’s once sprawling and diffuse network of state-backed research labs has undergone a surgical transformation – streamlined, repurposed and laser-focused on
’s strategic technology ambitions. In a move emblematic of
’s broader overhaul of its national
apparatus, the city has dismantled underperforming labs, rebranded legacy institutions and launched three cutting-edge facilities dedicated to quantum materials and
resilience – all under tightened alignment with national priorities.
This quiet revolution is part of a nationwide push since 2022 to convert China’s bloated system of State Key Laboratories (SKLs) from academically driven, siloed entities into lean, mission-oriented “tech war machines” to make advances in critical fields such as
, quantum technology and brain science. With around 500 labs now approved nationwide under a restructured programme, the old model of loosely defined research has given way to a new doctrine: clear mandates, centralised funding and direct accountability to Beijing’s science supremacy agenda.