Practices and reflections on systematic construction of proof-of-concept center

As a crucial vehicle for the deep integration of scientific and technological innovation with industrial innovation in the “first mile”, the proof-of-concept (PoC) center is increasingly playing a pivotal role in areas such as outcome assessment, risk control, and technology transfer. This study systematically reviews the phased achievements in the construction of PoC centers in China. It addresses the challenges faced in the current development of PoC centers, including the lack of a value consensus in the institutional system, value-sharing collaborative channels, and value-coexisting resource allocation. The study analyzes the practical explorations of the PoC Center under the Science and Technology Innovation and Development Center of Chinese Academy of Sciences (hereinafter referred to as the “CAS PoC Center”) in promoting the deep integration of government, industry, academia, research, finance, and application, as well as the efficient transfer of scientific and technological achievements. It proposes an optimized path for the construction of a PoC system, with a core focus on the systematic collaboration of “entities-capital-industry-services”.