(Photo/Wu Sheng)

Jiangsu held a grand gathering to grant the province’s top science and technology awards to organizations, businesses and individuals on June 9.

Wu Zhenglong, secretary of the CPC Jiangsu Provincial Committee and Xu Kunlin, governor of Jiangsu, attended the conference that promoted the spirit of scientists and called for trailblazing efforts in science and industrial innovation.

Wu presented the Jiangsu Provincial Award for Outstanding Contribution to Science and Technology 2020 to Professor Ben De of the 14th Research Institute of China Electronics Technology Group Corporation (CETC) and Professor Zheng Youliao of Nanjing University. Professor Ruan Changgeng of Soochow University won the Jiangsu Provincial Award for Significant Contribution to Basic Research 2021.

In expressing warm congratulations to all the award winners, Xu said Jiangsu as a powerhouse of economy and strong talent resources plays an important role in the development of science and technology in the country.

He called for efforts to deeply understand the trend of sci-tech innovation in the world, forge ahead to make new breakthroughs, and build the province into a powerhouse of science and technology as well as a pioneer in innovation.

It’s also important to focus on industrial transformation, promote the integration of innovation and industrial development, and explore new frontier fields, said Xu.

Jiangsu needs to pool resources, strengthen the role of enterprises as the main driver of innovation, and encourage universities and research institutes to make collaborative efforts. The province shall create a good environment to stimulate innovation and form its new competitive strengths based on sci-tech innovation, according to Xu.