The Third Plenary Session of the 20^th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China emphasized the importance of “promoting the development of productive forces that are characterized by high technology, high performance, and high quality” and “facilitating the optimal combination of workers, means of labor, and subjects of labor as well as their renewal and upgrading”. According to an article recently published by Professor Luo Jinlian from the Department of Organizational Management (under preparation), Tongji SEM, and Assistant Professor Li Shuwen from DUT School of Economics and Management in Economic Information Daily, achieving innovations and breakthroughs in digital productivity tools requires breaking bottlenecks in key areas such as research on generic digital technologies, regional innovation networks, and the building of co-creation ecosystems. This, in turn, will drive transformations in productivity, quality, and efficiency. The published original text is as follows.

From the history of productive force development, it is the continuous innovations and breakthroughs in production tools that have driven the ongoing upgrading of productive forces. This is equally true in the era of the digital economy, where digital technologies such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, blockchain, and big data are creating new quality productive forces through innovations and breakthroughs in digital productivity tools. However, achieving such innovations and breakthroughs requires breaking bottlenecks in the transitions “from nothing to something”, “from something to excellence”, and “from excellence to strength”. Only then can transformations in driving force, quality, and efficiency be achieved.

01. Strengthening research on generic digital technologies 

Breaking the bottleneck in the transition “from nothing to something”

Corresponding measures are as follows. Firstly, leverage the advantages of China’s new system for mobilizing resources nationwide by establishing a dual-track innovation pattern for generic technology R&D, with a state-organized and enterprise-led approach. This will create strong synergy for technological breakthroughs.

Secondly, further emphasize the leading role of enterprises in technological innovation, especially in making key technological innovation decisions and integrating data-driven factors. Accelerate the convergence of industrial and innovation chains by adopting forward-looking, strategic, and systematic approaches to developing generic technologies. This will also speed up the coordinated development of large, medium, and small enterprises through data factor integration, enabling them to collaboratively tackle challenges in generic technologies.

Thirdly, establish robust fault-tolerant mechanisms for innovation, especially by fostering a favorable social atmosphere that tolerates the faults of emerging digital enterprises. This will not only allow enterprises to blaze “trails unblazed” but also encourage a scientific approach to differentiating faults, providing policy and social support, and promoting “technology practice going ahead of policy”.

02. Constructing regional innovation networks 

Breaking the bottleneck in the transition “from something to excellence”

Corresponding measures are as follows. Firstly, deeply integrate generic digital technologies with regional resources to develop the regions’ strengths, as well as its refined and emerging industries.

Secondly, construct digital innovation networks that enable mutual empowerment among large, medium, and small enterprises. These networks should center on digitally specialized and innovative enterprises with expertise in specific generic technologies, using these generic technologies as the fulcrum to drive the regional transformation of generic technologies.

03. Advancing the building of co-creation ecosystems 

Breaking the bottleneck in the transition “from excellence to strength”

Corresponding measures are as follows. Firstly, encourage more value subjects to transition from focusing solely on value transactions to prioritizing resource co-creation and capability sharing. Support the building of diverse co-creation ecosystems. (Data shows that 60% of leading enterprises choose to innovate partner relationships by building co-creation ecosystems.)

Secondly, create a new open and healthy governance environment for co-creation ecosystems through a “two-step” strategy that emphasizes data security and orderly collaboration. This will help develop fair and standardized governance for co-creation ecosystems.