I. Introduction

The establishment of science and technology awards by social forces is an important part of the reward system with Chinese characteristics. In February 2023, the Ministry of Science and Technology issued the notice on the Management Measures for the Establishment of Science and Technology Awards by social forces, aiming to guide the establishment of science and technology awards by social forces to regulate the healthy development. As the highest science and technology award in the steel industry, the Metallurgical Science and Technology Award has played an important role in stimulating the innovation vitality of scientific and technological workers in the steel industry, encouraging technological progress, achievement transformation and personnel training since it was registered and established by the Ministry of Science and Technology in March 2002. By the end of 2022, a total of 4,818 metallurgical science and technology award projects have been accepted, and 1,756 award projects have been commended, accounting for 36.5% of the total number of declared projects, including 24 special prizes, 255 first prizes, 546 second prizes, and 931 third prizes. The winning projects in different periods reflect the technological progress and scientific and technological leadership of the steel industry at a specific stage, providing realistic guidance and forward guidance for enterprises to analyze, judge and grasp the key development direction of the industry.

Second, metallurgical science and technology awards adhering to the "four adhere"

General Secretary Xi Jinping stressed in the report to the 20th National Congress of the Party that we should accelerate the implementation of the innovation-driven development strategy and accelerate the realization of high-level scientific and technological self-reliance. In recent years, the steel industry has deeply promoted the "1231" work goal (focusing on a fundamental task: comprehensively improve the industrial base capacity and the modernization level of the industrial chain; Adhere to two major development themes: green, low-carbon and intelligent manufacturing; Focus on solving the three major pain points, control capacity expansion, promote industrial concentration, and ensure resource security; Continue to promote a process: continue to promote the internationalization of China's steel industry) and the "232" key work promotion system (" research and promote the new mechanism for capacity governance "and" optimize and improve the joint restructuring policy guidance "two basic measures; "Ultra-low emission transformation project", "extreme energy efficiency project" and "capacity replacement" three steel transformation projects; In the process of the "Cornerstone Plan" for the purpose of ensuring the security of iron resource supply and the "Steel Application Expansion Plan" for the purpose of expanding the application space of iron and steel materials, we will continue to strengthen the investment in scientific and technological innovation, strengthen the research on key core technologies, and shape the new momentum and new advantages of the high-quality development of the steel industry with high-level innovation results. Metallurgical science and technology award work adhering to the "give full play to the guiding role of science and technology awards, service industry scientific and technological progress" work tone, uphold the fair and fair award principles, service industry development.

(1) Adhere to the value orientation and enhance the sense of honor of scientific and technological personnel

Talent is the fundamental driving force for the continuous development of the iron and steel industry. The promotion of metallurgical science and technology awards throughout the selection and commendation work is conducive to better mobilizing the enthusiasm and creativity of scientific and technological personnel to participate in research and development, better mobilizing the enthusiasm of the whole industry and the whole society to support scientific and technological development and participate in innovation and entrepreneurship, and better carrying forward the scientific spirit of truth, pragmatism and innovation in the whole industry and the whole society. Let the vitality and potential of innovation as the first driving force, science and technology as the first productive force, and talent as the first resource be more fully released in the steel industry.

2. Adhere to the orientation of fairness and make good use of peer review

The talent pool of metallurgical experts plays an active and important role in the evaluation of metallurgical Science and technology awards. Through the implementation of dynamic adjustment, we have timely added industry leaders with high attains in disciplines and professional fields, familiar with domestic and foreign development trends, and engaged in front-line scientific research and technical personnel. At present, there are 3,310 people in the library, including 10 academicians of the two houses. According to statistics, only in the evaluation stage of the Metallurgical Science and Technology Award network in 2022, there are nearly 1,200 industry experts involved in project evaluation, with an average of 16.4 evaluations per project, and the evaluation process is independent and the quality of the evaluation results is priority, which provides strong support for the subsequent evaluation and enhances the authority and credibility of the Metallurgical Science and Technology Award.

(3) Adhere to the innovation orientation and improve the quality of rewards

The National Science and Technology Award plays a leading role in the demonstration of metallurgical science and technology awards. After years of careful cultivation, the work of Metallurgical Science and Technology Award has been affirmed by the majority of scientific researchers in the industry, and has effectively cooperated with the scientific and technological innovation and progress of the discipline and industry. At the same time, the basic role of science and technology awards and talent recommendation has gradually come into play. From 2000 to 2020, among the award-winning projects of Metallurgical Science and Technology Awards, the China Iron and Steel Industry Association has nominated 219 National Science and Technology Progress Awards, 35 technological invention awards, 14 natural science awards, and finally won 67 awards, including 61 scientific and technological progress awards, 5 technological invention awards, and 1 natural Science award. The award-winning projects accounted for 25% of the total number of nominated projects, reflecting the scientific and technological progress and continuous innovation of the steel industry, making the metallurgical science and technology award truly an important supplement to the national science and technology award.

4. Follow a development-oriented approach and accelerate IT application

The informatization of science and technology reward is an important way to ensure the effective development of science and technology reward work. At present, metallurgical science and technology awards have established a complete declaration management system and website. The management of the whole process of the application, formal review, network evaluation, professional review, result summary and information release of the metallurgical science and technology award can be realized online, which effectively improves the management level and work efficiency. At the same time, it has greatly promoted the exchange of scientific and technological personnel and scientific and technological achievements in the steel industry, and accelerated the training of personnel and the promotion of scientific and technological achievements.

3. Evaluation and analysis of metallurgical science and technology award work

The science and technology award is the recognition of the systematic summary of scientific research results organized by the scientific research team in a period of time, which has a certain timeliness, and the "heavy award before, light award after" was once a difficult problem in the field of scientific and technological achievements management at the social level. In combination with the characteristics of the Metallurgical Science and Technology Award focusing on the practical application effect, the reward work office timely does a good job of tracking and service after the achievement award, to scientific and objective evaluation, to ensure the continuous innovation of the award results, and to give full play to the promoting role of the Metallurgical science and Technology Award on research and development and transformation.

(1) Characteristics of award achievements

1. High standards determine high quality, and the evaluation standard of "rather than excessive" has become a prominent feature of the award program.

Recently, the Steel Association conducted a questionnaire follow-up survey on the application, research and development, achievement transformation and main winners of all 138 projects that won the special prize and first prize of Metallurgical Science and Technology Awards from 2011 to 2020. Data show that in the past 10 years, 2,261 projects were declared for metallurgical science and technology awards, and 798 awards were awarded, with a proportion of 35.3%. Among them, 10 were grand prizes, with a winning ratio of 0.44%; There were 128 first prizes, with a winning ratio of 5.66%. It can be seen that the prize rate in the past 10 years has been no more than 40%, and the prize rate of special prize and first prize is only 6.1%. In particular, the grand prize, as a non-permanent level, although there is no number limit, the annual review is very strict, with an average of only one item per year.

2. Serving the national strategic needs and serving the high-quality development of the national economy have become the distinctive background of the award-winning program.

(1) Aiming at the world's scientific and technological frontier, strong original innovation ability. Iron and steel enterprises around the "double carbon" goal, in-depth implementation of innovation-driven development strategy, strong promotion of science and technology self-reliance, in the realization of clean production and carbon reduction in the twin goals to create some excellent results. For example, the "development and application of technology and equipment of super large volume top charging coke oven" project of MCC has solved the core problem of precise combustion control technology of super large volume coke oven. Based on the second-generation technology, the top charging and reheating coke oven has been developed and put into operation, and when poor gas (mixed gas) is used to heat it, it can be used to heat the coke oven. For the first time, the NOx content in exhaust gas has been reduced to below 150 mg/standard cubic meter (without end treatment), reaching the international leading level. It is estimated that the annual NOx emission reduction of the new application technology project can reach 50,000 tons, and the emission reduction of SO2, CO2 and particulate matter has also achieved good results. MCC's technology products have also been successfully exported to overseas emerging markets such as Turkey and India, expanding the soft power of China's scientific and technological influence.

(2) Aim at the major needs of the country and the industry to solve the "stuck neck" problem. Enterprises and colleges and universities jointly carry out technology research and development, strong industrial chain and supply chain resilience, high level of scientific and technological innovation, to solve the "stuck neck" problem. For example, China Steel Research Group's "Research and application of material technology for the main equipment of the nuclear island of the Pressurized water reactor nuclear Power Plant" project has gone through more than 10 years of technical research. Solve the problems of localization and autonomy of nuclear island main equipment materials such as pressure vessel SA508-3cl.① large forgings, evaporator high strength SA508-3cl.② large forgings, main pipeline forging 316LN large forgings, evaporator 690U-shaped heat transfer tube, in-pile pressing spring F6NM stainless steel large ring forgings, and realize import substitution of products. To solve the "stuck neck" material problem of the independent main equipment of the nuclear island of the million-kilowatt pressurized water reactor nuclear power plant. These products are produced in batches and applied to the third-generation nuclear power projects such as Hongyanhe No. 1 unit and Fangchenggang No. 1 Unit in China.

(3) Target the main battlefield of the industrial economy and promote the upgrading of traditional industries. Among the award-winning projects, the number of technological research and development projects centering on industrial transformation and upgrading has increased year by year, providing strong support for the high-quality development of industrial economy. For example, China Baowu Baosteel Co., LTD. 's "Stable manufacturing Technology and Application Demonstration for Automotive Lightweight Jipa-class steel plate" project designed and manufactured a B-class ultra-light steel body in white (BCB) with superior lightweight level and performance indicators, with a real vehicle weight of 284.1 kg, which can be reduced by 20% to 30% compared with the same level of models. This project marks the transformation of Chinese steel companies from material suppliers to technology solutions suppliers. Through the development of Jipa steel, it has realized the historic leap of China's automobile steel plate from following to running and leading.

3. The core technology comes from the independent research and development of enterprises into the mainstream, and plays an obvious role in the source of original technology.

According to the survey data, the core technology of 93 of the 138 award-winning projects came from independent research and development, accounting for 67.39% of the total number of statistical projects; The core technology of 44 projects came from cooperative research and development, accounting for 31.88% of the total number of projects. There is only one research and development promotion project in universities (independent research and development relative to introduction). At the same time, among the 138 award-winning projects, 86 enterprises were the first completed units, accounting for 62%. In 2022, the self-sufficiency rate of 22 types of steel products in China exceeded 99%, of which 19 categories reached 100%. In the past 10 years, the proportion of core technologies derived from independent research and development of Metallurgical Science and Technology Awards has been close to 70%. Breakthroughs have been made in advanced technologies such as hydrogen metallurgy, low-carbon metallurgy, clean steel smelting, thin strip casting and rolling, and headless rolling. China's steel enterprises have become the main body of research and development, contributing Chinese wisdom to global steel technology innovation.

(2) The impact of award achievements

1. Continue to carry out in-depth project research and play an obvious role in stimulating independent innovation.

According to statistics, 126 projects continued to conduct in-depth research after winning the award, accounting for up to 91.3%. The technology level of 72 items in the international leading position, accounting for 52.17%; There are 54 items in the international advanced level, accounting for 39.13%; 7 items filled the domestic gap, accounting for 5.07%; There are 5 items that have significantly improved the development level of our country in this field, accounting for 3.62%. After the award, 1,497 new authorized invention patents were added, with an average of 11 new patents per project. After the award, 54 new national standards, 89 industry standards, and 196 group standards were established; Since the award, he has published 2,190 new papers and 54 new books. In addition, there were 24 national science and technology awards based on award-winning projects, accounting for 19.05%; There were 38 provincial and ministerial science and technology awards, accounting for 30.16%; 17 won the science and technology awards of other social forces, accounting for 13.49%; And 47 did not go on to win other awards. It can be seen that after the award of the project, the incentive efficiency of the innovation subject is further enhanced, and the independent innovation ability is significantly improved.

2. Technology application and promotion have entered a period of rapid growth, and the driving force supporting the industry has been continuously enhanced.

Among the 138 award-winning projects, 129 continued to be applied, accounting for up to 91.31%; There are 9 no longer used, accounting for 8.69%, the main reasons include production line, base closure, new technology replacement, production process or product adjustment, lack of policy support or policy support is not in place and other factors. Among the projects that continued to be applied, 86 achieved an increase in annual scale, accounting for 63.32%; 40 items achieved stable application, the annual scale remained unchanged, accounting for 28.99%; The application scale of the three items decreased, accounting for 2.17%. The 129 projects have added 374.104 billion yuan in economic benefits so far, and 122.921 billion yuan in economic benefits in the past three years, making a significant contribution to China's economic development.

According to statistics, 128 projects were promoted and applied after winning the award, accounting for up to 92.75%. Among them, 111 items have been continuously promoted and applied, and 17 items have been promoted and applied in stages, accounting for 80.43% and 12.32% respectively. There were 6904 promotion stations (sets) after the award, and an average of 54 sets (sets) were promoted after each project was awarded. For the form of promotion and application, cooperative research and development is still the primary way of project promotion and application, there are 62 projects, accounting for 48.44% of the total number of promotion projects; Secondly, 37 projects were promoted by self-established companies, accounting for 28.91% of the total number of projects promoted. There were 32 projects in cooperation with other enterprises, accounting for 25% of the total number of projects. 17 items were authorized to be used, accounting for 13.28% of the total number of promoted items; There were 14 technology transfers, accounting for 10.94% of the total number of projects promoted; There was only one venture financing, accounting for 0.78% of the total number of projects promoted. Choose other promotion methods, such as the group's internal promotion bases, a total of 21 items, accounting for 16.41% of the total number of promotion projects. There are 10 projects that have not been further promoted. The main reasons include: high starting point of technology and difficult promotion, temporary suspension of promotion in order to maintain competitiveness, limited scope of promotion, lack of financial support, lack of policy support or inadequate implementation of some policies. Through the continuous improvement of their own scientific and technological innovation level, enterprises support and drive the upstream and downstream collaborative innovation of the industrial chain, build a high-quality steel ecosystem, and promote the transformation and upgrading of the entire industry.

(3) The development of the award platform

Statistics show that up to 95.65% of the projects won the metallurgical science and technology award, improved the scientific research conditions of the platform, and received different degrees of funding in subsequent research and development, which helped the platform construction. In particular, 31 projects received funding support from the state and ministries, accounting for 24.60% of the total number of supported projects. Among them, 23 projects were supported by the National Plan (Ministry of Science and Technology), accounting for 18.25% of the total number of supported projects; Five projects were funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, accounting for 3.97% of the total projects. Other ministries and commissions plan to support 3 projects, accounting for 2.38% of the total number of supported projects; Provinces and cities plan to support 11 projects, accounting for 8.73% of the total number of supported projects; The research projects supported by the internal funds of the unit were the most, with a total of 67 projects, accounting for 53.17% of the total number of supported projects. There were 16 other financial support projects, accounting for 12.7% of the total number of supported projects; There's only one that's not funded. The science and technology award improves the construction quality of the innovation platform and the recognition of the peers. The radiation effect brought by it, such as the increase of various scientific research funds and the expansion of the scope of technical exchange, plays an important role in promoting the later construction and development of the innovation platform.

(4) The growth of award-winning talents

Among the winners, there are world-class experts and professors who lead the development of global steel technology, as well as grassroots scientific and technological workers who deeply cultivate local enterprises and serve regional economic development. Statistics show that after the project was awarded, 21 people were newly selected as national talents (plan), and 3 people became academicians of the two institutes, a group of young and middle-aged science and technology who bear the frontline responsibility of conquering key core technologies.

(Photo from the Internet)