News
Instrumental innovation is of great significance to China’s scientific and technological progress.
Release Date:
2015-11-20
“At present, most of China’s scientific research instruments are imported. Due to the needs of research, many instruments require custom development and the addition of new functionalities; however, because the volume of such orders is small, foreign companies are often reluctant to take them on—and even when they do, the projects tend to be delayed for a long time, thereby impeding the progress of research. Following the establishment of the Center, we will align instrument development with the specific needs of various research institutions, thereby supporting basic research,” said Xu Tao, Director of the Center, at the recent inaugural conference of the Innovation Center for Life-Science Instrument Technology at the Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing.
Xu Tao pointed out that innovation in scientific instruments is of paramount importance to China’s scientific and technological progress. Relying solely on the purchase of foreign equipment for research inevitably puts one several steps behind others in terms of pace. Many high-level laboratories abroad have dedicated instrument-development teams; when scientists identify a promising approach, the necessary instruments can be rapidly designed and built, enabling them to remain at the cutting edge of their fields. For China’s scientific and technological achievements to reach the forefront, innovation in instrumentation and equipment is equally essential.
Researcher Liu Zhijie of the Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, stated that scientific research is primarily constrained by two factors: methodology and instrumentation. Even with a robust methodology, breakthroughs remain elusive without appropriate instruments—this is precisely what drives innovation in instrumentation. Among Nobel Prize–winning projects, one-third can be attributed to innovations in instruments, methods, and tools. However, as a researcher, when confronted with limitations in instrument functionality, it is often unclear whom to turn to for solutions, since one typically lacks awareness of the capabilities available at other research institutions. Therefore, an integrated and coordinated mechanism within research centers is crucial for advancing instrument development.
According to Cang Huaixing, Deputy Director of the Center, the Chinese Academy of Sciences operates several regional service centers for large-scale scientific instruments; however, at present, only the Innovation Center is dedicated exclusively to the development and creation of such instruments. The Innovation Center is not a physical entity but rather a project-oriented, dynamically managed organization that plays a coordinating and integrative role in the R&D of instrumentation and equipment. When researchers encounter limitations imposed by existing instruments or equipment, they can turn to the Innovation Center to articulate their needs. The Center then mobilizes and coordinates experts from various institutes—and even from across the country—to form multidisciplinary teams tasked with researching and developing the requisite technical capabilities. Moreover, if the resulting instrument or equipment has broad application prospects, it can be designated as an independent R&D project and submitted for national funding support.
Advances in science and technology continually impose higher and more sophisticated requirements on instruments and meters. The prevailing trends in instrument and meter development involve the continuous exploitation of novel operating principles and the adoption of new materials and components—for example, leveraging ultrasonic, microwave, radiation, infrared, nuclear magnetic resonance, superconducting, and laser technologies, as well as various cutting-edge semiconductor sensing elements, integrated circuits, integrated optical circuits, and optical fibers. The ultimate goals are to achieve miniaturization, reduce weight, lower manufacturing costs, and enhance ease of use and maintenance. Another significant trend is the integration of microcomputers to enhance instrument performance, thereby increasing their level of automation, intelligence, and data-processing capabilities. Moreover, instruments and meters are no longer limited to standalone applications; they can be interconnected with electronic computers via standardized interfaces and data channels to form comprehensive test, control, and management systems that meet increasingly demanding requirements.
Latest News
Share to
Contact Us
E-mail:weiyi@weiyi.cc
Tel: +86-535-2234728 / 2259938
Fax: +86-535-2215835
Address: Nanfangjia West, Wenfeng Subdistrict, Laizhou City, China
© LaiZhou Weiyi Experimental Machinery Manufacture Co., Ltd. Powered by: www.300.cn SEO