The reporter recently learned from the Municipal Science and Technology Commission and the Zhongguancun Administrative Committee that Beijing will continue to implement the Leading Action for Basic Research, strengthening forward-looking, strategic, and systematic layout of basic research in multiple aspects, and will certify the first batch of about 30 municipal-level key laboratories this year.

　　In recent years, Beijing's investment in basic research has increased year by year. In 2022, Beijing's basic research funding was 47.07 billion yuan, ranking first in the country, a year-on-year increase of 11.4%, accounting for 23.3% of the country's total basic research funding. Last year, a number of major innovation achievements emerged in Beijing, including a new-generation quantum computing cloud platform, a new-generation 256-core blockchain dedicated accelerator chip, and the world's fastest and most energy-efficient two-dimensional transistor.

　　Professor Chen Duanduan of Beijing Institute of Technology believes that Beijing attaches importance to the development of interdisciplinary fields, drives scientific and technological development with industrial demand, and carries out scientific layout around basic research, having already formed significant advantages in basic research. "Especially in frontier scientific fields such as artificial intelligence and important areas of livelihood needs such as medical engineering, a series of landmark achievements have been formed, directly serving social development."

　　The Leading Action also combines basic research with the cultivation of young talent. To promote young scientific and technological talent to take on leading roles and shoulder heavy responsibilities, the Beijing Municipal Natural Science Foundation has ensured that more than 50% of projects are undertaken by young scientific and technological talent under the age of 40.

　　This year, Beijing will continue to implement the Leading Action for Basic Research, focusing on forward-looking research in the four major fields of "mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology"; carrying out goal-oriented research around fields such as next-generation information technology, medicine and health, and aerospace; encouraging the breaking of disciplinary boundaries and barriers and promoting interdisciplinary integration research. It will continue to support new-type research and development institutions in producing major original scientific research achievements, support leading science and technology enterprises in establishing basic research innovation collaboration mechanisms with key laboratories, research universities, national research institutions, and new-type research and development institutions, and will certify the first batch of about 30 municipal-level key laboratories.

　　Leveraging the advantages of the main platform of "Three Science Cities and One Zone," Beijing will also launch international big science programs relying on major scientific facilities, continue to promote the open sharing of scientific research facilities and instruments on the Capital Science and Technology Conditions Platform, and advance the construction of the pilot zone for basic data systems. In terms of institutional and mechanism reform, Beijing will explore the classified construction of management systems and mechanisms that conform to the laws of basic research, explore and summarize the effectiveness of the "lump-sum system" for scientific research funding, guide enterprises, foundations, and other social forces to actively participate in basic research, and encourage concept validation platforms to connect with universities and research institutes, helping basic research achievements move out of the laboratory.