Professor Gao Xudong from Tsinghua University School of Economics and Management Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Strategy: Drop the illusion of "introducing, digesting, and absorbing"; breakthroughs in core technology still depend on the domestic system

The government work report proposes to leverage the advantages of the new national system and promote key core technology breakthroughs along the entire chain. Currently, what are the remaining difficulties and bottlenecks in advancing these breakthroughs, and how can they be overcome? Focusing on these issues, during the 2026 National Two Sessions, Securities Times reporter interviewed Professor Gao Xudong from the School of Economics and Management at Tsinghua University, specializing in Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Strategy.

Gao Xudong told Securities Times that promoting key core technology breakthroughs along the entire chain is of great significance. Although there are many difficulties and bottlenecks, there are solutions. Specifically, changes are needed in mindset, methods of promotion, and resource investment.

“From a conceptual perspective, some individuals and companies still hold unrealistic illusions about the historically successful ‘technology introduction and absorption’ approach, attempting to compensate for their technological shortcomings through internationalization. The reality is that, under the new international situation, core technologies cannot be bought.” Gao Xudong said. In terms of mindset, we must truly recognize the importance of independent technological innovation and make firm decisions to achieve high-level scientific and technological self-reliance through自主创新.

Regarding promotion methods, Gao Xudong also believes that we should not rely on幻想 that deepening international division of labor can solve the ‘choke points’ in technology. Instead, we need to establish an innovation system, industrial system, and economic system led by domestic enterprises.

“International cooperation is auxiliary. In fact, without an innovation system, industrial system, and economic system led by domestic enterprises, the basic conditions for effectively utilizing international resources do not exist, and we may only face various ‘choke points’ in technology, markets, resources, and finance.” Gao Xudong told Securities Times. The goal of key core technology breakthroughs is not an end in itself but to achieve high-level scientific and technological self-reliance and self-improvement, significantly enhance the security of the industrial chain. Practice has fully demonstrated that a positive cycle can be formed between core technology breakthroughs and the development of domestic systems.

Gao Xudong emphasized that focusing solely on core technology breakthroughs without developing domestic systems is unsustainable, even if temporary success is achieved.

On a micro level, Gao Xudong believes that it is necessary to greatly enhance technological innovation capabilities, especially by prioritizing applied research. Strong applied research provides solid support for continuously launching new products and new processes, effectively driving the leap in basic research and fundamental scientific capabilities. With the continuous introduction of new products and processes, enterprises’ competitive advantages can be genuinely strengthened, further promoting innovation capacity.

Regarding resource investment, Gao Xudong considers that insufficient investment in innovation resources is a direct factor restricting key core technology breakthroughs. However, more attention should be paid to the structure of innovation resources.

“It’s not only about funding and equipment but also about人才投入, especially high-level talents with good education and rigorous scientific training.” Gao Xudong said. This means that at the macro level, the role of higher education institutions should be further发挥, and the quality of higher education should be improved, particularly in the scale and level of doctoral training. At the micro level, enterprises need to significantly increase both the scale and quality of talent, as Huawei and other companies have done, to provide a solid talent foundation for core technology breakthroughs.