All publication are peer-review
Peer review will take the from of double-blind review Judge objectively and impartially
There is no conflict of interest for the reviewer
Review articles shall be kept strictly confidential prior to publication

Theories and Methods of Science of Science

Functional Positioning and Institutional Evolution of Basic Re⁃ search 

Zhang Xuewen1 , Chen Jin2 , Du Tianxiang3 

(1.Business School, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050010, China; 2.Research Center for Technologi⁃ cal Innovation, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China 3.School of Marxism, Hebei Normal University, Shi⁃ jiazhuang 050010, China)

Abstract:General Secretary Xi Jinping's profound reflections on basic research chart a new  practical course for strengthening China's strategic science and technology capacity in the new  era, heralding a breakthrough in the nation's innovation governance paradigm. Nevertheless, the  academic community has not yet fully systematised the theoretical depth and practical logic em⁃ bodied in these remarks. In particular, the logical connections and complementarities among the  threefold functional positioning of basic research, as well as the mechanisms through which the  distinctive institutional endowments of supporting entities align with each function, remain  under-explored. Anchored in the General Secretary's statements, this study provides a system⁃ atic exposition of the functional positioning of basic research and the evolution of its principal en⁃ tities. Regarding functional positioning, we first clarify the core connotations of the threefold frame⁃ work. We then devise a new typology that, through a four-quadrant model, distinguishes four cat⁃ egories of basic research—Frontier-Exploratory, Market-Application, Strategic-Frontier, and  Strategic-Market—and specifies for each its primary objective, defining attributes, functional as⁃ signment, representative cases, and links to traditional paradigms. With respect to institutional evolution, we trace the dominant entities, driving forces, innova⁃ tion characteristics, and emblematic cases across different historical periods. We further reveal  the functional coupling and collaborative mechanisms among the four contemporary entities, clarifying each entity's core functions, role positioning, intrinsic strengths, comparative advan⁃ tages, and modes of coordination. Special emphasis is placed on the pivotal position of enter⁃ prises, whose generalised triple role as problem setter, solution provider, and outcome evaluator  makes them the hub of the basic research ecosystem. The study provides three principal theoretical contributions. ①Paradigm innovation: by em⁃ bedding the threefold functional positioning within a four-quadrant model, it advances a new  theoretical paradigm for basic research and offers a novel framework for enhancing the strategic  science and technology capabilities of major economies. ②Historical regularities of entity evolu⁃ tion: the analysis uncovers the evolutionary path of basic research entities and demonstrates the  inevitability of today's four-pillar entity architecture. ③Functional coupling and collaborative  governance: the paper explicates the deep coupling between the four entity types and their func⁃ tions, showing that the enterprise's triple role constitutes the critical node of entity collaboration. On this basis, the study proposes governance pathways for basic research that are tailored to  China's institutional context, thereby furnishing theoretical support and policy guidance for  achieving scientific and technological self-reliance and strength. 

Key words: basic research; functional positioning; institutional evolution; China's strategic  science and technology capacity; enterprise innovation entities