On 19 August, the Department of Policy, Regulations and Reform and the Department of Basic Research of MOST and the Bureau of Planning and Development of State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission hosted a workshop in Beijing on the construction of state key labs in research institutions that have been transformed into enterprises. Seventy representatives from twenty-four such institutions participated in the workshop, preparing for the construction of state key labs.

The participants reached consensus that it was a major measure that MOST had taken to build state key labs by relying on the transformed research institutions. It was also a major means to carry out the Medium and Long-term S&T Development Plan, to further S&T system reform, and to give full play to the transformed research institutions in playing their key role in industrial technological progress. The transformed research institutions should seize this opportunity to integrate their resources, to innovate their management mechanism, to strengthen their advantages, to enhance the cooperation among and open-up of enterprises, universities and research institutions, so that greater contribution will be made to technological progress in the industries.