China will take more steps to ensure a seamless flow of cutting-edge ideas from the laboratory to the production line, as the country moves toward building a modern industrial system, experts said at a symposium during the third China International Supply Chain Expo in Beijing.

The integration of innovation chains and industrial chains still faces deep-rooted challenges, said Zhang Jing'an, academician at the International Eurasian Academy of Sciences, at the symposium hosted by the Shanghai Technology Exchange on Thursday.

Zhang, who is also a former member of the leading Party members group of the Ministry of Science and Technology, noted that the flow of innovation resources to key links on the industrial chains remains constrained, while smaller businesses lack adequate pathways to participate in innovation ecosystems.

To overcome these obstacles, it is crucial to bridge the "last mile" between laboratories and production lines, Zhang said.

It's crucial to strengthen institutional mechanisms for greater synergy between innovation chains and industrial chains by establishing cross-sector innovation consortiums to advance policy coordination, resource sharing, and standards alignment, Zhang said.

Meanwhile, efforts should be made to support small and medium-sized enterprises' engagement in innovation through these consortiums, thereby cultivating a collaborative ecosystem where enterprises of all scales drive innovation together, Zhang added.

Yu Yi, director of the legal affairs department of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, said that CCPIT stands ready to share resources and deepen cooperation with all stakeholders.

The CCPIT will fully leverage its role in bridging governments and enterprises, integrating domestic and international resources, and streamlining supply-demand dynamic, to facilitate deeper integration between scientific innovation and industrial advancement, Yu added.

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