Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee has placed science and technology innovation at the core of the country’s overall development and continuously strengthened the Party’s overall leadership over the cause of science and technology. The Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee underscored the central role of innovation in China’s modernization drive, and took sci-tech self-reliance and self-strengthening as the strategic support for national development. Over the past 10 years, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core, the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) has adhered to the guide of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics in the New Era, persisted in exploring international science frontiers, serving the main economic battlefield, meeting major national needs and safeguarding people’s life and health, kept in mind the country’s top priorities, improved its function of being a national high-end think tank, played its leading role  academic field, advancing research on critical core technologies and cultivating innovative talent, and stayed committed to promoting the development of engineering sciences and technology.

Serving major national strategies

President Xi Jinping noted it’s important to strengthen the function of national high-end think tanks, enable strategic scientists to play their roles, and actively carry out consultation and evaluation to serve national decision-making. Focused on major issues significant to the overall situation and key engineering concerns in national economic development, CAE has organized and carried out strategic research on carbon peaking and neutrality, the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, ecological development, and strategic emerging industries. High-quality research reports on manufacturing power, transportation power, food security, energy strategy and other topics have had a major impact and strongly supported the Party and the government in their scientific decision-making.

Developing world-class academic journals

President Xi Jinping stressed that, to develop high-quality academic journals, efforts are needed to remain true to our original aspiration, lead innovation, showcase top research outcomes, support the growth of excellent talents, and promote international academic exchanges. In actively serving the country’s strategy of cultivating world-class journals, CAE publishes 11 journals, with Engineering as the flagship publication, which ranks No. 1 among nearly 100 high-level comprehensive engineering journals around the world. Eight of CAE’s 10 English journals are ranked in the top 50% internationally in their respective disciplines.

Expanding science and technology services outreach

Committed to implementing the requirements of the CPC Central Committee on building a new development pattern, CAE has vigorously served local economic and social development, and has now signed strategic cooperation agreements with 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities, as well as the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps. In cooperation with 19 provincial-level regions, including Hubei and Tianjin, CAE has also established 19 regional research institutes and launched more than 600 strategic consulting research projects, with nearly 300 research outcomes delivered. CAE has spent 320 million yuan in sponsoring nearly 300 projects among them, with regional funding amounting to 590 million yuan.

Building engineering science and technology knowledge centre 

The China Knowledge Centre for Engineering Sciences and Technology (CKCEST) is a knowledge resource aggregation and service platform mainly focusing on numeric, factual and instrumental resources, with its data resources reaching 7.3 billion pieces and 100TB in volume, which covers all first-level disciplines in engineering sciences and technology and 90% of second-level disciplines. It has attracted more than 176 million visits, and registered users are from 218 countries and regions. The centre has been granted 120 patents, 93 invention patents and 257 computer software copyrights. It also provides open and free knowledge services to the public, as it allows access to 1,163 university libraries, 72 libraries of research institutes, and 50 public libraries.

Promoting international engineering knowledge service and engineering education

President Xi Jinping said that science and technology are universal and contemporary, and are the common wealth of mankind. CAE and UNESCO have jointly established the International Knowledge Centre for Engineering Sciences and Technology (IKCEST) and the International Centre for Engineering Education (ICEE). IKCEST’s platform has attracted users from 210 countries and regions around the world, and its training workshops on a variety of topics have involved engineering science and technology professionals from more than 110 countries and regions, effectively contributing to the talent training and capacity building in countries along the Belt and Road. ICEE has formed a wide international cooperation network and established long-term, substantial partnerships with UNESCO, the World Federation of Engineering Organizations (WFEO), the International Engineering Alliance (IEA), the International Federation of Engineering Education Societies (IFEES), the Global Engineering Deans Council (GEDC), the American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE), the European Society for Engineering Education (SEFI), and the African Engineering Education Association (AEEA), thus enhancing the voice and influence of Chinese engineering education around the world.

Supporting national strategies and major projects

President Xi Jinping stressed that the high-quality development of the manufacturing industry is a top priority for the high-quality development of China’s economy and is indispensable for building a great modern socialist country and strengthening the real economy, so unremitting efforts should be made to advance industrial optimization and upgrading. From 2012 to 2021, the value-added output from China’s manufacturing industry surged from 16.98 trillion yuan to 31.401 trillion yuan, securing the first place in the world. Globally, the proportion of the value-added manufacturing output in China increased from 22.39% to 29.31%, also the highest share among the world's major economies. In particular, driven by national strategies and major projects such as strengthening basic industrial capacities and rebuilding industrial foundation, revenue by China’s manufacturing enterprises in the Fortune Global 500 increased year by year from 8.49% to 21.33% in global manufacturing enterprises. China’s manufacturing industry has significantly enhanced its role in the global industrial chain.