China identifies 30 key science, technology challenges for future breakthroughs

China on Wednesday unveiled 30 major scientific questions, engineering challenges and industrial technology problems, identifying priority areas for original research and disruptive technological innovation.

The list was released at the main forum of the 28th annual conference of the China Association for Science and Technology, covering frontier science, engineering and industrial technology.

Among the frontier science questions is controlled nuclear fusion, long regarded as one of the ultimate solutions to the world's energy needs, as research moves closer to achieving sustained fusion reactions.

Another priority is measuring and understanding the evolution of embodied autonomous intelligence, a challenge that could provide a unified framework for regulating self-driving vehicles and humanoid robots while accelerating their large-scale deployment.

Chen Jun, executive vice-president of Nankai University and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, highlighted the electrolyte microenvironment evolution mechanism as a scientific problem with transformative potential for energy chemistry.

"Clarifying the bulk and interfacial coordination environments of ions in electrolytes and their evolution mechanisms could bring disruptive changes to our understanding of the electrical double layer at electrode surfaces and ion transport regulation," Chen said.

"It could reshape the foundational electrochemistry theory built on dilute solution systems," he added.

The engineering challenges range from deep-sea exploration and space computing to ultra-deep coal mining.

With China's shallow coal reserves expected to be exhausted within the next 20 to 30 years, safe and efficient mining at depths exceeding 1,000 meters has become a national priority.

Kang Hongpu, chief scientist at China Coal Technology & Engineering Group and a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said increasing mining depth brings challenges including high ground stress, high geothermal temperatures, high water pressure and intense mining disturbance, requiring technological breakthroughs.

"The capability to safely and efficiently mine deep coal deposits is of great significance for the sustainable development of the coal industry, ensuring national energy security, and securing a reliable coal supply," Kang said.

The industrial technology problems focus on bottlenecks ranging from resource security to traditional Chinese medicine.

Chen Kai, a CAS member and a professor at the CAS Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, highlighted the importance of improving the quality of traditional Chinese medicinal herbs through research on plant metabolic coordination mechanisms.

"It can break the industrial dilemma of high yield but low efficacy in TCM herb production, reduce dependence on wild resources, and ensure the sustainable supply of high-quality medicinal materials," Chen Kai said.

"This will fundamentally safeguard clinical efficacy in traditional Chinese medicine, enhance public recognition, and support the Healthy China strategy, while also driving rural revitalization through the efficient development of the herb industry," he added.

The 30 questions and challenges were selected based on their frontier relevance, leadership potential, innovativeness and strategic significance.

CAST has organized the annual collection and release of major science and technology questions and challenges since 2018.