Indicators and Prospects of China’s National Program for Science and Technological Development

Zhu Yingchun, Ying Ying, Liu Dongmei, Chen Yu*

Chinese Academy of Science and Technology for Development, MOST, China*cheny@casted.org.cn

I. China’s National Program for Science and Technological Development and Indicators thereinChina has so far prepared successively ten of its National Programs for Science and Technological Development:★The National Program for Long-Term Science and Technological Development (1956-1967);★The National Program for Science and Technological Development (1963-1972);★The National Program for Science and Technological Development (1978-1985);★The National Program for Science and Technological Development (1986-2000);★★The Ten-year Plan and The 8thFive-year Program for Science and Technological Development (1991-2000);★The 9th Five-year Plan for National Science and Technological Development (1996-2000);★The Special Planning of Science and Technological and Education Development in the 10thFive-year Plan for National Economic and Social Develop-ment (2001-2005);★The National Program for Long-and Medium-Term Scientific and Technological Development (2006-2020);★The 11thFive-year Plan for Science and Technological Development (2006-2010);★The 12thFive-year Plan for Science and Technological Development (2011-2015).In the early S&T development plan, The S&T development goals were the descriptions of expected results of S&T undertakings development, and mani-fested more in qualitative judgments and descriptions. Since the middle of the 1980s, with the development of S&T statistics work in China, the S&T sta-tistics work system had been gradually established, the set of S&T indicators became comparable internationally with Chinese characteristics.

II. Indicator setting in the 12th Five-year Plan for National S&T DevelopmentTen S&T indicators and development goals for 2015 were put forward in The 12th Five-year Plan for National S&T Development. These indicators in-cluded four dimensions, i.e. enhancing the national innovation capability, increasing the national S&T input and output, supporting the economic devel-opment and industrial transformation through S&T and innovation, and improving the S&T innovation environment.

Table 1. S&T Indicators and Development Goals in China’s 12th Five-year Plan for National S&T Development

III. Influence of indicators for the national plan on S&T policy◎The government enhanced the societal S&T inputs through direct or indirect means. ◎The government formulated the policy for S&T talents to facilitate more people joining in scientific research teams.◎In order to stimulate scientific research personnel to publish paper and make patent application, the government proposed the clear-cut requirements to the undertaker in the course of its executing S&T projects.◎◎The government formulated the IPR protection policy to encourage innovation by the enterprise, the policy for university-industry cooperation and indus-try investment, strengthened education investment, in order to improve the societal innovation environment.

Notes: The National Innovation Index comes from The National Innovation Index Report published by the Chinese Academy of Science and Technology for Devel-opment (CASTED). This Index is composed of 30 basic indicators, based on which the report ranked the innovation capability of 40 major countries in the world.

IV. Performance in the Fulfillment of Indicators in The 12th Five-year S&T Development PlanIn 2015, of the 10 indicators proposed in The 12th Five-year S&T Development Plan, 9 had been realized or had been expected to be realized.

Fig. 1. Performance of Indicators in the 12th Five-year S&T Development Plan

V. ProspectsIn the coming period, China still needs to continue strengthening

its R&D inputs, meanwhile, the following aspects should pay

more attention to:

▲Indicators reflecting S&T output quality and efficiency;

▲▲S&T output indicators reflecting university-industry coopera-

tion and transfer and transformation of S&T achievements;

▲International mobility and international cooperation of S&T

and innovation factors;

▲The contributions of S&T and innovation to specific sectors,

such as agriculture, energy, the environment, human health and

public security.