At the workshop of a wind power plant, workers inspect the safety conditions of the engine room before delivery. (PHOTO: VCG)

By CHEN Chunyou & CUI Shuang

Major technological equipment is part of the lifeblood of the national economy. To boost their application in the market, China will encourage the first piece or set of major technological equipment to participate in public bids on an equal footing as other equipment.

That's according to a guideline released in September by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the National Development and Reform Commission, and the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council.

The first piece or set of major technological equipment means equipment that has made a significant technological breakthrough and holds an intellectual property right but hasn't secured market performance, and requires continuous application verification for iterative innovation.

According to the public bidding law, winning a bid is the first step for major technological equipment to enter the market. It is also essential for the innovative development of major technological equipment and their popularization in research activities.

The guideline clarifies that the tenderees should not set unreasonable conditions, such as the equipment's market share and application performance, to exclude their participation in public bidding.

The manufacturers of major technological equipment only need to submit supporting materials, which will be considered valid documents to participate in bids. The bid evaluation methods should be conducive to supporting major technology and equipment research and innovation, promoting low-carbon and recycling development, and maintaining the security and stability of the industrial chain and supply chain.

In recent years, the insurance compensation mechanism and encouraging policies for the demonstration and application of the first set of major technological equipment have motivated local governments to introduce corresponding measures to support their development. These include incentives and subsidies, supply and demand docking, talent incentives and intellectual property protection.

Major technological equipment is key to the transformation and upgrading of the manufacturing industry. The guideline will encourage equipment manufacturing enterprises to engage in major technological equipment innovation. It will also enhance the development quality of the equipment manufacturing industry, strengthening the motivation for innovation.