As China shifts its development model from one that looks to catch up with the West to one that is more and more innovation-driven, it is critical that the nation builds an efficient innovation ecosystem, said experts at the Zhongguancun Forum 2014 on Thursday.

Top-notch experts from around the world said that a highly efficient ecosystem was badly needed for China to become a truly innovation-driven economy at the annual forum in Beijing.

Xu Guanhua, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and former minister of science and technology, hosted the event, and noted: "The forum is targeted at building the innovation ecosystem, assessing how it could influence and change the technological and commercial model and promoting synergic innovation and industrial development."