Scientific innovation is always the main concern of Premier Li Keqiang, as in recent months it has been discussed many times at the Sate Council executive meetings.

An executive meeting on Dec 16, 2015 approved a list of candidates as well as the categories and levels of national rewards for science and technology in 2015. The meeting on Jan 13 revised the regulation on lowering the threshold for enterprises to be recognized as high-tech. On Feb 3, the meeting decided to create more innovation bases for enterprises. And on Feb 17, a meeting decided to commercialize the scientific research findings to encourage scientific innovation.

All these decisions and regulations show the Premier’s great attention to the country’s scientific innovation.

He once said that scientific innovation should be placed at the core of national development, and must combine with mass entrepreneurship and innovation.

The Premier also stressed that research findings of innovation personnel, including scientists and scientific and technological workers, should be transferred into productivity and profits to encourage their innovation enthusiasm.

The State Council approved a plan for the transfer of scientific research findings in November 2014, and the plan took effect from Oct 1, 2015.

“Most of China’s scientific forces are concentrated in universities and research institutes, and they should be encouraged to transfer the research results into productivity, which will bring great value for China’s innovation-driven strategy,” said the Premier.

“The United States once passed the Bayh-Dole Act to drive its innovation development, and such international cases should be carefully researched and learned,” he said.