Digital News

　　On July 9, the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) jointly issued the Action Plan for Leveraging Metrology to Support the Development of New Quality Productivity in Industries (2025-2030) (hereinafter referred to as the Action Plan). The Action Plan focuses on ten key industrial sectors: next-generation information technology, artificial intelligence, aerospace, new energy, new materials, high-end equipment, biomedicine, quantum technology, integrated circuits, and instrumentation. It systematically outlines the pressing metrological challenges shared across these sectors, identifies key directions for breakthroughs and construction goals, and aims to address metrology issues across the full chain, from cutting-edge technological R&D to industrial applications, thereby strengthening the foundational support for high-quality industrial development.

　　According to the Action Plan, SAMR and MIIT will publicly solicit project proposals nationwide and establish a dedicated project database for metrological support in advancing new quality productive forces. Centered on major metrological needs, a batch of key projects will be identified and collaboratively tackled by leading institutions to effectively resolve critical metrological bottlenecks in industrial development and accelerate the transformation of research outcomes into real productive forces.

　　Regarding the background of the Action Plan’s issuance, SAMR noted that at present, many critical issues persist in China’s industrial sectors, such as the inability to measure, incomplete measurement capabilities, or insufficient measurement accuracy. Due to limitations in technical R&D and resource capacity, many enterprises are unable to independently establish the necessary metrological testing capabilities or resolve related challenges. While metrology institutions and research institutes at various levels possess certain metrological capabilities, they often lack a sufficient understanding of actual industry needs and thus cannot carry out targeted technological research or provide effective technical services. This growing mismatch between industrial metrology demands and the current metrological supply has become increasingly prominent, calling for stronger coordination and strategic planning at the national level. To address these challenges, SAMR and MIIT jointly developed the Action Plan to overcome metrological bottlenecks that hinder industrial progress and to establish a full-cycle system, from capacity building and metrological R&D to application verification and industrial implementation, thereby continuously enhancing the metrological service capacity for industry.

　　SAMR noted that the selection of these ten key sectors reflects the forefront of China’s industrial development and is vital for promoting high-quality economic growth and building a modern industrial system. The selection was based on a multi-dimensional, comprehensive assessment. First, the sectors center around national strategic directions, and align with the overall deployment of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council for strategic emerging industries and self-reliance and strength in science and technology. Second, they focus on the core areas of the new global wave of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, such as artificial intelligence and quantum technology, where breakthroughs will give rise to entirely new industrial ecosystems and business models. Third, they address real-world industrial needs, aiming to resolve current “bottlenecks” in industrial development, such as the long-term reliance on imports in integrated circuits and instrumentation, which urgently requires enhanced metrological support to achieve technological catch-up.

　　According to the introduction, to promote the smooth implementation of the Action Plan, SAMR and MIIT will adopt a problem- and demand-oriented approach, prioritizing metrological capacity-building projects that fill domestic and international gaps, address key constraints in the industrial chain, and support industrial digital transformation. They will make full use of expert pools to gather insights and suggestions from research institutions and enterprises throughout the project selection, initiation, and implementation stages. Moreover, efforts will be made to include key project content in the 15th Five-Year Plan and major special initiatives led by the National Development and Reform Commission, MIIT, and other relevant departments, while also exploring diversified project support mechanisms to ensure successful implementation.