Enhancing safety equipment industry critical

Editor's note: China has released a five-year plan for the development of the safety and emergency equipment industry. Xinhua News Agency spoke to Ao Li, vice-president of the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, and Gao Hong, vice-chair of the China Safety Industry Association, about the country's emergency response capabilities. Below are excerpts of the interviews. The views don't necessarily represent those of China Daily.

The plan outlines 15 specific tasks in four key areas of the industry: fostering innovation, promoting the use of safety and emergency equipment, nurturing industry players and enhancing the industry ecosystem.

Among these, innovation is prioritized, with dedicated sections highlighting the need for breakthroughs in critical technologies and the integration of emerging technologies. The plan calls for leveraging artificial intelligence, embodied intelligence, brain-computer interfaces and satellite remote sensing to drive the development of safety and emergency equipment.

Standards serve as an important bridge between technological innovation and practical application, while also providing the foundation for the safe and orderly development of the industry.

The plan calls for the rapid development and implementation of a range of essential standards, including those for technologies and equipment that are adaptable for both routine and emergency use. It also places emphasis on international technical exchanges and cooperation on standardization.

Its forward-looking approach to building a standards system provides clear guidance for the industry's development. Authorities are accelerating work on standards for emerging and integrated fields, including AI-enabled applications and safety and emergency response robots. The development of a system of standards will be advanced in parallel with technological research and development, testing and verification, and demonstration projects. China will also actively participate in the formulation of international standards, translating its extensive engineering expertise into an advantage in standard-setting.

Ultimately, the value of equipment lies in its performance in real-world operations. The plan calls for developing a number of key application scenarios for safety and emergency equipment and promoting the wider adoption of equipment featuring advanced technologies and proven effectiveness in practical applications.

The household and community safety and emergency response sector, along with urban and rural fire protection, has strong market potential. The plan aims to increase the penetration of household and community safety and emergency products at the grassroots level.

Demand for products such as electrical fire monitoring equipment and rapid-response systems for fires involving new energy vehicles is growing rapidly, driving the growth of the fire protection market.

The plan outlines measures for upgrading fire protection infrastructure, promoting the iteration and upgrading of smart firefighting equipment, and supporting urban renewal. These measures will help sustain market momentum in the fire protection sector and expand the application of safety and emergency equipment.