Free Web NovelChapter 892: Chapter 461 I Really Don’t Have That Much in My Hands!_1
Zhou Haoren and Zhao Yi did not know each other, and he sought Zhao Yi’s support only because he had heard that Zhao Yi had stated in a meeting that more funding should be allocated to high-end manufacturing, precision engineering, and materials research and development.
Red Wind Industry is an industrial group that integrates heavy manufacturing, precision engineering, and alloy material production. It is a very important military-industrial enterprise in the country and also a listed company in the military industry sector.
As a listed company in the military sector, Red Wind Industry operates with semi-autonomy, meaning it has a good degree of independence but is subject to upper-level and policy constraints regarding general direction, research and development, and production, which can sometimes be awkward.
If it were a completely independent enterprise, it could make its own decisions about investments and development directions. Facing the competition of the market economy, this autonomy would allow for freer and more independent growth.
Semi-autonomy brings many restrictions, but the advantage is the support of policies. There is no worry about order issues since products are manufactured directly for government departments, and there is almost no concern about major losses or profit margins.
However, for Red Wind Industry to make significant profits is very difficult, as orders from government departments only cover costs with little left for profit and research.
If they wish to make a profit, they must consider the "independent half," which means competing in the market economy. For high-end manufacturing, precision engineering, and materials, domestic companies face external pressure and restrictions and mostly have to rely on their own research and development. Patent purchases, importing high-end equipment, or competing with similar foreign companies are almost impossible.
Zhou Haoren, the general manager of Red Wind Industry, hoped that during his tenure, he could enhance the company’s technological capabilities. He didn’t aim to generate a large profit but at the very least sought development rather than continued limitations.
Therefore, he hoped for more funding to be invested in technological research and development. With improved technological strength, the company would become more competitive in the market, and profits would naturally increase.
Red Wind Industry’s share in the market competition was not large. While its annual profits could not be said to be fixed, they didn’t vary much either. It was a very stable state-owned enterprise with limited freedom to decide on research and development investment. To get more funding allocated for R&D, policy favor and support from higher-level leadership were crucial.
With Zhao Yi expressing support, Zhou Haoren felt confident.
Zhao Yi was one of the most influential academicians in the country, with astonishing achievements in basic sciences such as mathematics and physics, as well as in fields like biomedicine and materials.
In any research and development field, Zhao Yi’s opinion would be taken seriously.
Soon.
The meeting began.
This meeting was a symposium on industrial development directions. Attendees included representatives from defense, military industries, large enterprise groups, and highly influential scientists and researchers.
For instance, the Aviation Group sent a team of over a dozen people.
Zhao Yi was working on a project for the Aviation Group and had even established the Warhawk team, but he wasn’t categorized under the Aviation Group. He attended as an independent scholar, and his seat at the front of the venue underscored the leadership’s high regard for him.
However, most topics discussed in the meeting were not of great relevance to Zhao Yi.
When those issues were raised, Zhao Yi simply listened without voting or expressing an opinion, just understanding the basics was sufficient, and being a qualified listener felt good. freewēbnoveℓ.com
On some topics, Zhao Yi did take a position.
For example, he was more concerned with issues such as the "fifth-generation fighter design, manufacturing, and service plan."
This topic was quite advanced. A representative from the Aviation Group went on stage to explain the definition of a fifth-generation fighter, the development level of fifth-generation fighters internationally, and the Aviation Group’s designs and manufacturing plans. Then he outlined the "fifth-generation fighter design, manufacturing, and service plan timetable."
The purpose of such forward-looking reports was to keep leadership informed and well-documented, easing the approval and funding support when it came time to invest in research and development.
The report from the Aviation Group stated, "The fifth-generation fighter plan is to complete the design within two years, to conduct official test flights within six years, and to start mass production within ten to fifteen years." The report’s reference to the "fifth-generation fighter" undoubtedly referred to the J-31.
When asked if there were any other opinions, Zhao Yi promptly raised his hand, "I think, at the very least, the design stage can be further shortened."
"The design time can be reduced further? Isn’t two years already quite short?" Sun Qi, a senior academician from the Wucheng Aircraft Research Institute, couldn’t help but ask directly without raising his hand to signal.
Zhao Yi nodded, "There is more than one fifth-generation fighter, and I believe significant efforts should be invested in the fifth-generation fighters. If we can quickly enter the mass production phase, it would significantly enhance our Air Force’s capability with a rapid upgrade of our warplanes."
Of course.
But how could the design of the fifth-generation fighter be done sooner? Many people had doubts, and some immediately thought of Zhao Yi’s Warhawk team, understanding why he had expressed his opinion.
The aim of discussing the fifth-generation fighter was to influence leadership and inform everyone about the ’most advanced fighter jet’ project. In the future, when investing in technology research and manufacturing, it would be easier to secure substantial funding support.
Now that Zhao Yi had spoken, it was the same situation. His Warhawk team was developing a fighter jet. The specifics were unclear, but it seemed to be a fifth-generation fighter as well?
