Core Viewpoint - The automotive industry has welcomed two new academicians from BYD and CATL, marking a significant recognition of contributions from private enterprises in China's scientific community [1] Group 1: New Academicians - Two scientists from the automotive sector, Lian Yubo from BYD and Wu Kai from CATL, have been elected as academicians of the Chinese Academy of Engineering [1] - This election is part of the 2025 academicians selection, which includes 73 from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and 71 from the Chinese Academy of Engineering [1] Group 2: Historical Context - Historically, the representation of private enterprise academicians in the Chinese Academy of Engineering has been minimal, with notable exceptions like Wang Jian from Alibaba Cloud in 2019 [1] - The recognition of private enterprise scientists has gradually increased, with a few others like Wu Hanming from SMIC and Xiao Wei from Kangyuan Pharmaceutical also being elected in previous rounds [1]

Core Points - The Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering announced the results of the 2025 academician election, with three experts from private enterprises being elected as academicians, marking a significant shift in representation from traditional academic institutions to industry leaders in the new energy vehicle sector [1] Group 1: Academicians from Private Enterprises - Lian Yubo from BYD, Wu Kai from CATL, and Huang Xianbo from Kingfa Technology were elected as academicians, highlighting the increasing recognition of contributions from private sector experts in engineering [1] - This election marks the first time that leaders from the new energy vehicle industry have been elected as academicians, breaking the previous norm where academicians predominantly came from universities and research institutions [1] Group 2: Profiles of Elected Academicians - Lian Yubo, born in 1964, is a senior engineer and has been instrumental in developing over 20 models and 100 variants of fuel and new energy vehicles at BYD since joining in 2004, contributing to the company's sales of 4.27 million vehicles [2][3] - Wu Kai, born in 1968, is the chief scientist at CATL and has led innovations in lithium-ion battery technology, achieving breakthroughs that have allowed for the domestic production of high-performance batteries, surpassing Japanese and Korean competitors [5][7] - Huang Xianbo, with a PhD in applied chemistry, has focused on high-performance materials for automotive applications and has contributed significantly to the development of functional polymer materials in China [8] Group 3: Significance of the Election - The election of these academicians reflects a broader trend of integrating industry expertise into the academic and research community, which is crucial for driving innovation and economic transformation in China [10] - The recognition of private sector contributions to science and technology is expected to enhance the collaboration between academia and industry, fostering a more robust innovation ecosystem [10]