Two Sessions Writing | New Expectations in the Digital Economy

In the work report of the Shandong Provincial Government, keywords such as "digital empowerment" frequently appear, attracting attention. Frequent occurrence indicates its weight; Attracting attention means higher expectations from society.

When it comes to the digital economy, what comes to mind? Is it the new leisure and entertainment experience such as smart home, cross-border e-commerce, virtual reality, or the new development trend of advanced computing, smart factories, industrial Internet and other industries mentioned in the report? The digital economy may seem high-end, but it can also be small and down-to-earth. In fact, this is a prominent feature of the new wave of revolutionary technology and industry: it widely radiates most aspects of people's lives and profoundly reshapes the way of life, production, and social governance.

The first national level special plan in the field of digital economy, the "14th Five Year Plan for the Development of Digital Economy," proposes that by 2025, the digital economy will enter a period of comprehensive expansion. By combining public expectations with policy design, it is not difficult to see the "problem-solving" approach: developing the digital economy with strength requires warmth, so that the dividends of the digital economy can better benefit everyone and every economy. The digital economy will better gather development consensus and strength, and stand at a new starting point.

Shandong has put the development of the digital economy at a high level, and the main responsible comrades of the provincial party committee have personally served as the "chain leaders" of the new generation information technology industry chain, upgrading and promoting the accelerated development of the core industries of the digital economy. In the blue ocean of digital economy, Shandong is breaking through the waves and ranking first in the country in terms of industrial digitalization index and manufacturing digital transformation index.

This year, Shandong will focus on twelve aspects of work, among which it is proposed to focus on high-quality development of the digital economy, implement the deployment of the Provincial Digital Economy Development Conference, and lead the formation of new economic development momentum through the new track of digital transformation.

In 2024, we need to make more small and medium-sized enterprises the protagonists of the digital economy, and promote the deep empowerment of the real economy through the digital economy in addressing the weak points of digital transformation of small and medium-sized enterprises. By the end of 2023, the number of small and medium-sized enterprises in Shandong will reach 4.461 million. As an important force in expanding employment, improving people's livelihoods, and promoting innovation and entrepreneurship, the comprehensive development of the digital economy cannot be achieved without the participation of small and medium-sized enterprises. However, due to constraints such as funding and talent, many small and medium-sized enterprises are still in the initial exploration stage of digital transformation, and the situation of "saying they are interested when asked, but backing out when pushed forward" still exists. Therefore, it is necessary to combine the cost sensitivity and diverse needs of small and medium-sized enterprises, encourage large enterprises and platform providers to design low-cost and easy-to-use "toolboxes" for small and medium-sized enterprises in stages and scenarios, and strive to help them solve "big problems" with "small incisions".

In 2024, we should pay more attention to the "livelihood temperature" in the digital economy, and enhance the participation and sense of gain of ordinary people in the digital economy. The digital economy has never been about cold infrastructure and numbers. By 2023, Shandong has opened 202000 5G base stations and steadily promoted the "three new" (new expansion of urban areas, new construction of highways, new construction of residential areas) and wide coverage of rural areas. This means that in the future, rural patients can also enjoy the same medical services as urban residents in village clinics or township health centers, and farmers can obtain tangible income through smart agriculture, rural e-commerce, and other means. Rural revitalization, medical care and elderly care, safety governance and other livelihood areas will become the value realization stage of the digital economy. From cities to rural areas, from park platforms to campus hospitals, let's extend and sink the tentacles of the digital economy even faster.

In the future, the digital economy has a larger territory and new space waiting to be explored. Run the relay race for the development of the digital economy well, solidly carry out the "innovation breakthrough year" of the digital economy, focus on both improvement and popularization, and the digital economy will usher in a new round of great development.

Information source: Department of Industry and Information Technology of Shandong Province