In a prestigious ceremony held in Beijing, twenty-two of China’s most brilliant scientific minds received the 2026 Tan Kah Kee Science Awards, celebrating exceptional contributions to technological innovation and international frontier research. The awards, comprising both the established Tan Kah Kee Science Award and the younger-focused Tan Kah Kee Young Scientist Award for researchers under 40, represent China’s highest recognition for scientific excellence.
The accolade’s namesake, patriotic overseas Chinese leader Tan Kah Kee, embodies the spirit of scientific dedication the awards seek to promote. Since its 1988 inception and the 2010 addition of the young scientist category, these honors have been bestowed upon 182 distinguished researchers.
CAS Vice-President Wang Keqiang emphasized the awards’ dual significance: recognizing groundbreaking scientific merit while aligning with national strategic priorities. This year’s recipients made transformative advances in critically important domains including semiconductor technology, novel material development, and quantum computing systems.
Among the laureates, Academician Zhang Tao of the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics pioneered single-atom catalysis, revolutionizing catalytic efficiency by achieving near-perfect metal atom utilization. His conceptual breakthrough, first introduced in 2011, has spawned a global research movement with thousands of international teams producing over 5,000 publications in 2025 alone. Zhang attributes this success to China’s sustained investment in fundamental research and cumulative scientific knowledge.
Professor Pan Qingsong from the Institute of Metal Research developed innovative metallic material engineering strategies that overcome traditional limitations in strength-ductility trade-offs. His spatially ordered unit approach enables tailored gradient dislocation structures with applications spanning aerospace, terrestrial engineering, and deep-sea exploration.
Northwestern Polytechnical University’s Professor Wang Zhen received recognition for groundbreaking work in game intelligence theory and AI applications. His research team developed an original analytical framework over fifteen years that now supports systematic studies in rapidly evolving fields like cybersecurity and artificial intelligence.
Collectively, these scientists exemplify China’s growing emphasis on original innovation and technological self-reliance. Their achievements demonstrate how strategic research investment, interdisciplinary collaboration, and courageous problem-solving can position China at the forefront of global scientific advancement.