Tianjin, a major economic hub in northern China, is transitioning from a traditional industrial city into a modern metropolis by expanding into emerging industries such as artificial intelligence, new energy and new materials through technological innovation and industrial upgrades, a deputy to the National People's Congress said during the country's annual two sessions.

Tianjin's GDP grew 5.1 percent last year, with key industrial chains in AI and biomedicine continuing to expand. The Tianjin-Nankai Higher Education Science and Innovation Park has attracted more than 3,000 tech companies, with an annual output value exceeding 50 billion yuan ($6.9 billion), becoming a core driver of regional innovation, according to local government data.

"These achievements are inseparable from the promotion of scientific research results and their transfer into technology," said Chen Jun, a deputy to the 14th National People's Congress and vice-president of Nankai University.

"Technological innovation is a core element in developing new quality productive forces, with the utilization of scientific and technological achievements as an important path," he said.

As a national lawmaker, Chen proposed establishing a national technology transfer center in Tianjin to create a hub for transforming scientific breakthroughs into industry applications across northern China. He also called for increased central government financial support, including policies such as special bonds and tax reductions, to strengthen platform development.

"If the transformation path is not smooth, many scientific and technological achievements will just 'sleep' in the laboratory, losing their application and economic value," he said.

To bridge the gap between research and industry, Tianjin has introduced a series of policies in recent years. In May, the city issued "Several Measures to Further Promote the Innovative Reform of the Transformation of Scientific and Technological Achievements" to accelerate the transition from laboratory research to industrial production.

Chen, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and an expert in new energy chemical materials, said artificial intelligence is transforming the development of new energy battery materials, significantly improving research efficiency and shortening development cycles.

"Traditional battery research and development relies on a 'trial and error' approach and a linear 'experiment verification plus simulation' model, which requires extensive time for material selection and formula optimization — not to mention the need for costly high-end instruments," Chen said.

Chen said the deep integration of AI and new energy batteries is paving the way for "digital twin batteries", which can map and simulate battery performance in real time, providing greater convenience for researchers and consumers.

Contact the writers at yandongjie@chinadaily.com.cn