Characteristic facts and policy needs of Chinese enterprises to conduct basic research: An analysis based on a questionnaire survey of 763 enterprises

中国企业开展基础研究的特征事实与政策需求—基于 763 家企业的问卷调查分析

Abstract

Although the lack of investment in enterprise basic research has become a general consensus, the structural characteristics of heterogeneous enterprise basic research are rarely discussed, which restricts the effectiveness of China's enterprise basic research policy. Based on the questionnaire survey, this paper studies the typical characteristics of basic research of Chinese enterprises from the aspects of investment and development mode, internal driving factors and obstacles, and policy demands. It is found that under the appearance of low investment in basic research in China, there are differences in the heterogeneity of basic research of enterprises: First, scientific based industrial enterprises and larger enterprises show stronger enthusiasm for basic research; Second, "independent development" is the main way of enterprise basic research, private enterprises are more inclined to independent basic research than state-owned enterprises; Third, the goal of basic research in science-based industrial enterprises mainly focuses on improving the exploratory innovation ability, while the basic research in engineering and technology-intensive industrial enterprises focuses on developing the exploitative innovation ability. Fourthly, lack of talents and funds and high risk are the three major factors that hinder enterprises from carrying out basic research. Among them, lack of talents and funds is the main obstacle that restricts scientific and engineering technology-intensive industrial enterprises from carrying out basic research, while "lack of talents" is the key pain point of basic research in private enterprises. Fifth, the existing basic research support policies for enterprises generally have the problems of low benefits and low effectiveness, and the capital subsidy and talent support policies have uneven resource distribution between state-owned enterprises and private enterprises. This paper can be used as a reference for understanding the current situation and problems of Chinese enterprise basic research, and can also provide some inspiration for the government to formulate targeted policies for enterprise basic research.