On the morning of April 4, 2023, Professor Zeng Jingjing from the School of Public Administration of Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, IIDPF under the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Science and Technology served as the chief expert of the major project of the National Social Science Foundation, "Research on the Construction of Innovation Ecology and Governance Mechanism of Regional Science and Innovation Corridor in the Digital Era Mechanism of Regional Science and Innovation Corridor in the Digital Era" was successfully held in Golden Valley International Hotel.

I. Introduction to the Conference

Figure 1 Group photo of attendees

The report meeting was a hybrid mode of online and offline, with Professor Yang Canming, President of ZUEL, Professor, PhD Supervisor and Chief Expert of the Major Project of the National Social Science Foundation of China, as the leader of the panel. Professor Wu Jiannan, Dean of the School of International and Public Affairs of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Professor, PhD Supervisor and Chief Expert of the Major Project of the National Social Science Foundation, Professor Jiang Xiaoping, Director of the Professorial Committee of the School of Public Administration of Sichuan University, Professor, PhD Supervisor and Chief Expert of the Major Project of the National Social Science Foundation, Distinguished Professor of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, PhD Supervisor and Chief Expert of the Major Project of the National Social Science Foundation Professor Chen Kaihua, Vice Dean of the School of Management of Zhejiang University, Professor and PhD supervisor, and Chief Expert of the National Social Science Foundation Major Project, Professor Huang Can, attended the meeting online.Professor Zhang Yi, Dean of School of Public Administration, Professor and Doctoral Supervisor of Huazhong University of Science and Technology and Chief Expert of Major Projects of the National Social Science Foundation, Professor Sun Yutao, Secretary of the Party Committee, Professor and Doctoral Supervisor of School of Economics and Management of Dalian University of Technology and Chief Expert of Major Projects of the National Social Science Foundation, and Director Cai Pu, former Level Two Inspector of Hubei Provincial Development and Reform Commission and Director of High Technology Division, were invited to attend this meeting as members of the expert panel.

The opening speech was delivered by Professor Zhou Mingshan, member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee and Vice-President of ZUEL. Professor Zhang Jinlin, Director of the Department of Scientific Research, presided over the meeting.  Dr. Sheng Jianxin, Director of the Office of Hubei Provincial Science and Technology Department, and other members of the project team attended the meeting. Also present were Professor Lu Yuanping and Professor Wu Lei from the School of Finance and Taxation at ZUEL, Associate Professor Liu Ting from the School of Public Administration at Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Associate Professor Wang Yue and Dr Yang Wenyi from the School of Public Administration at ZUEL, Associate Professor Mei Lixia from the School of Business Administration at ZUEL, Dr Zhang Min from the Institute of Social Sciences at ZUEL, and Dr Lai Siyuan and Dr Wang Sheng from the Research Department at ZUEL.

II. Reporting exchange

Figure 2 Speech by Vice President Zhou Mingshan

Professor Zhang Jinlin, the moderator, first introduced the attending guests. Afterwards, Prof. Zhou Mingshan delivered a speech, expressing his sincere thanks to the experts and scholars on behalf of ZUEL, and congratulated Prof. Jingjing Zeng for being awarded the major project of the National Social Science Foundation. At the same time, Prof. Zhou also introduced the discipline construction and overall scientific research situation of ZUEL, and in the light of the national development strategy and the mission of ZUEL, he put forward a strong expectation for the research of Prof. Jingjing Zeng's team, such as firm and correct direction, maintaining a scientific and rigorous academic attitude, focusing on the transformation and application of results, and strengthening the management of project research.

Figure 3 Professor Zeng Jingjing giving the opening report

During the reporting and communication stage, Professor Zeng Jingjing, the chief expert of the project, gave a detailed report to the expert group from seven aspects, including the research problem, research object, research content, research basis, research plan, expected results and current problems and challenges faced by the project. Prof. Zeng pointed out that the research of the project mainly focused on three key words: digital era, regional science and innovation corridor and innovation ecology, four research units: spatial location, static elements, dynamic links and structural network, as well as five major research questions and their corresponding five sub-topics, which could achieve innovation in research perspective, research content and research methods, with a view to providing a comprehensive understanding of the innovation ecology of regional science and innovation corridors at different stages of development and target positioning in China. It aims to provide scientific guidance for the construction of innovation ecology in regional science and innovation corridors at different stages of development and target positioning in China, and to provide theoretical support for the creation of a strategic system for science and innovation corridors.

Figure 4 Professor Chen Kaihua

The expert group then gave a detailed review of the project and made pertinent comments and suggestions. Professor Chen Kaihua pointed out that the issue of cooperation within regional science and innovation corridors is more critical, and that the differences between regional science and innovation corridors and traditional innovation clusters, as well as the differences between different corridors, should be clarified, suggesting a multi-case approach.

Figure 5 Professor Huang Can

Professor Huang Can stated that subsequent research needs to further highlight the characteristics of the digital era context, for example, it could start with digital industries, and suggested the integration of theoretical content and methodological paradigms of management to study the innovation ecology and the role of core enterprises in the regional science and innovation corridor.

Figure 6 Professor Jiang Xiaoping

Professor Jiang Xiaoping said that the project is mature in terms of problem analysis, content presentation and logical framework, and that subsequent research may further focus on specific research questions and content.

Figure 7 Professor Wu Jiannan

Professor Wu Jiannan points out that clarifying the conceptual positioning of regional science and innovation corridors requires starting from the issue of administrative boundaries across different levels, while the government and core enterprises should be analysed as core interests in the corridors, and suggests that the construction of innovation ecology and the governance of innovation ecology should be studied separately.

Figure 8 Director Cai Pu

Director Cai Pu suggested that the analysis of the digital era should be strengthened from the perspectives of digital industrialization, digitalization of industries and digital platforms, the spatial pattern of regional science and innovation corridors should be analyzed from the perspective of regional development level differences, the radiation drive of innovation sources in regional science and innovation corridors should be analyzed from the perspectives of innovation curators and science and innovation centres, and the attention should be drawn to the problems of synergy brought about by inter-regional capacity level differences and local administrative barriers, and the flow of innovation factors brought about by industrial gradients.

Figure 9 Professor Sun Yutao

Professor Sun Yutao pointed out that regional science and innovation corridors at different scales face different problems from the perspective of innovation geography, and are also influenced by the characteristics of the digital age. It should be clarified at what scale the project is studying regional science and innovation corridors, and suggested introducing the concept system of innovation ecology, ecosystem and business ecology to implement further research.

Figure 10 Professor Zhang Yi

Professor Zhang Yi pointed out the need to strengthen the solution of practical problems, focus on the combination of cases, interviews and large sample studies, and suggested that the characteristics of regional science and innovation corridors should be highlighted in the study, that governance issues should be considered in the study of innovation ecology construction, as well as the good distinction between innovation ecology construction policies and innovation ecology governance policies in the study of policy tool combinations.

Fig. 11 Professor Yang Canming, Head of Expert Group and President of ZUEL

Professor Yang Canming, leader of the expert group, concluded that the focus should be on the rule of law, differentiation and internationalisation in the construction and governance of the innovation ecology of regional science and innovation corridors. Firstly, the rule of law is very important in the study of the science and innovation ecology, while the rule of law should protect rights in order to facilitate innovation; secondly, the differences in China's regional economic development will be reflected in different regional science and innovation corridors, and it is suggested that the two key words "digital" and "corridor" should be used to Thirdly, the issue of "autonomy" and "openness" in science and technology innovation should be viewed in a dialectical manner.

III. Summary of the meeting

Figure 12 Professor Zhang Jinlin summarising expert opinion

In the concluding session of the meeting, Professor Zhang Jinlin read out the expert group's opinions. The expert group unanimously agreed that the topic was of great theoretical value and practical significance, with a well-thought-out research idea, reasonable structure, systematic research design and outstanding theoretical innovation, which met the overall requirements for the opening of major projects of the National Social Science Foundation. Subsequently, on behalf of the project team, Prof. Zeng Jingjing expressed her heartfelt thanks to the experts for their valuable opinions and suggestions, and said that she would fully study and absorb the experts' guidance and suggestions, and further focus on the research issues, polish the research methods, enrich the research contents and refine the research report in five aspects, such as breaking the topic, focusing, grasping, practice and implementation, in order to improve the national science and technology governance system and serve the national science and technology self-reliance and self-improvement. Contribute wisdom.

To conclude the meeting, Professor Yang Canming, the leader of the expert group, summarized the opening session. He pointed out that the opening meeting was a new starting point for the research, and the next research work would be a long way to go. He hoped that the experts would continue to give careful, patient and enthusiastic guidance to Prof. Jingjing Zeng's team, and believed that the research team could successfully complete the research task and achieve research results beyond expectation!With the support of the leaders and experts in the relevant fields, the opening report was successfully held and the research work of the National Social Science Foundation's major project Research on the Construction of Innovation Ecology and Governance Mechanism of Regional Science and Innovation Corridor in the Digital Era was officially launched.