Those who can focus intently on seemingly "useless" fundamental research often have a keen sense of "invisible forces".
Xue Qikun, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, President of Southern University of Science and Technology, and Professor at Tsinghua University, has received China's highest honor in science and technology for his pioneering work in condensed matter physics, including research on the Quantum Anomalous Hall Effect and High-temperature superconductivity.
How can the "uselessness" of fundamental research produce immense value? As a member of the National Intellectual Property Expert Advisory Committee, Xue often contemplates how to leverage the "invisible hand" of the intellectual property (IP) system to drive thriving technological innovation, creating a powerful synergy between "uselessness" and "invisibility" that underpins high-level self-reliance and strength in science and technology.
Circulating information through laboratory and production line
IP connects innovation on one end and the market on the other. It acts as both a protective net for innovative achievements and a catalyst for new quality productive forces. In Xue's view, IP has a natural ability to link the laboratory with the production line.
During his tenure as Vice President of Tsinghua University, Xue led efforts in commercialization and utilization of technological achievements. "Tsinghua University adopted the approach of 'letting professionals handle professional tasks' by establishing a technology transfer institute and a corporate cooperation special committee. It also actively connected with high-level patent agencies and technology transformation platforms to carry out the identification, evaluation, and commercialization of scientific and technological achievements," he explained.
Xue believes efforts should focus on key national projects, such as implementing the special action for patent commercialization and utilization, establishing National Graduate College for Engineers, to "untie the hands" of both universities and the market through policy guidance and institutional reform.
On one hand, traditional thinking about the regulation of state-owned assets must be broken, respecting the inherent laws of innovation and transformation. Bold reforms should be pursued to streamline authorization mechanisms, improve fault-tolerance systems, and strengthen incentives for innovation. This will accelerate the creation of high-level operational systems that enable multiplying the benefits of state-owned technical assets. On the other hand, efforts should use joint technological research and IP cooperation as bridges to connect talent cultivation, technological innovation, and market application. This will allow the market to play a leading role and drive the innovation ecosystem toward continuous improvement.
Xue places a strong emphasis on cultivating IP talent. "We are now focusing on training high-level, interdisciplinary, and international IP professionals, which is very meaningful. The goal is to develop talents who understand technology, law, and market, possess an open global perspective, and can both protect the nation's independent research outcomes and promote their transformation and application. Strengthening the talent base in IP will better integrate innovation and industry chains, empowering high-level self-reliance and strength in science and technology and supporting high-quality economic and social development," Xue said.
Making IP key for innovation development
Xue believes that the key to improving the efficiency of market-wide "investment" in innovation and driving high-quality transformation lies in high-quality technological supply. IP serves a dual role in this process—providing both technological and institutional supply. It can act as a "benchmark" to measure the level of innovation and as an effective market mechanism, empowering high-quality technological supply and transformation output.
"In the past, IP was a pain point that constrained China's scientific and technological development. However, by objectively and actively engaging in the IP competition in the international arena, we have discovered that such competition has actually driven many disruptive and high-quality innovations. Today, IP has become a 'milestone' and 'key' for us to achieve high-level self-reliance and strength in science and technology step by step," Xue remarked.
Over 40 years of relentless efforts have resulted in the establishment of a relatively complete and smoothly operating IP protection system in China. The importance role of IP for innovation-driven development and high-quality economic and social development has become increasingly evident.
"Through institutional arrangements, IP embodies social fairness and justice, providing clear protection expectations for technological innovation. Domestically, it incentivizes innovation; internationally, it promotes openness. Moreover, the concept of 'comprehensive protection' for IP continues to expand. Based on IP, a highly regulated market chain has emerged, encompassing valuation, commercialization, and further application. The certainty provided by the IP system injects stronger confidence for technological innovation to transition from the 'ivory tower' to the 'big market'," Xue assessed.
"The purpose of the IP system is not just to protect innovative achievements, but also to promote collaborative innovation and the sharing of results," Xue suggested. He advocated for continued specialization and high-quality development of high-end and specialized IP think tanks, urging them to deepen IP awareness among broader innovation entities and markets. Supporting and helping these entities realize the value of IP will create tangible impacts.
In closing, Xue encouraged young talent: "The acquisition of knowledge is vital, but so is its application. I hope that through your efforts, you will continue to drive the creation, application, and development of knowledge in China, providing an endless source of momentum for advancing Chinese modernization."