China science body lists ‘digital humans’ and optical chips among key challenges

Government-funded association highlights 30 areas that got the most attention from research and industry groups last year

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Research into “digital humans” and robots with both intelligence and emotions has been identified as a key science challenge. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 6:00am, 4 Jul 2024

“Digital humans”, optical chips, internet satellites and deep-sea power stations have been identified as some of the biggest challenges in Chinese science, engineering and industry last year.

They are among a list of 30 areas that got the most attention from research and industry groups in China.

The annual list – which also includes high-performance graphics processing units and future space exploration tools – was released by the government-funded China Association for Science and Technology, or CAST, on Tuesday.

Research areas often see significant progress after they appear on CAST’s annual lists, with some even getting resolved within a year or two of being highlighted.

Among the 10 key science challenges is research into “digital humans” and robots with both intelligence and emotions – an area the government has identified as a source of economic growth for the country.

China's hydrogen energy infrastructure

Improving the efficiency and sustainability of coal power by pairing plants with hydrogen production is also on the list of science challenges, along with developing efficient ammonia-hydrogen-based internal combustion engines with near-zero emissions.