analyzing the current international and domestic scientific and technological development status, the construction of national laboratories is one of the important measures to promote the construction of my country's national innovation system.
Advanced Western countries have established national-level research bases in different forms. Examples include the national laboratories in the United States, the RIKEN and Molecular Institutes in Japan, and the Max Planck Institute in Germany. These national-level research bases have made outstanding contributions to the scientific and technological development of their respective countries and the world, and possess extremely high influence and status in the international scientific and technological field.
On November 25, 2003, my country's Ministry of Science and Technology approved the establishment of five national laboratories. Over the past 11 years, these laboratories have made significant progress in the construction of the innovative research system and scientific and technological innovation activities, playing a leading role in the construction of the national innovation system. However, the state has not yet conducted acceptance inspections of these laboratories, and a formal approval and confirmation from the state is urgently needed. These laboratories under construction all rely on the highest-level research institutions in China. The Ministry of Science and Technology has cancelled all existing national key laboratories of these institutions, leading to uncertainty regarding their academic platforms. In the long run, this will greatly affect their talent recruitment, scientific research innovation, and international influence.
Therefore, the following suggestions are made:
1. It is recommended to organize a seminar this year, composed of leaders from relevant national departments, leaders and expert representatives from the academic committees of the five national laboratories under construction, as well as relevant domestic experts and managers, to conduct a serious and in-depth communication and discussion.
2. The state should formulate specific plans and implementation schemes for the construction of national laboratories as soon as possible.
3. The construction of the national laboratories under construction should be accepted as soon as possible. Those that pass the acceptance inspection should be approved for operation or given specific rectification plans. Those failing the acceptance inspection will have their national laboratory (under construction) status revoked, and the relevant units should reconsider the development model of other scientific research platforms.
Related Information: Information on Foreign National Laboratories
National Laboratories in the United States
In the United States, all government research institutions are collectively referred to as national laboratories. Among these national laboratories, some have only a few people, while many others have thousands of employees. The main reason the U.S. federal government has established so many national laboratories is that it believes that directly possessing a strong scientific and technological workforce and research and development capabilities is crucial for fulfilling the government's various responsibilities and missions. At the same time, the government also has a responsibility to use research and development activities to promote the development of society and the economy as a whole.
U.S. national laboratories play a particularly prominent role in research and development activities in areas such as nuclear energy, agricultural science and technology, military science and technology, high-energy physics, nuclear fusion research, industrial metrology standards, public health and healthcare, social and occupational safety, scientific metrology standards, and coal gasification and liquefaction. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Lincoln Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Brookhaven National Laboratory are representative examples.
The UK's National Research Laboratories
The UK's national research institutions are research institutions belonging to Commonwealth countries, managed by the central government and its various departments. Their management models are typically divided into two categories: departmental and non-departmental. Departmental institutions include research institutions, R&D centers, and laboratories under various federal government departments, focusing on applied and defense research. Non-departmental institutions include research institutions under the seven Research Councils and independent research institutions, all autonomous non-governmental bodies established under the Royal Charter. The research scope of the Research Councils and their subordinate research institutions covers fields such as engineering physics, medicine, particle physics and astronomy, and biology. Their clear division of labor with the departmental institutions allows for effective resource allocation and promotes the development of the nation's science, technology, and economy.
The management system of the UK's national research institutions is a tripartite self-management system, consisting of a Council, an Executive Committee, and an Oversight Committee. In addition, some institutions have established advisory bodies to the Council, such as the Public Relations Committee. After years of development and refinement, the operational system of national laboratories and other research institutions has formed an efficient "British model" in terms of personnel management, project management and operation, and evaluation and oversight.
Germany's National Laboratories
Germany boasts the world-renowned Max Planck Society. The Max Planck Society (MPG) is a large German research organization, having produced 32 Nobel laureates. It is the world's largest, most prestigious, and most effective government-funded national academic institution. Its predecessor was the Kaiser Wilhelm Royal Society, founded in 1911. Currently, the MPG comprises divisions in Biology and Medicine, Chemistry, Physics and Technology, and Humanities and Social Sciences, with 80 research institutes. It currently employs approximately 12,000 people, including 3,500 scientists. In addition, about 8,000 doctoral students, postdoctoral fellows, and visiting scientists conduct research at various MPG institutes.
The MPG is an independent, non-profit research organization. Its main mission is to support basic research in the natural sciences, life sciences, humanities, and social sciences; to support the development of new research areas; and to collaborate with universities, providing them with large-scale scientific instruments. Research leaders can independently choose their research topics.
The Max Planck Society's research funding comes from federal and state government grants, government science and technology program funding, and private donations. The Max Planck Society's budget for 2003 was €1.24 billion.
Japan's National Laboratories
Japan's scientific research institutions operate under a government-led management system. Large national research institutions in Japan, such as the RIKEN Institute (formerly RIKEN), under the Science and Technology Agency, have over 50 laboratories and support departments. These are distributed across fields such as nuclear physics, solid-state physics, applied physics, basic engineering technology, inorganic chemistry, biochemistry, microbiology, life sciences, molecular neurobiology, gene technology, photodynamics, and biomimetic control, primarily conducting basic research. The Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), under the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI), has 15 subordinate research institutes. Unlike RIKEN, ITRI focuses on applied research, including new materials technology, biotechnology, and electronics.
