Encourage researchers to boldly explore (innovate) the ecosystem | innovation | researchers
Efforts should be made to cultivate a scientific research ecosystem that encourages innovation and tolerates failure, which can encourage researchers to boldly explore, challenge the unknown, dare to encounter real problems that may lead to death, and form an innovative culture that is not afraid of failure and pursues success
Recently, during an interview with FiberHome Communication Technology Co., Ltd., it was learned that in response to the challenges of large network transmission capacity and high speed in the digital age, the company has creatively proposed a new concept of "smart optical network". The smart optical network has never been done before, and the technology development cycle is long and the investment is large, which carries a certain risk of failure. The company assesses its researchers based on their research contributions, regardless of the success or failure of the research and development process. As long as the output results are valuable, they will be recognized. Encouraged by this mechanism, researchers have made bold attempts and are determined to tackle key issues, ultimately turning the concept of smart optical networks into reality. Now, they are accelerating their implementation and achieving industrialization.
This inevitably reminds people of the story of "tearing steel by hand". "Hand torn steel" is as thin as cicada wings, with great difficulty in process control and high product quality requirements. China Baowu Shanxi Taigang Stainless Steel Precision Strip Co., Ltd. faces continuous difficulties in breaking through related key technologies. For example, when "hand tearing steel" passes through a 260 meter long strip steel channel, it is most likely to cause strip breakage. Sometimes, belt breakage occurs more than ten times a week, causing significant losses. Repeated failures have caused great setbacks for researchers. At a critical moment, the company clearly assessed the "new regulations", not only tolerating failure, but also providing timely incentives as long as progress is made in the process of tackling the problem. This restored the confidence of researchers and ultimately achieved mass production of "hand torn steel" after more than 700 failures.
Innovation is always full of thorns, and the difficulty of original research is even greater. Imagine if "only success, not failure", it may deter many researchers. The innovative practice of Smart Optical Network and "Hand Tearing Steel" demonstrates that researchers can unload their burdens, easily take action, and take steps, fully unleashing their innovative potential and achieving breakthroughs from 0 to 1. Efforts should be made to cultivate a research ecosystem that encourages innovation and tolerates failure, which can encourage researchers to boldly explore, challenge the unknown, dare to encounter real problems that may lead to death, and form an innovative culture that is not afraid of failure and pursues success.
In fact, scientific research itself is a process of continuous experimentation and long-term accumulation, and "failure" is not meaningless. Bao Xin and the team of academicians have devoted more than 20 years of research and proposed a new concept of "nano confined catalysis", which has many unexpected failures behind its success; Academician Zhao Zhongxian's team found an exciting iron-based high-temperature superconducting material for their peers, and the process was also like "mountains and rivers are once again uncertain, and there is no way out.". As Mr. Qian Xuesen once said, "The correct result is obtained from a large number of errors. Without a large number of errors as a stepping stone, one cannot ascend to the throne of the final correct result."
At present, major innovative achievements are emerging in China, and some cutting-edge fields are entering the stage of parallel and leading. Scientific and technological strength is moving from quantitative accumulation to qualitative leap, and from breakthrough points to system capability improvement. The shift from imitative followership to pioneering leadership requires a broader perspective and more conscious sense of mission among science and technology workers, to bravely venture into "no man's land" and strive to achieve more breakthroughs from 0 to 1. Major original breakthroughs and key core technology breakthroughs are difficult and time-consuming. Implementing good policies and mechanisms that encourage innovation and tolerate failure in detail will enable the whole society to understand science and support innovation, resulting in more high-quality research and development achievements.
