A series of key sci-tech tasks was set for 2026 and the overall planning was made for sci-tech work during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030) at a national work conference on science and technology in Beijing on January 26 and 27.

The conference also reviewed the progress and achievements made in sci-tech work throughout 2025 as well as during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025).

In his work report, Yin Hejun, minister of science and technology, highlighted 2025 as a pivotal year with substantial achievements in sci-tech innovation.

In 2025, China's sci-tech capabilities reached a new level. For the first time, the country entered the top 10 of the Global Innovation Index, marking solid progress toward building a sci-tech powerhouse. The role of innovation in supporting high-quality development and high-level security became more prominent.

Key outcomes included solid advancement in major national sci-tech tasks, strengthened basic research, elevated original innovation, and accelerated development of world-class scientific journals.

The national strategic sci-tech force saw coordinated progress, and the development of leading tech enterprises gained momentum. Reforms deepened at national research institutions and top-tier research universities, while the integration of technological and industrial innovation accelerated.

Notably, new breakthroughs in sci-tech finance were made, including the release and implementation of policies to build a robust financial system supporting high-level self-reliance and strength in science and technology.

A new round of science and technology system reform was launched, with more efficient coordination and allocation of sci-tech resources, progress in the reform of talent evaluation, and support for young scientists to take on major responsibilities.

It also saw continuous improvement of the research ecosystem, and further promotion of the scientist spirit.

The regional sci-tech innovation layout has been optimized, with the construction of three international sci-tech innovation centers entering a new stage. Significant achievements have also been made in the construction of regional sci-tech innovation hubs.

International sci-tech cooperation has expanded, with 120 intergovernmental sci-tech cooperation agreements signed, in-depth advancement of Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) sci-tech innovation cooperation, and steady implementation of international big science programs such as the Deep-time Digital Earth and the Ocean Negative Carbon Emissions.

Yin stressed that the 15th Five-Year Plan period is critical for achieving high-level self-reliance and strength in science and technology and building China into a science and technology powerhouse. It demands focus on high-quality development, and fostering new quality productive forces.

Priority should be given to tackling original and cutting-edge science and technology, balancing development with security, enhancing holistic and full-chain planning of sci-tech innovation across all sectors, and ensuring effective implementation of initiatives for building China into a sci-tech powerhouse.

The key tasks for 2026 include formulating the 15th Five-Year Sci-tech Innovation Plan, strengthening a strategic, forward-looking and systematic layout of basic research, enhancing original innovation and breakthroughs in key core technologies, and accelerating the organization and implementation of major sci-tech projects.

Deep integration of sci-tech innovation and industrial innovation will be boosted, and seamless alignment between the innovation chain and the industrial chain promoted. Enterprises will be reinforced as the main drivers of sci-tech innovation.

Efforts will be made to foster and scale up leading sci-tech enterprises, speed up efficient transformation and application of major sci-tech achievements, and innovate sci-tech financial services.

The report urged advancing integrated development of education, science and technology, and talent, deepening reforms in talent evaluation, strengthening scientific ethics, and promoting the scientist spirit.

It emphasized advancing the development of the three major international sci-tech innovation centers at a high level, accelerating building regional sci-tech innovation hubs, cultivating innovation-driven growth poles to drive high-quality regional development, and developing new quality productive forces in line with local conditions.

It also called for strengthening high-level and in-depth international cooperation in science and technology, further advancing BRI sci-tech innovation cooperation, and fostering an open and innovative ecosystem with global competitiveness.