A seedling inspection robot navigates greenhouse beds, the "Wukong" unmanned submersible explores deep-sea trenches, and new materials alongside digital technologies are showcased one after another. These were highlights of a recent science and technology achievement exhibition in Heilongjiang Province, held at the Advanced Technology Research Institute of Harbin Institute of Technology. The event featured 71 innovations from universities, research institutes, and key enterprises, with each "Heilongjiang-made" product illustrating a clear path from technological breakthroughs to real-world productivity. On this journey, progress in innovation is steadily expanding new avenues for development, as the region deepens the fusion of technological and industrial innovation to turn the "key variable" of innovation into the "greatest increment" for revitalization.
Deepening Tradition: Revitalizing Core Strengths
During the summer growing season, the black soil is lush with life. At a green bean planting base in Heilongjiang, a four-wheeled laser weed removal robot moves slowly along the ridges. Its multispectral cameras and depth sensors continuously scan the ground, using algorithms to quickly distinguish crops from weeds before firing a precise laser beam at the weed's growth point. "Previously, weeding relied on manual labor or chemical sprays, which was either costly or harmful to crops and soil," said Li Yongwei, deputy general manager of Harbin Huagong Zhiyun Technology Co., Ltd. He explained that laser weeding is a purely green, physical method that removes over 95% of weeds with a crop damage rate below 0.1%. It can destroy up to a million weeds per hour, reducing costs by up to 70% compared to manual weeding. Field tests show that this method minimizes nutrient competition from weeds, boosting crop yields. This precise laser technology is now being tested across more than 1,000 acres in Heilongjiang for crops like soybeans, corn, and cabbage. The core laser source, AI vision algorithms, and plant recognition models are all developed in-house, paving the way for large-scale use of domestically made high-end laser weeding equipment.
Beyond the fields, agricultural big models are covering more farmlands. The "Tiangong Kaiwu" agricultural big model integrates data from seed selection, fertilization, field management, and harvesting, and has been rolled out across 114 farms in the province. By collecting information on weather, soil, and crop growth, it provides precise data support for farming decisions that once relied on experience. This shift toward intelligent field management is complemented by seed innovation, which is key to long-term agricultural competitiveness. Dong Quanzhong's team at the Keshan Branch of the Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences spent 10 years developing the high-protein soybean variety "Kedou 91." In 2025, its production and operation rights were transferred for 31.55 million yuan, setting a new record for a single transaction of a soybean variety in China. This move from lab to market gives a measurable industrial value to research outcomes. "One piece of equipment can change a farming method, and one model can link multiple production steps. Agricultural technology aims for better seeds, more precise farming, and higher-quality grain," said Yang Xue, director of the Second Science and Technology Department at the Heilongjiang Provincial Department of Science and Technology. By embedding technological innovation into every stage of farming, from plowing to harvesting, Heilongjiang is boosting per-unit yields and filling "China's rice bowl" with more premium grain from the region.
Outside agriculture, innovation is also revitalizing Heilongjiang's manufacturing sector. At China First Heavy Industries, major equipment like 3,000-ton hydrogenation reactors are being continuously developed, while at Harbin Electric Corporation, ultra-supercritical circulating fluidized bed boilers and large hydroelectric units are setting new technical benchmarks. Once known for its "big and heavy" products, Heilongjiang's manufacturing is now integrating new materials, digital technology, and intelligent manufacturing into design, processing, and inspection. This shift is pushing heavy machinery toward higher-end, smarter, and greener solutions, transforming traditional strengths into competitive advantages and injecting new vitality into the region's solid industrial base.
Pushing Frontiers: Building New Momentum in Emerging Sectors
While "old trees grow new branches," it's equally important to let "new saplings grow into big trees." Heilongjiang is now focusing on technological trends and industrial evolution, using its unique resources to enter niche markets and drive industry clusters through technological breakthroughs. New growth points are evolving from isolated sparks into integrated chains.
In the commercial space sector, ambitions are reaching new heights. At the Harbin New District's Gongda Satellite Manufacturing Base, clean workshops handle satellite assembly, testing, and environmental trials in a seamless flow. Founded in 2020, Harbin Gongda Satellite Technology Co., Ltd. has completed 14 launches, sending 37 satellites into space for communications, navigation, remote sensing, and deep-space exploration. Its R&D and test headquarters now has the capacity to produce 180 satellites in the 500-kilogram class annually. "Flexible manufacturing isn't about replicating single satellite development. It uses standardized modules, digital processes, and workflow redesign to improve batch production and stable delivery, supporting the rapid constellation of low-earth orbit networks," said Wang Qun, assistant general manager at Gongda Satellite. This shift from custom single-satellite builds to flexible, digital, and batch production is not only increasing capacity but also lengthening the industrial chain. Standardized modules boost efficiency, digital processes streamline development, and stable demand attracts suppliers of payloads, key components, and data applications. With Gongda Satellite as the "chain leader," Heilongjiang's commercial space industry is expanding from a single satellite or company to a full industry cluster.
Cold resources are also generating new industries. In February, at the Harbin Ice and Snow World's technology-enabled zone, a smart ice sculpture robot entered testing. It automatically feeds, lifts, positions, and sprays water to bond ice blocks, each weighing a ton, with millimeter-level precision. Once deployed, it will take on high-altitude tasks, reducing risks in extreme cold. It works alongside equipment for ice cutting, carving, and polishing, transforming a process once reliant on manual labor and traditional machinery into a fully intelligent, standardized operation. "The Ice and Snow World and the Songhua River ice field are our testing grounds. We're refining technologies like low-temperature navigation, visual recognition, and precision control in real-world conditions," said Jiang Wenrui, chairman of Harbin Bingke Intelligent Equipment Co., Ltd. From ice tourism to ice manufacturing, Heilongjiang's long winters are unlocking new industrial value, with consumer demand driving R&D and turning "cold resources" into a hub for new technologies and products.
On a smaller scale, robotics is entering finer industrial applications. At Harbin Lingbo Robot Co., Ltd.'s "creation workshop," several dexterous hand prototypes are being tested, performing tasks like grasping, lifting, and adjusting postures smoothly. "We've integrated 15 active degrees of freedom and multiple sensors into such a compact space," said Qi Le, the company's general manager. The goal is not just to grip but to sense contact force and adjust movements in real time when interacting with different objects. This dexterity stems from years of technical accumulation. The team originates from the Space Robot Group at the State Key Laboratory of Robotics and Systems at Harbin Institute of Technology. As embodied intelligence emerges as a new track, technologies once used for space missions are now entering applications like humanoid robots and industrial manufacturing, opening up new industrial space. With scientific resources as a source of technology, industrial foundations supporting engineering, and unique scenarios driving product iteration, Heilongjiang is rediscovering its advantages in new industrial coordinates and turning them into new industries, companies, and growth drivers.
Accelerating Industrialization: From Labs to Speed
The "15th Five-Year Plan" emphasizes deepening the integration of technological and industrial innovation. For Heilongjiang, rich in research resources, the key to turning scientific advantages into revitalization momentum is moving more outcomes from labs to production lines and into supply chains. In recent years, the number of national-level scientific innovation platforms in Heilongjiang has grown from 46 to 69, with state key laboratories increasing from 7 to 16. High-level platforms for robotics and continental shale oil are providing a steady stream of foundational research, key technology breakthroughs, and industrial upgrades.
Turning scientific achievements into real-world products is a relay race from basic research to technology development, pilot testing, business incubation, and application. To address challenges like "immature" lab results or companies' inability to adopt them, Heilongjiang has set up 31 concept validation centers to assess technical feasibility and market potential, guiding outcomes toward the right applications. It has also built 99 pilot testing platforms to solve engineering problems like scaling up production and cost control. These platforms have supported 255 projects in pilot testing, with 135 achieving industrialization. The province is encouraging companies to shift from being mere recipients of outcomes to organizers of innovation, with challenges coming from production lines, solutions from universities and institutes, and results tested by the market. During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, Heilongjiang solved 719 key technical challenges, with enterprises leading projects and accounting for 71% of funding, up from 61%.
For enterprises to lead innovation, support from research, talent, capital, and application scenarios is crucial. Heilongjiang has built seven innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystems around universities and institutes, housing 2,512 tech enterprises and accelerating connections between research teams, incubators, capital, and applications. This process speeds up the engineering validation, product refinement, and market testing of lab prototypes, turning them into products, companies, and industries. Institutional reforms are also easing the path for outcome transformation. Policies like separate management of job-related scientific and technological achievements, reformed evaluation criteria for transformation talent, and duty-free mechanisms are gradually reducing researchers' reluctance to transfer their work. Since 2023, Heilongjiang has transformed 1,873 major scientific achievements, generating an additional 34.843 billion yuan in economic benefits, moving toward a more organized, full-chain approach.
As the innovation chain progresses step by step, individual "points" of technological breakthroughs are connecting into "lines" of industrial development. Sun Qihua, director of the Science and Technology Planning Department at the Heilongjiang Provincial Department of Science and Technology, stated that during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, Heilongjiang will strengthen organized research and transformation. This includes optimizing supply based on industry needs, enhancing transformation efficiency, integrating innovation resources for enterprises, and cultivating a stronger talent pool, all to drive comprehensive revitalization through technological innovation.
By pushing forward in innovation, Heilongjiang is unlocking new industrial, kinetic, and developmental potential. On the black soil, traditional industries are being rejuvenated by technology, emerging industries are accelerating through accumulated innovation, and more scientific achievements are moving from labs to production lines, becoming competitive industries. The technological foundation of revitalization is becoming ever more prominent.
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