Ningbo's practices and innovative explorations in science popularization capacity building for the New Era

Strengthening national science popularization capacity is critically significant for cultivating a high-caliber innovative workforce, leveraging science popularization's value-oriented role in fostering scientific culture, elevating societal civilization, and nurturing an innovation ecosystem, thereby advancing Chinese modernization. This paper analyzed the core values of science popularization across different periods and the corresponding requirements stipulated in relevant policies and regulations, thereby clarifying the intrinsic meaning of science popularization capacity. Integrating the new imperatives and focal points for capacity building in the new era, it proposed pathways for enhancing science popularization capacity from four dimensions including public well-being value guidance, the science popularization ecosystem, and the National Strategy. Taking Ningbo City's science popularization initiatives as a case study, the paper summarized its practical exploration, crystallizing a work approach characterized as needs-driven, quality-oriented, science-popularization-linked, and people-centered in order to provide an effective reference for bolstering science popularization capacity in the new era.