Hunan poised for technological breakthroughs

Hunan province aims to further enhance its technological development and self-reliance this year by achieving breakthroughs in its 10 most important technologies, Governor Mao Weiming said.

The targeted technologies include the Beidou navigation satellite system, hydrogen-powered heavy trucks, logistics robots, hybrid regenerative rice and the quantum gravity measurement, Mao said while discussing the government work report during the ongoing third session of the 14th People's Congress of Hunan province on Tuesday.

These technological breakthroughs aim to address bottleneck issues and fill domestic gaps, he said.

In Hunan, the Beidou system and its related industries have played an increasingly significant role in promoting both technology and the economy. The total output of the industry in the province reached 45 billion yuan ($6.14 billion) last year, accounting for 8.4 percent of the national total and growing at an average annual rate of 25 percent, Mao said at a conference in October.

To meet this year's goals, the province will coordinate resources from major universities, research institutes and enterprises, according to the government work report. It will also provide necessary training and support to drive industry growth, with the number of innovative and technological enterprises expected to exceed 18,000 this year.

Meanwhile, the province will focus on attracting more talent from home and abroad and supporting the development of university disciplines closely aligned with industrial needs, Mao added.

Zhu Wan, a member of the Hunan Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and head of the Hunan Department of Science and Technology, said that Hunan's total research investment reached 128 billion yuan last year, with the value of technological contract deals amounting to 480 billion yuan.

The province will expand the coverage of research funds and support enterprises in leading major technological research and applications, Zhu said. She added that funds will also be used to encourage capital investment in early-stage projects involving core technologies.

Xiao Xingli, a deputy to the Hunan People's Congress and president of Hunan Happy Times New Energy Co, emphasized that technological innovation is crucial for the new energy industry, likening it to a chef needing culinary skills to create delicious food. The company has invested tens of millions of yuan in achieving breakthroughs in battery technology.

The company is about to launch a new product — a semi-solid battery — which will significantly improve the safety of new energy batteries, Xiao said. When used in new energy vehicles, the semi-solid battery can increase a vehicle's endurance mileage by 18 percent and reduce charging time by 30 percent, he noted.

Hu Yupeng, a member of the Hunan Provincial Committee of the CPPCC and a professor at the College of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering at Hunan University, pointed out that the province faces challenges in integrating with international technological and innovation networks. To address this, he recommended advancing global cooperation in cutting-edge fields such as artificial intelligence.