Look Back on 2023 | Tianfu Yongxing Laboratory: Toward the Rising Sun of the Upcoming Year, Keep Running!

Time stops for no one, and the seasons keep changing. 2023 marked the first year to fully implement the spirit of the 20th CPC National Congress and witnessed Tianfu Yongxing Laboratory (hereinafter referred to as “the Laboratory”) forging ahead with resolve and tenacity. Seizing the momentum, we will showcase the high-spirit mien of “Yongxing”. With unremitting efforts, we will strive to make contributions to green development. Moving forward, we will make joint efforts to develop innovative blueprints to achieve the “carbon peaking and carbon neutrality” goals.

With the arrival of a new year, let’s review the endeavors and responsibilities of Tianfu Yongxing Laboratory in 2023.

Explore Systems and Mechanisms; Strengthen the Organizational Construction

This year, normalized decision-making mechanisms including the Lab Council, Academic Committee and regular Directors’ Meetings have been established. Upon such mechanisms, the Laboratory has implemented scientific democracy and decision-making according to the law over important matters; established a Party branch committee to implement and put in practice enhancing CPC’s requirements on the leaders of science and technology; established a trade-union committee to strengthen the cultural building; and established the Achievement Transformation Department to advance transformation of scientific and technological achievements.

Prioritize System Arrangements and Perfect Rules and Systems

This year, the Laboratory continued to strengthen organizational and system guarantees and formulated 15 systems. At present, the Laboratory has rolled out a total of 36 systems centering on 5 aspects, including financial management, personnel management, scientific research management, achievement transformation, and comprehensive management. Among these systems, the following management systems lay a solid system foundation for the high-quality development of the Laboratory, including 1 organizational management system, 10 financial management systems, 7 personnel management systems, 5 scientific research management systems, 6 achievement transformation management systems, and 7 comprehensive management systems.

Focus on the Frontier of Science and Technology, Establish Research Centers

This year, the Laboratory invited nearly 100 guests including academicians, experts, scholars, and enterprise representatives in the carbon neutrality field domestically, built panels, and demonstrated the scientificity, necessity, and viability of the establishment of research centers. At the same time, the Laboratory has completed the establishment of the Research Center for Hydro-Wind-Solar-Storage Intelligent Energy System, the Research Center for Polymer Materials Green Low-carbon Processing and Resource Utilization, the Research Center for Carbon Dioxide Resource Utilization, and the Research Center for Zero-carbon Transportation. As of January 2023, the Laboratory has established 13 research centers, such as the Research Center for Green Development and Utilization of Natural Gas, the Research Center for Biomass Material, and the Research Center for New Principles and Technologies of Carbon Dioxide Capture.

Improve the Innovation Capability, Yield Scientific Research Results

This year, the Laboratory proactively built the “test field” for organized scientific researches, and organized the annual application process for the first batch of its scientific and technological advancements in 2023. 17 projects were recommended to be approved, including 9 major ones. Concurrently, the Laboratory advanced 7 provincial-level scientific research projects, such as Research on the Key Catalysts and Their Catalytic Mechanism of the Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carriers, completed the conclusion and acceptance of the base construction through the central government guiding local ones - The Intelligent Brain for Carbon Neutrality Management Platform Program, published 46 SCI papers, and applied for 10 invention patents. Besides, the Laboratory spared no effort to strive for competitive scientific research projects, led to apply for and was approved to establish a national-level key research and development project of 2023 - Collaborative Control Technology and Application Demonstration of Multi-media and Cross-strata Air Pollution and Climate Change in Sichuan Basin; was involved in applying and approved to register a State-level Demonstration Research on Key Technology and Application of Ecological Restoration in Fragile Regions of West China.

Improve Strategic Layout, Push Forward Achievement Transformation

This year, focusing on “what to convert”, “who converts”, and “how to convert”, the Laboratory established the operational system and mode for achievement transformation, explored and established specialized and marketized operational companies of achievement transformation as well as the transformation mode of “Laboratory+Foundation+Company+Base”. With these efforts, the achievement transformation system has been preliminarily established, and scientific and technological achievements have been converted through four stages, cultivation, escort, quality improvement, and acceleration. The Laboratory has registered its platform company Sichuan Yongxing Green Energy Scientific Technology Co., Ltd., established its first batch of achievement transformation projects in 2023, and hatched its first company Chengdu Luxi Green Energy Scientific Technology Co., Ltd.

Adhere to Focusing on the Introduction and Cultivation of Talents, Underpin the Foundation for Development

This year, through building diversified talent introduction methods and conducting frequent talent introduction activities, the Laboratory has introduced 52 full-time talents, of which 49 are scientific research and technical talents and 22 are doctor degree holders. By the end of December 2023, the Laboratory has been equipped with 72 full-time talents in total. Remarkably, as high as 44% of them are doctors, and 90% graduated from China’s Double-First Class Universities. Besides, together with higher educational institutions such as Sichuan University, Southwest Petroleum University and Sichuan Academy of Environmental Policy and Planning, the Laboratory explored talent cooperation mechanisms, adopted innovative diversified methods for scientific research talent employment, such as full-time, dual, and part-time employment arrangements, and established a high-level part-time talent team comprising 142 talents. Specifically, this talent team included 18 national-level talents, 22 provincial-level talents, and 115 talents with senior titles.

Converge Innovative Power, Build a Scientific Research Platform

This year, the Laboratory qualified as a supporting unit of the National Natural Science Foundation of China. Working with the State Grid Sichuan Electric Power Company, it applied for and was approved to register the Research Center for Safe Operation and Control Engineering of Energy Storage System in Sichuan Province. With the Sichuan Energy Internet Research Institute of Tsinghua University, the Laboratory applied for the Research Center for Hydro-power Digitization and Smart Inspection Technology Engineering in Sichuan Province. Actively exploring talent sources, the Laboratory was approved to establish “Postdoctoral Innovation Practice Bases in Sichuan Province”, thus providing a powerful platform support for the Laboratory and other universities to cultivate postdoctoral talents.

Bolster Brand Construction, Host the Carbon Peaking and Carbon Neutrality Forum

This year, the Laboratory fervently held high-quality conferences in the field of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality. For instance, it hosted the 2022 Tianfu Carbon Neutrality Forum with an attendance of more than 800, including 17 academicians, well-known experts and scholars from universities, and representatives from scientific research institutions and enterprises, and its online live streaming was viewed 1.5 million times. Meanwhile, the Laboratory hosted the 2023 Tianfu Carbon Neutrality Forum which 22 academicians, over 100 experts and scholars, and 1,000 plus representatives attended, and its online streaming was viewed 2.76 million times. Moreover, the Laboratory hosted, undertook, and co-hosted more than 14 high-quality conferences in the field of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality.

Improve Work Environment, Advance Park Construction

This year, the Laboratory spared no effort to drive its Tianfu Yongxing Laboratory Park Construction Project (Phase I). Despite more than 20 modifications and adjustments, the project design eventually won a green light from the Commission of Urban Planning. In terms of its construction procedure, this project has been approved for its investment budgetary estimate and the Laboratory has finished the bidding of construction units. Concerning low-carbon technology, the Laboratory mobilized its research departments, construction agents, designers, and social forces to get involved in this project, largely forming a green low-carbon construction strategy for the park.

Deepen Exchange and Cooperation, Showcase “Yongxing” Image

This year, proactively joining professional associations, the Laboratory has become the managing director unit of the Chinese Society for Environment Sciences, a member unit of the Green Low-carbon Development Working Committee of the Society of Sichuan County Economy, a member unit of Tackling Climate Change Professional Committee of the Sichuan Society for Environmental Sciences, as well as a member unit of Chengdu Power Profession Association. Following over half a year of material organization, project design of exhibition hall, the organization and construction of material for display, the exhibition hall of the Laboratory was shown in June 2023. Concurrently, this hall plays one of the important roles in the display to the public, receiving over 100 groups of visitors from governments, universities, scientific research institutions, enterprise and public institutions, and middle schools.

Just as the saying goes, with assiduous endeavors, one will be successful. Looking back on 2023, we forged ahead and wrote a great chapter. Looking ahead to 2024, we set out with confidence. In the next year, under the guidance of XI Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, shouldering its mission and going forward, Tianfu Yongxing Laboratory will continue to yield representative scientific research achievements and accelerate their transformation with accuracy. That is aimed at bolstering the development of green low-carbon industries in Sichuan Province, making contributions to reaching the “carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals”, turning itself into a hub for talents, a pioneer in scientific and technological innovation, and an engine for industrial development.

Toward the rising sun of the upcoming year, keep running!