Awards for outstanding sci-tech achievements, several sparking industrial leaps

BEIJING -- A series of cutting-edge scientific and technological breakthroughs, ranging from pioneering ethanol production methods to core materials for next-generation communications, were honored by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) on Wednesday, with multiple outcomes already driving transformative progress in industrial applications.

Leading the way in industrial innovation, a research team from the CAS Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics in Northeast China has managed to take the global lead in realizing multiple industrial projects, including a project to produce 500,000 tonnes of coal-based ethanol and 600,000 tonnes of ethanol annually from steel plant gas.

This technology opens a new pathway for the clean and efficient utilization of coal, accelerates the rapid formation of an emerging ethanol industry, and provides an entirely new technical route for the high-end, diversified and low-carbon development of the coal chemical industry.

In the field of advanced materials, researchers from the CAS Shanghai Institute of Ceramics in east China have broken down the boundaries between metals and inorganic non-metals, pioneering and leading new research directions in the category of plastic inorganic semiconductors. They have developed various transformative devices, including ultra-thin flexible thermoelectric components and flexible temperature sensor arrays, some of which have since been commercialized.

Addressing the critical need for high-performance radio frequency acoustic wave filters in 5G and 6G mobile communications, a research team from the CAS Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology has conducted systematic research and achieved breakthroughs in core materials and devices. These accomplishments have provided solid support for the localization of core radio frequency front-end materials in China's 5G and 6G mobile terminals.

Alongside technology with industrial application, the CAS also honors fundamental research that pushes the boundaries of human knowledge. In the life sciences category, a study from the CAS Institute of Zoology has revealed key principles governing early human embryonic development, offering new theories and potential solutions for the prevention of birth defects and other developmental disorders at their origin.