The “Opinions” put forward systematic guiding requirements from ten aspects, including industry development positioning, innovation in service models, digital transformation, talent development, standards and specifications, and international exchanges, providing engineering consulting firms with a clear roadmap and policy support for their transformation and upgrading.

I. Deeply grasp the industry’s development positioning.

The “Opinions” clearly state that the engineering consulting industry should focus on: We provide comprehensive advisory services for “major strategies, major plans, major projects, and major policies,” helping government agencies and social investors make scientific, democratic, and law-based decisions.

II. Vigorously promote Full-process engineering consulting 。

The “Opinions” encourage engineering consulting firms to integrate resources through joint operations, mergers and acquisitions, and restructuring, thereby fostering comprehensive service providers with cross-phase and integrated service capabilities. Special emphasis is placed on supporting Class-A credit rating agencies to play a leading role and explore... An integrated service model featuring “investment consulting + engineering management + specialized consulting,” with priority given to its promotion and application in government-invested projects.

III. Accelerate the advancement of digital transformation and development.

The “Opinions” identify digital transformation as a key task and explicitly call for the promotion and application of [it]. Technologies such as BIM, artificial intelligence, big data, and the Internet of Things are being leveraged to establish data resource repositories and digital sharing platforms, thereby promoting digital delivery and archival management for projects. At the same time, third-party professional service providers are encouraged to offer digital support to the industry.

4. Promote the development of a diversified consulting service system.

The “Opinions” encourage development. A full-chain service model—combining think-tank consulting with engineering consulting—supports comprehensive institutions in conducting forward-looking research and enables specialized institutions to deepen their expertise in specific technical areas. This approach helps break the traditional pattern of homogeneous competition in the industry and fosters the development of a multi-tiered, specialized landscape.

V. Strengthen talent development.

The “Opinions” emphasize the need to build a high-quality, versatile talent pool, improve the system for professional qualification assessment and continuing education, support industry-academia-research collaborative education, and establish postdoctoral research workstations. This represents a strong response to the long-standing structural talent imbalances in the industry.

6. Improve the system of standards and norms.

The “Opinions” propose accelerating the development of a national standards system, encouraging industry associations and leading enterprises to take the lead in formulating group standards and enterprise standards, promoting the establishment of service models that are replicable and scalable, and incorporating the implementation of these standards into credit rating assessments and project acceptance evaluations.

7. Promote international exchange and cooperation.

The “Opinions” support enterprises in... Strengthen international cooperation within the Belt and Road Initiative, encourage the establishment of overseas branches, promote the global outreach of Chinese standards, and improve the mechanism for recommending outstanding engineers to take up positions in international organizations.

8. Strictly regulate the professional conduct of engineering consultants.

The “Opinions” reaffirm the lifetime accountability system for the quality of consulting outcomes, emphasize the principles of independence, objectivity, and fairness, and strictly prohibit the transfer of interests and unfair competition. For consulting and evaluation of government-invested projects, a full-process management system by experts and an interest-disclosure mechanism must be implemented.

9. Improve the industry’s self-regulatory management mechanism.

The “Opinions” call for industry associations to strengthen integrity building, dynamically release information on service costs, optimize pricing models, and prevent malicious competition driven by low prices. At the same time, they emphasize enhancing dynamic credit management and professional practice inspections.

10. Strengthen supervision and law enforcement efforts.

The “Opinions” clearly stipulate the implementation of a filing-based exit mechanism: institutions that fail to appoint registered consulting engineers (investment) or engage in serious violations will have their filing qualifications revoked, and their records of untrustworthiness will be incorporated into the national credit platform.

The issuance of these “Opinions” represents a guiding document for promoting quality improvement, efficiency enhancement, and transformation and upgrading of the engineering consulting industry in the context of the new era. It not only outlines the direction for future development but also sets higher standards and expectations. As engineering consulting firms, we are not only beneficiaries of these policies but also the key actors responsible for their implementation.

Here, we call on colleagues across the industry to join forces: Raise our strategic perspective and consciously serve the overall national economic and social development; hone our internal capabilities and continuously enhance the professionalism, integration, and intelligence of our service offerings; uphold our bottom lines by prioritizing quality and adhering to professional ethics grounded in integrity; and dare to innovate, actively exploring new models, new technologies, and new business formats.

Only in this way can we gain the upper hand in the new round of transformation and truly achieve a shift from... The leap from “consulting service provider” to “value creator” will contribute greater strength to expanding effective investments and promoting high-quality development.