In today's increasingly fierce global competition in science and technology, China's pace of scientific and technological innovation continues to accelerate. The rise of the Huairou Comprehensive National Science Center in Beijing is a microcosm of China's rising scientific and technological strength. On April 1, 2025, the Huairou Science Center announced that its 16 scientific and technological facilities were officially opened to the world, which not only demonstrates China's openness in the field of basic scientific research, but also provides an unprecedented platform for global researchers to cooperate. China Exportsemi will deeply analyze the construction background, layout of scientific and technological facilities, current situation and future development direction of Huairou Science Center, and discuss how it can become the "super engine" of China's science and technology.
1. Huairou Science Center: a highland of science and technology with national strategic layout
As an important part of China's comprehensive national science center, Huairou Science Center carries the mission of promoting basic scientific research and breaking through key technological bottlenecks. Since the 12th Five-Year Plan, the Huairou Science Center has laid out 37 scientific and technological facilities, covering four major directions: physical science, space science, life science and earth system science. The construction of these facilities not only fills the gap in related fields in China, but also provides an open and shared experimental platform for global researchers.
By the end of 2024, the Huairou Science Center has opened more than 1.23 million hours to the world, attracting internationally renowned universities including the University of Cambridge, the University of Zurich, and Nanyang Technological University, as well as enterprises such as Huawei and Baidu to participate in scientific research cooperation. This model of openness and sharing not only enhances China's influence in the global scientific and technological community, but also provides a new paradigm of cooperation in solving global scientific problems.
Figure: The 16 science and technology facilities of the Huairou Comprehensive National Science Center in Beijing are open to the world for 46 hours
2. Functions and breakthroughs of scientific and technological facilities: from basic research to industrial transformation
(1) Material Science Direction: Break through the limits and serve the industry
Huairou Science Center has laid out a number of world-leading scientific and technological facilities in the direction of material science. For example, the comprehensive extreme conditions experimental device integrates extreme conditions such as extremely low temperature, ultra-high pressure, strong magnetic field and ultrafast light field, and has supported the completion of more than 1,500 experimental topics, and discovered the bulk high-temperature superconductivity of double nickel oxide perovskite materials for the first time in the world. This breakthrough provides important guidance for the optimal design and synthesis of nickel-based high-temperature superconducting materials.
In addition, facilities such as clean energy materials testing, diagnosis and R&D platforms, and materials genome research platforms are providing technical support for industries such as new energy, electronic information and high-end manufacturing. The opening and operation of these facilities has not only promoted the deepening of basic scientific research, but also provided impetus for the technological upgrading of related industries.
(2) Space science: Guarding space security and leading technological innovation
The space environment ground-based integrated monitoring network is a representative facility of Huairou Science Center in the direction of space science. The facility passed the national acceptance in March 2025, and its Annular Array Solar Radio Imaging Telescope (DART) is the most advanced radio imaging telescope in the same frequency band in the world, and has achieved a number of major observations. By breaking the bottleneck of large-scale and cross-scale continuous detection, the facility realizes wide-area monitoring of the fluctuation and evolution of the space environment, and provides space environment security guarantee for aviation, aerospace and other industries.
At the same time, the space science satellite series and payload development, testing and support platforms and other facilities are providing all-round technical support for space science exploration and application. The construction and opening of these facilities not only enhanced China's international status in the field of space science, but also provides new tools for global space science research.
(3) Life science direction: from basic research to clinical translation
The multi-modal and cross-scale biomedical imaging facility is the core facility of Huairou Science Center in the direction of life sciences. The facility has built an imaging experimental environment from sub-nanometer to meter, from millisecond to life cycle, and for the first time, nearly 10,000 neurons in SCN have been imaged across day and night. This breakthrough provides a new research method for the regulation and simulation of life processes, stem cells and regenerative medicine.
In addition, the petawatt laser accelerator of the Beijing Laser Acceleration Innovation Center has realized the localization of key components, and its application will promote the development of domestic compact proton therapy equipment, reduce the cost of tumor treatment, and improve the inclusiveness of advanced radiotherapy technology. The open operation of these facilities is providing full-chain support from basic research to clinical transformation for biomedicine, precision medicine and other industries.
(4) Earth System Science: Protecting the Earth's Home
The Earth System Numerical Simulation Device is the first major national scientific and technological infrastructure to pass the acceptance of Huairou Science Center. Since the operation of the device, the relevant achievements have won the highest national science and technology award and the second prize of the national natural science award. The open-source release of its next-generation air quality model, EPICC-Model, predicts future changes in global and regional air quality, providing an intelligent means for weather forecasting, resource exploration, and environmental protection.
In addition, facilities such as the R&D platform for deep resource exploration technology and equipment, and the collaborative innovation platform for environmental pollutant identification and control are providing all-round technical support for earth system scientific research. The construction and opening of these facilities not only promote technological progress in the field of earth sciences, but also provide a scientific basis for global sustainable development.
3. International cooperation: an open and shared global innovation ecosystem
The opening of the Huairou Science Center has attracted the participation of the world's top scientific research institutions and enterprises. For example, internationally renowned universities such as the University of Cambridge and the University of Zurich, as well as companies such as Huawei and Baidu, have used the facilities of the Huairou Science Center to carry out research collaborations. This model of openness and sharing not only enhances China's influence in the global scientific and technological community, but also provides a new paradigm of cooperation in solving global scientific problems.
In the future, Huairou Science Center will continue to increase openness and sharing, improve the high-level open innovation cooperation mechanism, and promote the full openness and sharing of facilities and platforms. By building a platform for scientific and technological exchanges and cooperation, Huairou Science Center will further integrate into the global innovation network, create an international innovation ecology suitable for living and working, and promote high-quality development through high-level exchanges and dialogues.
4. Prospects: from the scientific highland to the industrial engine
The construction and opening of the Huairou Science Center is not only a reflection of China's scientific and technological strength, but also an important measure for China to integrate into the global innovation network and promote international scientific and technological cooperation. Through an open and shared model, Huairou Science Center is becoming an important platform for global scientific research, providing Chinese solutions to global scientific problems.
In the future, Huairou Science Center will continue to adhere to the development model of "Science + City", continuously improve the high-level open innovation cooperation mechanism, and promote the transformation of scientific and technological achievements and industrial upgrading. By building an interdisdisciplinary, cross-field and cross-regional collaborative innovation network system, Huairou Science Center will provide important support for the construction of a world science and technology power.
The rise of Huairou Science Center is not only an affirmation of China's scientific and technological strength, but also a contribution to the global scientific cause. In the pattern of globalization and multipolar scientific and technological competition, Huairou Science Center is becoming a model of global scientific and technological innovation with its open and shared attitude.
