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Domestic high-end instruments, where is the road?
"Stuck neck", "domestic substitution", "independent and controllable"...... These words appear more and more frequently in the technology circle, and they also knock us again and again: core technology cannot be bought, only on our own. We are already familiar with the story of the chip, but in a more hidden corner, a war without gunpowder is also quietly starting, and the name of the battlefield is called "precision instruments".
Many people may not realize that the convenience we are accustomed to in our daily life is inseparable from the support of precision instruments. Go to the hospital for a CT scan, relying on high-precision medical imaging equipment; The robotic arm in the factory accurately completes complex operations, which is inseparable from high-performance CNC machine tools; Scientists are exploring the mysteries of the microscopic world, not to mention "sharp tools" such as electron microscopes. It can be said that precision instruments are the "invisible promoters" to promote scientific and technological progress, promote industrial upgrading, and improve the quality of life.
However, it is such a vital tool, and we have been at the mercy of others for a long time. Data show that China's dependence on the import of high-end precision instruments is as high as more than 90%, and hundreds of billions of dollars are spent on this every year, which does not include some "stuck neck" equipment that money cannot buy.
The cornerstone of scientific and technological progress: the application and importance of precision instruments
Precision instruments, as the name suggests, are instruments and equipment that require extremely high precision, and their application fields are wide, covering almost all aspects of modern industry.
In the medical field, precision instruments play an indispensable role. From common blood pressure monitors and blood glucose meters, to complex CT scanners, MRI machines, to cutting-edge heavy ion cancer radiotherapy equipment, precision instruments provide strong support for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases.
Taking heavy ion cancer radiotherapy equipment as an example, it uses a heavy ion beam accelerated to nearly the speed of light to accurately "blast" tumors, which has incomparable advantages over traditional radiotherapy and is known as a "sharp weapon" in the field of cancer treatment. However, only a handful of countries in the world have mastered this technology, and although China is actively developing it, it is still a long way from achieving fully autonomous production, which means that countless Chinese patients have to travel overseas, bear high treatment costs and long waits.
In addition to the medical field, precision instruments also play an important role in industrial manufacturing, aerospace, environmental monitoring and other fields. For example, in the chip manufacturing process, the lithography machine is the key equipment that determines the performance and yield of the chip, and the world's most advanced lithography machine technology is currently in the hands of ASML in the Netherlands. China started late in this field and lacked technology accumulation, resulting in long-term constraints in the field of high-end chip manufacturing.
The dilemma of China's precision instrument industry: the challenges of technology, capital and talent
The dilemma faced by China's precision instrument industry can be summarized in three sentences: "high technical barriers, large capital investment, and large talent gap".
First of all, the R&D and manufacturing of precision instruments require extremely deep technical accumulation, involving the cross-integration of multiple disciplines. Taking the electron gun, the core component of the electron microscope, as an example, its processing accuracy needs to reach the nanometer level, which has extremely strict requirements for materials, processes, and environments. These technologies are often in the hands of foreign companies, constituting insurmountable technical barriers.
Secondly, the research and development cycle of precision instruments is long, the investment is large, and the return is slow, which is an unbearable burden for many enterprises, especially small and medium-sized enterprises. Compared with other industries, the precision instrument industry belongs to the type of "slow work and meticulous work", which requires continuous investment and long-term technology accumulation of enterprises in order to finally obtain returns.
Finally, the precision instrument industry has very high requirements for talents, and it requires compound talents with multidisciplinary knowledge. However, the current training mode of domestic universities and research institutes often focuses on a single discipline, resulting in a lack of interdisciplinary knowledge and skills for graduates to meet the needs of the precision instrument industry.
These three major problems, like three mountains, lie on the road of the development of China's precision instrument industry, and also make the road of "domestic substitution" extremely difficult.
The breakthrough of China's precision instruments: from "following" to "running".
Faced with the dilemma of "stuck neck" in the field of precision instruments, China did not choose to "lie flat", but continued to explore and break through, and made remarkable achievements in some fields.
For example, in the field of medical imaging equipment, Chinese companies represented by Neusoft Group and United Imaging Medical, after years of technical research, have been able to produce CT machines, nuclear magnetic resonance machines and other products with performance and quality comparable to United States brands, breaking the long-term monopoly of foreign companies and allowing more Chinese patients to use high-end medical equipment with more affordable prices.
In the field of industrial manufacturing, the research team of Huazhong University of Science and Technology successfully developed a casting, forging and milling integrated 3D printing CNC machine tool, which simplified the parts manufacturing that originally required multiple processes to complete into a one-time forming 3D printing process, which greatly improved production efficiency and processing accuracy, and even United States wanted to buy it repeatedly, but we finally included it in the national export ban list.
In the field of scientific research, the "Micius" quantum science experimental satellite developed by the Chinese Academy of Sciences is independently developed by China on a number of key equipment, which marks that China's technical level in the field of precision instruments has reached a new level.
These breakthrough achievements have benefited from the strong support of national policies, as well as the unremitting efforts of scientific researchers and the active investment of enterprises. From the "863 Plan" to the "973 Plan", from the "National Major Science and Technology Project" to the "Made in China 2025", the state has continuously increased capital investment and policy support in the field of precision instruments, creating a good environment for industrial development.
The Future of China's Precision Instruments: Challenges and Opportunities from "Running" to "Leading".
Although China's precision instrument industry has made great progress in recent years, there is still a certain gap compared with the world's advanced level, especially in some high-end fields, such as ultra-high-resolution electron microscopes, high-end mass spectrometers, etc., China still needs to make more efforts.
In the future, China's precision instrument industry needs to continue to strengthen basic research, break through core technologies, and realize the independent and controllable key components. At the same time, it is necessary to pay attention to talent training and establish a multi-level talent training system to provide continuous impetus for industrial development. In addition, it is necessary to deepen the reform of the system and mechanism, stimulate the innovation vitality of enterprises, promote the deep integration of industry, university and research, and form a good ecology of collaborative innovation.
Precision instruments are the "multiplier" of scientific and technological innovation and the "booster" of industrial upgrading. The development of China's precision instrument industry is not only related to national economic security, but also to whether China can occupy the commanding heights in the future scientific and technological competition.
The road is long, I will go up and down and seek. It is believed that in the near future, China's precision instrument industry will break through the technical bottleneck, realize the leap from "following" to "running" to "leading", and contribute Chinese wisdom and Chinese solutions to the world's scientific and technological progress.
The Long Road Ahead: Analyzing the Deep Problems of China's Precision Instrument Industry
However, while rejoicing in these achievements, we cannot ignore the deep-seated problems that still exist on the road to the development of China's precision instrument industry. These problems, like hidden reefs, can cause us to deviate from our course or even run aground and sink.
First of all, we need to confront the weakness of basic research. The R&D and manufacturing of precision instruments are based on profound basic research. Without a solid foundation, you can't build a tall building. However, for a long time, the domestic scientific research evaluation system has paid too much attention to the publication of papers and short-term results, resulting in many researchers being reluctant to devote their energy to basic research fields with long cycles, high risks and slow results.
Secondly, the poor cooperation mechanism of industry, university and research is also a major bottleneck restricting the development of the industry. Universities and research institutes tend to focus on basic research and technology development, while enterprises are more concerned about the marketization and profitability of products. The lack of effective communication mechanism and interest connection mechanism between the two makes it difficult to transform scientific research results into real productivity, forming an embarrassing situation of "two skins".
In addition, the lag of talent training mode is becoming increasingly prominent. What the precision instrument industry needs is compound talents who understand both theory and practice, and can both research and development and application. However, at present, the domestic education system is too detailed in discipline division and the teaching content is slow to update, which makes it difficult to cultivate innovative talents to meet the needs of industrial development.
The road to breaking the game: reshaping the future of China's precision instrument industry
In the face of these challenges, China's precision instrument industry needs a profound change. This reform needs to start from multiple aspects such as concept, mechanism, and talent training, and promote industrial transformation and upgrading in an all-round and multi-level manner.
First of all, it is necessary to reverse the tendency of the scientific research evaluation system to be "paper-only" and encourage and guide scientific researchers to devote themselves to basic research. It is necessary to increase investment in basic research, establish and improve a long-term mechanism for basic research, and create an academic atmosphere that respects science and encourages exploration.
Secondly, it is necessary to deepen industry-university-research cooperation and open up the "last mile" of the transformation of scientific and technological achievements. It is necessary to encourage enterprises to participate in basic research and technological development, and guide colleges and universities and scientific research institutes to carry out scientific research activities in the face of market demand. It is necessary to establish and improve the mechanism for the transformation of scientific and technological achievements, so that scientific research achievements can be quickly transformed into real productive forces.
Third, it is necessary to reform the personnel training model and cultivate more high-quality compound talents. It is necessary to break down disciplinary barriers, encourage interdisciplinary integration, and cultivate students' sense of innovation and practical ability. It is necessary to strengthen school-enterprise cooperation, so that students can learn in practice and grow in application.
The future can be expected: the "sea of stars" of China's precision instrument industry
Although there is a long road ahead and many challenges, we have reason to believe that the future of China's precision instrument industry is bright and the road is broad.
With the continuous development of China's economy and the continuous enhancement of scientific and technological strength, China's precision instrument industry will usher in greater development opportunities. China has a huge market demand, a complete industrial system and a rich reserve of technical talents, which are favorable conditions for the development of China's precision instrument industry.
It is foreseeable that in the near future, China's precision instrument industry will surely achieve a leap from "following" to "running" and then to "leading", and a number of leading enterprises with international competitiveness will emerge, master a number of key core technologies, and contribute to China's manufacturing to the world.
Epilogue: Science and technology power, precision first
Precision instruments are the cornerstone of scientific and technological innovation, and they are also a weapon for industrial upgrading. The development of China's precision instrument industry is not only related to national economic security, but also to whether China can occupy the commanding heights in the future scientific and technological competition.
"When science and technology prosper, the nation prospers, and when science and technology are strong, the country is strong." In the journey of realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, scientific and technological innovation is an indispensable and powerful engine. Precision instruments are the indispensable core components of this engine.
Let us work together, forge ahead, contribute to the rise of China's precision instrument industry, and strive for the realization of the Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation!