Academician Wang Yifang, a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and director of the Institute of High Energy Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, stated in Beijing on April 28 that by the end of 2023, China has planned the construction of 77 national major scientific infrastructure projects, namely large scientific facilities. Among these, 57 are under construction or in operation, covering key research areas, with some facilities reaching a leading global level.
The National Major Scientific Infrastructure Open Sharing Forum of the Zhongguancun Forum 2024 was held in Huairou Science City in Beijing on the same day. During his keynote speech titled "Large Scientific Facilities: Different Types, Different Organizational Methods, Diverse Scientific Goals," Academician Wang Yifang made the above remarks.
Wang Yifang pointed out that large scientific facilities focus on the forefront of science and technology, possess a triple attribute of research, technology, and engineering, are interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary, and have characteristics such as large-scale construction and long cycles, reflecting the overall research strength and innovation capability of the country.
According to scientific purposes, large scientific facilities can be divided into three categories: public infrastructure, specialized research facilities, and public experimental platforms, each serving different scientific needs and user groups.
He revealed that as a next-generation public experimental platform and a tool for exploring the micro world, the High Energy Synchrotron Radiation Light Source being actively constructed in Huairou Science City by the Institute of High Energy Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has already completed its injector and is expected to emit the first beam of light by the end of 2024, with trial operation commencing in 2025. Wang emphasized the need for China to plan, design, and construct more internationally leading large scientific facilities in the future to strive for significant scientific achievements. He also stressed the importance of continuous strengthening of international cooperation to attract high-level peers to utilize these facilities, stating that only truly advanced facilities can attract top-tier international collaborations.
