The digital economy is a hot topic during the National People's Congress this year, and many delegates have mentioned the importance of the digital economy.
Data shows that in 2020, the added value of my country's digital economy core industries will account for 7.8% of the gross domestic product (GDP), and the digital economy has provided a strong impetus for the sustainable and healthy development of the economy and society.
This year's government work report also clearly stated that it is necessary to promote the development of the digital economy. Compared with the formulation of "accelerating digital development and creating new advantages in the digital economy" in last year's report, does this indicate that my country's current digital economy development has entered a new stage? This year's government work report clarifies the direction of the digital economy?
For these questions, Yu Xiaohui, president of the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology and chairman of the Industrial Internet Industry Alliance, gave his own answers.

The digital economy is moving towards a stage of equal emphasis on development and regulation
Q: Compared with last year's government work report to "accelerate digital development and create new advantages in the digital economy", this year's government work report clearly proposes to "promote the development of the digital economy". Does this mean that my country's current digital economy development has entered a new stage of development. stage?
Yu Xiaohui: During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, my country's digital economy will enter a new stage of deepening application, regulated development, and inclusive sharing.
The integration and application of digital economy will continue to deepen. For a long time, the digital economy in my country's service sector has continued to grow rapidly, and new digital models such as e-commerce, platform economy, and sharing economy have flourished. Compared with the service industry, the industry has a long industrial chain and rich application scenarios, which can release large spillover effects and multiplier effects. At present, the focus of the integration of digital technology and industry is expanding from consumption to production, and industry will become the main battlefield for digital applications, bringing broad growth space for the digital economy.
Second, the digital economy is moving towards a stage where both development and regulation are emphasized. With the popularization of the Internet and the in-depth development of digitalization, my country's platform economy has continued to grow steadily, but at the same time, the problems of irregular and insufficient development are also prominent, and behaviors that harm competition, innovation and consumer interests frequently occur. To this end, it will be the norm to insist on both development and regulation, and to strengthen regulatory measures in anti-monopoly, platform data and algorithm regulation, Internet financial regulation, etc., and promote the healthy and sustainable development of the digital economy.
In addition, new breakthroughs will be made in the inclusive sharing of the digital economy. At present, my country's digital infrastructure is accelerating its comprehensive coverage, and a historic breakthrough will be achieved in 2021. Administrative villages will fully realize "broadband access to every village", and more than 99% of the villages will achieve dual coverage of optical fiber and 4G networks. Telemedicine, smart education, online live broadcasting, etc. will further help bridge the "digital divide" between urban and rural areas, and allow far-reaching access to medical and educational resources.
The development of the digital economy must take the core industries of the digital economy as breakthroughs
Q: The "14th Five-Year" Digital Economy Development Plan issued not long ago proposes that the added value of the core industries of the digital economy will account for 10% of the GDP by 2025. What are the requirements for the development of my country's digital economy at this stage? ?
Yu Xiaohui: At this stage, the development of my country's digital economy should take the core industries of the digital economy as breakthroughs, and make joint efforts in digital industries, new models and new formats, data elements, and digital integration applications.
The first is to improve the supply capacity of the digital industry. The digital industry is the foundation and precursor of the digital economy. To improve the supply capacity of the digital industry, it is fundamentally necessary to improve the control over the value chain of the industrial chain, make efforts to supplement the chain, strengthen the chain, and forge the chain, strengthen the digital infrastructure foundation and the traction force of major digital applications, and deploy innovation around the industrial chain. Chain, strengthen key software and hardware technology innovation, make up for the shortcomings of industrial basic capabilities such as integrated circuits and basic software, and promote the digital industry to move towards the mid-to-high end of the industrial chain.
The second is to cultivate new models and new formats of digital economy. New models and new business formats are a dynamic component of the development of the digital economy. To cultivate new models and new formats of the digital economy, we must grasp the development opportunities of new technologies such as 5G, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, big data, Internet of Things, blockchain, and AR/VR, and cultivate and develop new products, new services, new models, and new formats. ; To develop products and solutions for digital transformation in various fields of the economy and society, cultivate and develop industrial/industrial Internet platforms, industrial APP and SaaS services, digital and intelligent integration products and equipment, and cultivate new economic growth points and new growth poles.
The third is to release the potential of data elements. Giving full play to the production capacity contained in data elements can provide strong element support for the development of the digital economy. To release the potential of data elements, it is necessary to develop and expand the data industry system, build a basic framework system for data transaction and circulation, create a credible industrial/industrial data space with industry as a breakthrough, promote the exploration and innovation of data application models in traditional industries, and actively cultivate data elements The market plays a role in the amplification, superposition and multiplication of data on economic development.
The fourth is to deepen the integration and application of industrial digitalization. Industrial digitalization is the main front of the digital economy, and manufacturing digitalization is the main direction of industrial digitalization. my country can give full play to the dual advantages of a big manufacturing country and a big network country, focus on the manufacturing industry, accelerate the development of the industrial Internet, further promote intelligent manufacturing, and guide manufacturing enterprises to realize digital upgrades with the help of the industrial Internet. For key industries such as manufacturing, mining, energy, transportation, logistics, medical care, etc., formulate a digital transformation roadmap, form a replicable and scalable industry digital transformation system solution, promote the digital green transformation and upgrading of industries and various industries, and promote economic growth. Quality development.
my country's 5G converged applications have entered a new stage of large-scale promotion
Q: The government work report proposes to build digital information infrastructure, promote the large-scale application of 5G, promote the digital transformation of industries, and develop smart cities and digital villages. How to understand "digital information infrastructure"? What are the achievements of my country's 5G application? What aspects are needed to promote the large-scale application of 5G?
Yu Xiaohui: Digital information infrastructure is an important cornerstone of the development of the digital economy. It is based on the information network, with data elements as the core, and comprehensively integrates a new generation of information technology to provide the society with perception, connection, storage, computing, processing, security and other public services. The infrastructure system of sexual digital basic capabilities.
With the continuous innovation and development of information technology, the digital information infrastructure system is also evolving. At present, five major parts have gradually evolved: one is the perception infrastructure that provides data collection functions; the other is the network infrastructure that provides data transmission capabilities, such as 5G, gigabit optical network, etc.; the third is data and computing power infrastructure that provides data storage, computing and processing capabilities, such as integrated big data centers, cloud computing, edge computing, intelligent computing centers, etc.; the fourth is the foundation of new technologies Facilities, such as artificial intelligence, blockchain infrastructure, etc.; Fifth, comprehensive infrastructure, that is, integrated facilities that vertically integrate various digital capabilities and deeply integrate with industry applications, such as industrial Internet network facilities, Internet of Vehicles facilities, etc.
Promoting the construction of digital information infrastructure will effectively promote the large-scale commercial application of data elements and new-generation information technology in the whole society, further promote the rapid development of my country's digital industry, and provide technical conditions and basic capabilities for the digital transformation of the economy and society.
My country's 5G convergence application has achieved a breakthrough from 0 to 1, entering a new stage of large-scale promotion. At present, there are more than 500 million actual 5G connected users in my country, and the number of virtual private networks in the 5G industry exceeds 2,300. According to the statistics of the 4th "Blooming Cup" 5G Application Collection Competition in 2021, there are more than 12,000 5G application innovation projects and nearly 7,000 participating companies, covering 31 provinces, municipalities and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, covering industries, energy , medical, cultural tourism, education and other more than 30 industries, including industrial Internet (15.71%), smart parks (11.21%), smart cities (8.80%), information consumption (7.49%), smart medical care (7.36%), cultural Tourism (6.91%) ranks among the top six.
5G applications are infiltrating from auxiliary links to core links, extending to the whole life process of R&D design, manufacturing, operation management, and product services. Regardless of the number of industries, the number of enterprises, the geographical scope, or the innovation and depth of applications, my country is in a leading position in the world.
In the next step, the large-scale development of 5G applications should be targeted at different types of industries, and targeted efforts should be made. For leading industries such as industry, electric power, and medical care, focus on technical research, promote the formulation and implementation of industry standards, build 5G application benchmarks, and carry out large-scale replication and promotion. For potential industries such as cultural tourism, smart cities, and smart education, pilot demonstrations of 5G applications should be strengthened to form excellent cases and practices.
At the same time, in terms of industrial ecological construction, on the one hand, it is necessary to promote the expansion of the 5G industrial ecology from 2C to 2B, and increase the technology research and development, standard formulation and industrialization of customized networks, simplified chips, industry terminals and solutions in the industry; Establish a cross-border public service system to reduce the difficulty and technical threshold of research and development of 5G integrated products and solutions for small and medium-sized enterprises.
Industrial Internet is the key path to realize digital transformation in various fields
Q: The government work report proposes to accelerate the development of the industrial Internet, cultivate and expand digital industries such as integrated circuits and artificial intelligence, and improve the innovation and supply capabilities of key software and hardware technologies. In the current context, why should we accelerate the development of the Industrial Internet? What can be done to improve the innovation and supply capabilities of key software and hardware technologies?
Yu Xiaohui: my country's economic development is facing the triple pressure of demand contraction, supply shock, and weakening expectations. For enterprises, digital transformation has become a "required course" related to survival and long-term development, promoting industrial digital transformation and transforming and upgrading traditional industries. very urgent. The Industrial Internet builds a new type of manufacturing and service system that is fully connected with all elements, the entire industrial chain, and the entire value chain, which is the key path and methodology for digital transformation in various fields.
Accelerating the development of the Industrial Internet has a strategic and overall role in promoting the digital transformation and intelligent upgrading of the industry, promoting the deep integration of the digital economy and the real economy, and consolidating and strengthening the foundation of the real economy.
Specifically, the first is to build a new infrastructure for digital development. By building networks and platforms that connect people, machines and objects, open up information islands in different industries, and promote the orderly flow of various data, the Industrial Internet provides intelligent perception, network connection, data analysis and other capabilities support for the digital transformation of various industries, and promotes production and service resources. Accurate and efficient configuration in a wide range to improve the development quality and efficiency of various industries.
The second is to speed up the transformation and upgrading of old kinetic energy and the cultivation of new kinetic energy. The Industrial Internet promotes the all-round reconstruction of production and operation, organizational management and business forms, and builds a new industrial paradigm driven by data and intelligent optimization, so as to rejuvenate the old kinetic energy; the Industrial Internet can also promote the close coordination of the industrial chain and guide and help enterprises to extend the value. chain, giving birth to new models and new formats such as intelligent manufacturing, networked collaboration, and large-scale customization, cultivating and forming new kinetic energy.
The third is to inject new elements and new resources into the growth of the digital economy. The penetration and application of the Industrial Internet in various industries not only activates a large number of dormant fragmented data resources, but also creates a large amount of new data from production sites and usage scenarios, greatly enriching the total amount of data resources and data types, and injecting "" New oil", supporting its high-speed operation.
The key software and hardware technology innovation and supply capabilities are the "chassis" of digital development. The innovation of software and hardware technology and the improvement of supply capacity can be promoted from the following three aspects.
It is necessary to continue to consolidate and solidify the industrial foundation, implement key core technology research projects and industrial foundation reengineering projects, and strengthen key core technologies such as high-end chips and industrial software.
Secondly, accelerate the layout of emerging technologies and industrial fields, seize the development opportunities brought by emerging fields such as industrial Internet platforms, 5G, edge computing, industrial artificial intelligence, industrial digital twins, etc., and build manufacturing innovation for new technologies and new industries. Center, build an efficient and linked manufacturing innovation network, and continue to expand the scale of the core industry of the Industrial Internet.
Third, strengthen the application traction to drive the improvement of supply capacity, give full play to the market advantages of my country's rich application scenarios and the institutional advantages of resource planning and coordination, guide industry-university-research collaboration, accelerate the iterative improvement of new technologies and new products in practical applications, and form supply and demand. Mutual promotion, combination of production and use, and complete ecological "internal circulation".
Manufacturing digital transformation is a systematic project
Q: The government work report proposes that to enhance the core competitiveness of the manufacturing industry, what role does digital transformation play in enhancing the core competitiveness of the manufacturing industry? At present, what level is the digital transformation of my country's manufacturing industry? What are the pain points? What steps can be taken to address this?
Yu Xiaohui: Digital transformation is driven by data as the core element of innovation model changes and resource allocation changes. These two major changes affect the entire process of the manufacturing industry and will lead to profound changes in the development model and value law of various industries in the industrial economy.
Specifically, the first is to promote enterprises to improve quality, reduce costs and increase efficiency. Digital transformation combines data science and industry mechanisms to deeply and globally optimize all aspects of the manufacturing industry, improve manufacturing capabilities and product quality, and enable enterprises to respond to the growing demand for high-quality and customized products.
The second is to speed up the innovation of enterprise products and services. Digital transformation enables enterprises to sense demands in real time and use digital technologies extensively. Enterprises can make agile and precise innovations in products and services in accordance with user needs, and increase the added value of their own businesses through the “smart products + intelligent services” approach. , to accelerate model innovation.
The third is to promote the overall coordinated optimization of the industrial chain and value chain. Digital transformation promotes the transformation of traditional centralized and serial production organization methods to network and platform-based organization methods, and forms socialized production models such as large-scale customization and crowdsourcing and crowd creation, and promotes the optimization of resource allocation and overall coordination in the industrial chain and value chain. In particular, small, medium and micro enterprises can use the industrial Internet platform to integrate themselves into the socialized production system, improve the ability to obtain resources such as orders, loans and technologies, and revitalize idle production capacity.
My country's digital transformation is gradually advancing and deepening from the initial stage to the system transformation. The transformation fields, support systems, and ecological construction are constantly being improved and upgraded, and the digital transformation of key industries and leading enterprises has achieved initial results.
Specifically, digital transformation is expanding across multiple domains. The practice of digital transformation has covered more than 35 key industrial categories such as raw materials, consumer goods, and equipment, as well as key categories of the national economy such as finance and construction. Typical cases and corporate benchmarks have sprung up. Core links such as research and development have been expanded, and the degree of transformation has continued to deepen.
Secondly, the construction of the transformation support system has been continuously improved. In terms of infrastructure, my country has built 1.425 million 5G base stations, registered 98.8 billion industrial Internet logos, and more than 100 influential industrial Internet platforms have emerged in China. In terms of industrial supply, the digital transformation supply supporting industry centered on the industrial Internet continues to grow, and the scale is estimated to exceed 1 trillion yuan in 2021.
In addition, the digital transformation ecosystem continues to expand. On the one hand, the industry ecology is improving day by day, and industry forces such as energy, steel, petrochemical, finance, and medical care have become important practitioners of transformation. On the other hand, the regional agglomeration effect is beginning to show. The Yangtze River Delta region and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area have become high ground for digital transformation applications. The old industrial bases in Northeast China and the central and western regions have also leveraged their comparative advantages to accelerate the pace of transformation.
At present, a considerable number of enterprises, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, are facing difficulties in systematically promoting transformation due to reasons such as cognition, capital, and technology.
One is the lack of awareness of the concept and value of transformation. Some enterprises only regard the current digital transformation as an extension of ordinary "informatization" or "technical transformation", and cannot see the systemic changes brought about by transformation and the elimination risk caused by non-transformation, and the motivation for transformation is insufficient.
Second, there is a lack of systematic theoretical and methodological guidance. Due to different industry characteristics and enterprise foundations, digital transformation paths are also different. It is difficult for some enterprises to promote transformation by learning from mature case experience. "How to develop and where to start" has become a hot topic of concern for enterprises.
The third is the lack of internal and external resource support. In particular, the majority of small and medium-sized enterprises lack the corresponding internal resources such as capital, technology, and talents, and the external lack of industry-specific and low-cost solutions. As a result, some enterprises that are willing to transform do not have the ability to transform.
The digital transformation of the manufacturing industry is a systematic project, which needs to be systematically promoted from top-level design, application integration, and industrial service cultivation.
First, we must speed up the improvement of the top-level design. Digital transformation involves work in many fields. It is necessary to establish a work promotion mechanism of cooperation between central and local governments and ministries and commissions, formulate and issue digital transformation planning policy documents and methodological guidelines, and form a unified consensus from the aspects of policy layout and specific implementation, so as to help the industry to build consensus and find out direction.
Secondly, it is necessary to strengthen industry application promotion and promote benchmarking and demonstration. The promotion of digital transformation needs to further combine the characteristics and development foundation of the industry, select a batch of pilot demonstration projects and transformation solutions by industry and scene, promote the preparation of a batch of industry digital transformation application guides, drive application replication and promotion and the overall improvement of the industry, and strengthen theoretical Methodological guidance and specific practical guidance.
Once again, it is necessary to optimize and improve public services and strengthen the pooling and sharing of resources. Encourage local governments to build digital transformation promotion centers and other public service carriers, gather regional innovation and service resources, and provide full life-cycle services for digital transformation of enterprises through activities such as enterprise performance evaluation and supply-demand docking, and solve the "one kilometer behind" of industry and application landing problem.
It is necessary to strengthen the guarantee of talent funds and optimize the ecological environment for transformation. Encourage colleges and universities to open digital transformation-related majors, promote the construction of digital transformation vocational and technical systems and digital transformation skills competitions, and strengthen the selection and cultivation of compound talents. Establish special funds and industrial funds for digital transformation, and coordinate policy support such as tax relief and policy loans, and guide social funds to help enterprises carry out digital transformation practices.