This year is the first year for accelerating the construction of a strong transportation country and implementing the "14th Five-Year Plan". The 2021 National Transportation Work Conference proposed that we should take the acceleration of the construction of a strong transportation country as the overall guide, accelerate the construction of a modern comprehensive transportation system, strive to build transportation that satisfies the people, and take the lead in building a new development pattern.

Accelerating the construction of a strong transportation country is inseparable from innovation-driven and talent-led development. As an important combination of the first productivity of transportation science and technology, the first resource of talent, and the first driving force of innovation, industry colleges and universities should accelerate the construction and improvement of the "innovation chain" and "talent chain" in accordance with the requirements of basing on the new development stage, implementing the new development concept, and building a new development pattern, and take on more important responsibilities in serving and supporting the industry's talent needs and innovation needs.

Fully integrate the "innovation chain" to forge a new engine for development

Scientific and technological self-reliance is the strategic support for national development. The key to achieving the historic transformation of transportation from big to strong is also innovation. We must put innovation at the core of overall development, accelerate the improvement of the "innovation chain" of transportation, strengthen system layout, promote comprehensive innovation with scientific and technological innovation as the core, and lead the high-quality development of transportation.

It is necessary to form a joint force for innovation within the industry. Self-reliance in science and technology is first of all a great integration of the industry's scientific and technological innovation forces. At present, industry universities, research institutes, industry enterprises and institutions all have research strengths, their own advantages and specialties, and are strategic forces for scientific and technological innovation in the industry. It is necessary to organize a great integration of scientific and technological forces and a great sharing of research resources. Relying on high-level universities, a number of national platforms and research centers should be built. Facing the national strategic needs and the requirements of building a strong country, we should aim at the "stuck neck" problems of key core technologies, promote equipment technology upgrades, vigorously develop smart transportation, and form more "from 0 to 1" breakthroughs, so as to truly grasp the initiative in competition and development. For example, as a pilot unit for the construction of a strong transportation country, with the support of the Ministry of Transport, Dalian Maritime University is jointly building a key laboratory for the unmanned ship transportation industry with China Classification Society and the Ministry of Transport's Water Transport Science Research Institute, focusing on key technologies such as unmanned cargo transportation, and forming a new paradigm of "joint problem solving".

We need to gather external innovation support from the industry. Future transportation will be a transportation that integrates cutting-edge technologies from multiple disciplines and fields, and requires the joint efforts of external scientific and technological forces in the industry to promote development. On the one hand, we need to strengthen cooperation with top domestic educational and scientific research institutions and related industries, promote the deep integration of 5G, the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, blockchain, cloud computing, etc. with transportation, and create a number of new engines to promote economic development in the integration of technology and industry; on the other hand, we need to focus on deepening international exchanges and scientific and technological cooperation, especially cooperation with countries along the "Belt and Road" and EU countries, actively expand cooperation channels in theoretical exploration, non-sensitive technologies, etc., seize the commanding heights in advantageous fields, and support the accelerated construction of a strong transportation country.

Systematically integrate the "talent chain" to build new development advantages

Talents make achievements and talents expand careers. Talents are the source of innovation, and human resources are an important support for implementing the new development concept and building a new development pattern. The key to accelerating the construction of a strong transportation country lies in forming a "talent chain" led by leading scientific and technological talents, with young and middle-aged scientific and technological talents as the backbone and high-quality young students as the foundation, and using the "talent chain" to support the "innovation chain" and "industrial chain".

We need to deepen the integration of talents in the industry. Through effective policy support, we will encourage high-level talents to serve in government agencies, industry colleges and universities, scientific research institutes, etc., and give them the necessary autonomy over personnel, finances and materials and the right to decide on technical routes. Relying on the new think tank alliance for transportation, we will accelerate the establishment of a national high-end think tank to serve the central government and transportation strategic decision-making. At present, the Party Central Committee has raised graduate education to an unprecedented strategic height. Dalian Maritime University will also complement the advantages of scientific research institutes within the ministry. According to many current successful examples, colleges and universities will work together and integrate science and education to train graduate students, so as to continuously supply high-level talents to the industry.

We must promote the integration of international talents. In the post-epidemic era, the advantages of domestic epidemic prevention and control and development environment are fully demonstrated. It is a strategic opportunity period to vigorously introduce high-level foreign talents. The number of newly introduced outstanding overseas young people in Dalian Maritime University in 2020 doubled year-on-year. The foreign academicians, overseas deans, and young talents introduced have played an important role in improving academic strength and internationalization. To build a new development pattern, we must not only "bring in" talents, but also "go out". We must further increase the efforts to cultivate international talents, support more transportation talents to serve in international organizations, and participate in global governance, so as to better seize the strategic initiative in the international cycle.

Accelerating the construction of a strong transportation country is a new Long March. Dalian Maritime University will further enhance its sense of mission, responsibility and urgency, strive to be the vanguard of accelerating the construction of a strong transportation country, fully support the construction and improvement of the "innovation chain" and "talent chain", and conscientiously perform its duties in the new journey of accelerating the construction of a strong transportation country.