Ding Shizhong, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, vice chairman of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, and chairman of ANTA Group, is dedicated to advancing the integration of industry, academia, and research to strengthen the foundation of innovation.

During the third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee  of the Communist Party of China, proposals were made to reinforce enterprises' dominant position in bolstering technological innovation, to establish and nurture growing leading technology enterprises mechanisms, and to strengthen the in-depth integration of industry, academia, and enterprise-led research.

Ding believes that the deep integration of industry, academia, and research is a key driver in accelerating the transformation of scientific and technological achievements as well as an important way for Chinese enterprises to become world-class and lead industry upgrades through technological innovation.

In collaboration with university research labs, ANTA has developed a range of new sports fabrics, integrating them into civilian sports equipment to consistently enhance the performance, quality, and cost-effectiveness of domestic outdoor products. From his perspective, Ding emphasizes the critical importance of integrating industry, academia, and research.

During this year's two sessions, Ding suggests: enhancing the strategic framework for the deep integration of industry, academia, and research, outlining mechanisms for enterprise participation in national key R&D initiatives; issuing national-level guidelines to support the formation of an innovation consortium; establishing a platform for assessing and recognizing high-value technological accomplishments; industry-leading enterprises should enhance innovation and collaboration with enterprises interconnected in the industrial chain; guiding companies in adopting and implementing International Organization for Standardization standards.