In an era where high-quality development is paramount, fostering new productive forces has become an intrinsic requirement and a pivotal focus for economic strategyNational-level economic and technological development zones (ETDZs) play a crucial role as spearheads of China's commitment to opening upThese zones, characterized by high resource aggregation, strong innovation capacity, and a solid industrial foundation, possess unique advantages for cultivating new productive forces suited to local contextsTo unleash new momentum for high-quality development, ETDZs must look long-term and accelerate the advancement of these productive forces.
At the heart of developing new productive forces lies technological innovationIt serves as the driving force for industrial transformation and reformOn one hand, ETDZs should capitalize on their institutional and policy advantages, integrating premium technological innovation resources to form a comprehensive support system that encompasses the entire innovation chain—from technology research and application verification to results transformation
By accelerating breakthroughs in disruptive and cutting-edge technologies, they can spawn new industries, new business models, and new growth driversOn the other hand, ETDZs must maintain a market-oriented approach to strengthen companies' leading role in innovationThis requires building a tiered system of innovative enterprises that hold independent intellectual property rights and have promising industrialization prospectsAdditionally, fostering in-depth collaboration between enterprises, academic institutions, and research centers is necessary to establish a solid mechanism for property rights linkage and benefit sharing, effectively clearing the “last mile” of transforming scientific and technological achievements into commercial realities.
Industries serve as the primary carriers of productivity; only through industrialization can technological achievements become new productive forces
Therefore, ETDZs need to clearly define their strategic positioning and choose industrial development directions that fit their unique localesThey should focus on “new trees sprouting new branches,” actively engaging in emerging and future industries, while guiding “old trees to sprout new buds” by incorporating smart and green technologies into traditional industriesThis calls for a dialectical approach—using digital technologies and environmentally friendly technologies to empower traditional industries, achieving transformation towards higher-end, intelligent, and greener operations.
Moreover, leveraging their open advantages, ETDZs should actively integrate into international innovation networksThis strategic move will encourage enterprises within the zones to bring in foreign capital and advanced technologies through various means, while also exploring diversified cooperation models
Attracting technology-intensive and innovation-driven foreign enterprises is essential, as is fostering multinational companies to establish intelligent manufacturing bases and offshore innovation centersFurthermore, inviting specialized service organizations in high-end technology transfer and venture capital can promote a mutually reinforcing relationship between open innovation and industrial developmentCollaboration among foreign technology firms and domestic enterprises, along with research institutions, can facilitate breakthroughs in key industry technologies, common technologies, and cutting-edge technologies, ultimately enhancing the overall technological innovation capabilities and promoting the cultivation of new productive forces.
In today’s broader economic landscape, a healthy and well-functioning market ecosystem undeniably plays a critical role, acting as a firm foundation for the continuous development of new productive forces and ensuring their sustainable operation
For ETDZs, this translates into a significant mission and responsibility, necessitating rigorous efforts across several key areas to create a nurturing environment conducive to corporate growth.
First and foremost, concerning property rights protection, ETDZs must strive to establish a robust and effective protection systemThis involves clarifying the scope and defining various property rights, leveraging legal measures and policies to strictly combat infringement behaviorsWhether it pertains to intellectual property rights or material rights, businesses deserve unwavering protection of their legitimate rights, allowing them to operate confidently and invest without concerns of unwarranted violations.
In terms of market access, ETDZs should adhere to principles of fairness, equity, and transparency, continually optimizing access mechanisms
By dismantling unreasonable barriers, both local and foreign businesses should be evaluated and accepted under uniform, transparent standardsThis approach guarantees that all market entities can engage equally in the economic development of the zone, invigorating market vitality and creativityResultantly, more potential and innovative companies can smoothly enter the zone, providing a continuous influx of fresh talent ensuring the robust development of new productive forces.
Creating a fair competitive environment is equally crucialETDZs must enhance regulatory oversight, eradicating unfair competitive practices such as predatory pricing, commercial bribery, and false advertisingEstablishing a comprehensive fair competition review system will ensure strict scrutiny of various policies and regulations, ultimately eliminating any exclusionary or restrictive practices
This guarantees that all enterprises can compete on a level playing field, relying on innovation and superior products and services to garner market share, consequently driving the overall industrial growth of the zone towards high quality.
By meticulously refining these foundational institutional frameworks, ETDZs can gradually nurture a stable and predictable market environmentSuch an environment acts as a reliable assurance for enterprises, significantly increasing their confidence, prompting them to boost investment, and encouraging a long-term commitment to growth within the zoneThey can thus allocate more resources and energy toward critical areas crucial for developing new productive forces, such as technology research and development, product innovation, and market expansion.
At the same time, ETDZs need to cultivate an international perspective and proactively align with international trade and economic regulations
Given the increasing complexity and diversity of global economic integration, ETDZs must stay in tune with the times, conducting in-depth research to master rules such as those promulgated by the World Trade Organization and various free trade agreementsBuilding upon this foundation, they should explore the synergistic implementation of free trade policiesFor instance, establishing cooperative mechanisms with neighboring countries or regions to synchronize trade facilitation measures and investment policies can help create smoother cross-border channels for enterprises
In terms of specific services, ETDZs should enhance services related to cross-border investments, trade, and personnel movement for their enterprisesThis involves simplifying approval processes for cross-border financing, providing secure and reliable financial service platforms to help businesses broaden financing avenues and lower financing costs
Additionally, guiding enterprises in reasonable outbound investments can strengthen international competitivenessOn the trade front, collaboration with customs and inspection authorities should be amplified to implement paperless customs clearance and one-stop inspections, thereby improving import and export efficiencyIn facilitating personnel flow, actively pursuing supportive policies will ease enterprises' hiring of foreign high-end talent while allowing for employee exchanges abroadThis enables firms to harness domestic and international talent resources effectively, enhancing their drive for development.
Through these various initiatives, enterprises within the zones can fully capitalize on the benefits derived from open policies under the "dual circulation" framework, positioning themselves strategically in both domestic and international markets while leveraging diverse resources for improved growth.
Moreover, ETDZs must persistently incorporate both goal orientation and problem orientation into their strategies
Addressing the diverse challenges and pain points encountered by enterprises during their developmental journeys necessitates thorough research and precise interventions to provide tailored servicesFor instance, if a company faces technological bottlenecks, linking them with universities and research institutions can help overcome these obstaclesMoreover, organizing various promotional events and matchmaking sessions can assist businesses in expanding their sales channels when facing market challengesAdditionally, focusing on optimizing processes, increasing governmental service efficiency, and enhancing infrastructure can significantly elevate market operational efficiency, thereby creating favorable conditions for the sustained health of the industryUltimately, positioning ETDZs as fertile grounds for new productive forces to flourish will enable them to play a significant leading and demonstrative role in the regional and national economic landscape.