摘要：The Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) releasedthe Boao Forum for Asia Innovation Report 2024in Shenzhen on January 17. The report is co-au
The Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) released the Boao Forum for Asia Innovation Report 2024in Shenzhen on January 17. The report is co-authored by the BFA Academy and Deloitte China, guided by the principles of "focusing on Asia, keeping a global perspective, promoting cooperation, and leading the way for the future". The report focuses on four aspects: governance in science and technology, sustainable development, safety and trust, and integration of science and technology innovation, aiming at forecasting ten trends of global scientific and technological innovation.
The report perceives that innovation in science and technology is the primary engine for development, a core component of national competitiveness, and the key to enhancing overall national strength and achieving sustainable development. The scientific and technological innovation in Asia has progressively gained approval around the world and gradually replacing Europe and America as the global leader in promoting innovation. Asia's investment in research and development and the number of patent applications have far exceeded those of other regions. Nevertheless, scientific and technological innovation globally faces grave challenges, including economic volatility, increasing uncertainties, ongoing tense geopolitics, and the widening of digital divide. The external environment has an increasingly significant impact on a country's innovation in science and technology, both promoting and restricting it. The report believes that while the economic environment is becoming further complicated, it is important for countries to strengthen policy coordination, establish regulatory and inclusive mechanisms for innovation cooperation, create an open and tolerant innovation system and environment, promote the integration of innovation in Asia, and thereby drive economic integration in the region.
The report announces ten trends of global scientific and technological innovation.
1.The complex and intricate external environment hinders scientific and technological collaboration and innovation.
Driven by geopolitical factors, global technological development is increasingly trending toward deglobalization. On one hand, countries are prioritizing localization and self-sufficiency in scientific and technological innovation and application to a greater extent, and the control of items and entities is being strengthened. On the other hand, technological blockades and decoupling across the globe are intensifying fragmentation of the technological system. Some technologically advanced countries perceive competition in national scientific and technological innovation as a zero-sum game, imposing stringent restrictions and even cutting off collaborations on research, regulation, and governance with late-developing countries.
2.National strategy serves as a guiding framework for scientific and technological innovation, highlighting the effectiveness of policies.
Countries prioritize policy guidance to reinforce the principal role of enterprises in driving innovation. Economies such as US, China, Japan, and South Korea continuously expand their policy toolkits and strategically optimize technological landscapes, such as providing clear guidance to navigate the increasingly competitive innovation environment and protecting intellectual property. Not only that, China, South Korea, and other Asian countries are actively advancing further opening of national research platforms and scientific research data to enterprises. Under the guidance of national policies, Asian countries received approximately 2.44 million patent applications in 2023, accounting for 68.7% of the global total.
3.Transition from cross-disciplinary to boundaryless marks the advent of the Big Science Era.
The Big Science era, defined by the integration of multiple disciplines, has ushered in a new phase of global innovation. For example, the integration of chemistry, physics, materials science, and computing science with life sciences has enabled the emergence of new technologies like gene editing and synthetic biology. Furthermore, the integration of biology, nanotechnology, and materials science has empowered the development of intelligent machines. Scientific and technological innovation will inevitably evolve from cross-disciplinary to boundaryless. This transition will dismantle the traditional independence of existing industries and fields, enabling collaborative innovation on a broader scale.
4.Organized research approach emerges as the driving force for achieving significant breakthroughs.
Organized research approach is attracting growing attention around the world. A prominent manifestation of this approach is the establishment of technology clusters. By means of science and technology clusters, influential universities, research institutes and high-tech enterprises have been introduced, and top research forces from various fields have been consolidated to promote breakthroughs in cutting-edge technologies. In 2023, four of the top ten countries in terms of the number of technology clusters were from Asia. China, in particular, has demonstrated robust momentum, with 24 clusters ranking among the global top 100, surpassing US for the first time to secure the leading position.
5.Market demand drives technological transformation.
In contrast to the traditional linear model of "technological innovation–applied research–product development", the model of "market demand–technological demand–scientific breakthroughs" is characterized by a greater degree of reverse interaction. Market pressures, including consumer preferences and policy environment, compel companies to pursue technological innovations in order to sustain competitive edge. For example, in new energy vehicle industry, shifts in consumer preferences of range, battery technology safety, and personalization have promoted leading enterprises to undertake technological transformations; higher environmental protection requirements are pushing enterprises in various industries to develop more environmentally friendly and low-carbon technologies and products.
6.Explosion of cutting-edge technologies leads to increasing uncertainties.
Uncertainties surrounding cutting-edge technologies can be assessed along two dimensions, namely technological commercialization and governance. Frontier technologies such as gene editing, quantum computing, and controlled nuclear fusion are in the early stages of development, and their feasibility and commercialization are constrained by various factors such as performance, security risks , and ethical and moral considerations. In addition, the accelerated iterative updating of cutting-edge technologies has challenged the traditional governance paradigm, while legislation is facing the problem of timeliness.
7.Intelligent technologies are seamlessly integrated into all aspects of production and daily life.
Continuous breakthroughs in AI are accelerating the application of intelligence into both production processes and daily life. In the industrial sector, AI technology primarily focuses on cost reduction, efficiency improvement, and the intelligent transformation of manufacturing processes. In daily life, AI technology is expanding its application in high-quality life scenarios, ranging from smart homes, smart wearable devices to smart transportation. Notably, machines powered by AI are also extending and enhancing human cognitive processes, thereby enabling the intelligence of thinking.
8.Formulation of standards for disruptive technologies and the development of application scenarios are accelerating.
As the stability and reliability of certain disruptive technologies have been improved, standardization and the expansion of application scenarios have accelerated. In the field of communication technology, leading global institutions are actively engaged in the development of global 6G communication standards; in the field of AI, research on large models is deepening, leading to the emergence of large models tailored to diverse scenarios. Meanwhile, smaller models designed for specialized vertical applications are anticipated to emerge; and in the field of quantum computation, the world's major economies are accelerating efforts toward practical applications.
9.Innovation in the field of sustainable development persists.
Patents related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are increasingly abundant. Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure (SDG9) has the highest number of patents which includes approximately 2.9 million valid patent families. Climate Action (SDG 13) and Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG 7) show a particularly stronger upward trend. Green technologies such as solar photovoltaic, wind, and green hydrogen are strongly driving the energy transition, while enterprises in key sectors are taking positive action to promote industry-wide emissions reductions and enhance climate adaptation resilience.
10.Corporate Innovation capability and quality continue to improve.
Leading enterprises across various industries actively take a principal role in driving scientific and technological innovation, increasing R&D investment, and focusing on frontier research and breakthroughs in core technologies. In 2022, the top 2,500 companies in the global R&D investment rankings accounted for 1.2499 trillion euros in R&D investment, which is about 86% of the total R&D investment of the global industry. Among the top 50 global companies in terms of R&D expenditure, one-fifth are based in Asia. In terms of PCT applications, enterprises outnumber other research entities such as research institutes and universities, accounting for 87% of all published PCT applications. Enterprises in Asia lead in PCT international patent applications, representing 8 of the top ten enterprises in this area.
The full text of the Boao Forum for Asia Innovation Report 2024can be downloaded and read on the BFA official website.
来源：博鳌亚洲论坛
