The Foundation And Technological Innovation Of Baotou Iron And Steel Company (1953-1965)

Baotou iron and Steel Company Baotou Iron and Steel (Group)Co., LTD.(BISC for short)was one of the three iron and steel industrial bases in the early years of the new China, whose construction and operation could be regarded as the primary technological model of development and the epitome of China’s modern iron and steel industrialization. The study about BISC is one of the key projects in history of modern iron and steel industry and history of technology. Based on the previous studies, the author carried through studies to analyze the construction of the company under the influence of current politics, and to investigate present steel and iron mills from the aspects of technology introduction from the former Soviet Union and technical solution, by collection historical data from files, combing related literature.First, the paper collected related files and undocumented records of BISC to comb and conclude the developing venation in its initial stage and analyze the reasons to set up the project, to compare the smelting processing technology among 1950’s China, the Soviet Union and other major countries. The paper also investigated issues about smelting level, technological puzzles and innovation based on a through self-independence. The study showed that:thanks to the particularity of Baiyunerbo paragenetic ore, although with no technological background and practical referential experience in addition to the inadaptability of introduced technology and devices from the former Soviet Union, BIS’s innovation was centered on the solution of all these problems. The history of BIS’s key-tackling process is regarded as the history of technological advancement. Furthermore, the mass construction of BISC was met with "the Great Leap Forward Period "of China, when political campaign led to major mistakes and deviation which cost the iron and steel industry a lot. The analysis of the paper centering on the "Mass Iron and Steel Smelting Campaign "in Inner Mongolia meant to conclude the experience of BIS’s setback due to the failure to follow the scientific law of iron and steel industry. The study, making up for the deficiency in the research filed, especially the comprehensive investigation of STS, pointed the influence of political interference on technological decision, which was a critical but less stressed area for the development of BISC.Second, based on documents and literature, the author reflected on how BISC cultivated its local engineers and skilled workers at its initial stage, concluded the function and features of engineers from the former Soviet Union, and took Yang Wei as a case study, who was the first CEO, a technological expert leader, to put emphasis on the decisive role of scientific decision on talent development, technology and career development. The ending part of the paper compared the practical situation of BISC and Wuhan Iron and Steel Co. Ltd. at that historical period, which argued that due to the particularity of steel resources and bigger political influences, BISC lag behind Wuhan Iron and Steel Co. Ltd.and the effect has lasted even till today.Third, the paper studied BISC under the system of modern iron and steel technological system, showing that even with primary difficulties, failing to be established on time, it was still the first and only big-scale iron and steel base in northern bordering areas and regions with ethnic minorities, and since then, it has developed into the biggest rare earth industrial base and the biggest industrial enterprise in Inner Mongolia, which has played an immeasurable role in the formation of a rational distribution of national iron and steel industry, the national economic development with industry as the center of the whole autonomous region in particular. BISC’s significance in steel modernization could not be underestimated just because of its failure.China’s modern iron and steel industry started from the introduced technology from the former Soviet Union, and stepped into a self-reliant technological innovative path, whose development was under complex social background and whose technological policies undergone in different stages affected the development of the industry as a whole. By concluding features of different stages, the crucial role of technologic decision could be revealed. BISC’s technical route reflected the technological transition of China’s modern iron and steel industry and will provide positive references for current tech-innovation.