The China Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy portals

Project Background

Welcome to the China Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy Portal (https://portals.igcc.sdsc.edu/), a platform that brings together two integrated datasets designed to offer comprehensive insights into China’s science, technology, innovation, and industrial policy (STIIP) ecosystem.

The Policy Document Navigator features a curated collection of Chinese-language policy documents issued between 2011 and 2022, spanning three Five-Year Plan periods. These documents, which include national and subnational STI plans, regulations, implementation notices, and official announcements, are sourced directly from the websites of China’s core policy making agencies.

The Innovation Entities Knowledge Base maps approximately 2,000 state-sanctioned innovation entities across China, identified through official accreditation records and independent research. These entities fall into five major categories: information analysis and dissemination institutes, state key laboratories and national laboratories, national engineering research centers (NERCs), national engineering technology research centers (NETRCs), and enterprise-based technology centers. Together, they form the institutional backbone of China’s innovation infrastructure.

Both datasets are accessible through two interactive public-facing visualization portals. These tools allow users to explore China's evolving STI strategies, institutional networks, and the key actors advancing national innovation goals. General users can generate high-level visual insights and metadata, while authorized users can access detailed profiles and download datasets in bulk.

All data is securely stored at the UC San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC) and publicly hosted through the official websites of the UC Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation (IGCC) and the China Data Lab (CDL) at the 21st Century China Center (21CCC). The portal originated as part of the U.S. State Department–funded “Chinese Science, Technology, Innovation, and Industrial Policy Mapping” initiative. With IGCC leading the research and CDL providing technical development and infrastructure, this platform aims to support researchers, analysts, and policymakers working to understand the drivers and architecture of China’s innovation system.

Data Sources and Processing

The STI policy document database is built from two primary sources. First, we manually collected key national and provincial-level strategic plans, including Five-Year Plans, strategic emerging industry roadmaps, and future industry initiatives. Second, we scraped policy documents from the official websites of China’s central STI policymaking bodies, including the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST), the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), and the Ministry of Education (MoE), as well as their provincial counterparts. Given the volume of scraped material, which included a wide array of administrative documents, we employed a language-model-based classifier to identify and retain STI policy-relevant content. While this significantly improved the dataset’s precision, some irrelevant entries may remain.

The innovation entity dataset was compiled through a structured process of identification and profiling. Entities were first identified using authoritative sources, such as government-issued accreditation lists, official circulars, and reports produced by recognized public or non-profit institutions. Once identified, institutional profiles were constructed based primarily on information from the entities’ official websites. To supplement these profiles, we also extracted data from widely used public sources including Baidu profiles and reputable business information platforms like Qichacha (企查查) and Aiqicha (爱企查). All raw data underwent manual review and standardization to ensure consistency and usability across the portal.

Users Access Guide

To ensure secure and efficient use of the data portal, the system supports two levels of data access – General Users (GU) and Authorized Users (AU). Their roles are distinguished by the types of access and functionality available.

User Categories & Rights

User Type	Scope	Privilege
General Users	All individuals who register for access through the portal	Navigate the visualization interface Create high-level visualization insights with filters View meta-data associated with policy documents and detailed profiles of innovation entities *This level of access will support exploratory analysis and general research.
Authorized Users	Approved institutional partners and external researchers	Access to full policy document contents Ability to batch-download data and documents through UC San Diego VPN

Registration Process

Access to the portal requires registration through this landing page:

• General Users can register by providing a valid email address, username, and password.
• Authorized Users must submit requests to ucigcc-database@ucsd.edu for enhanced access. Please include your username, institutional affiliation, and research objectives in the email. Institutional stakeholders will be verified by designated points of contact while general external applicants undergo a review process jointly managed by IGCC and CDL.

*IGCC and CDL reserve the right to revoke authorized access in cases causing security concerns or policy violations.