Value dissemination in science and technology (S&T) communication is not only a crucial component of the overall S&T ethics governance system but also a significant means to effectively convey the connotation of S&T ethical values. This study examines the significance and inherent characteristics of the dissemination of S&T ethical values in S&T communication, analyses the key values that need to be disseminated while considering its unique process, and discusses the prominent issues and challenges faced by contemporary S&T communication in achieving value dissemination. Finally, it proposes governance principles for S&T communication to realize the dissemination of S&T ethical values.

At present, profound changes are evolving rapidly in the world, the scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation are deepening, and major-power rivalry in the field of science and technology (S&T) is becoming increasingly fierce. The Chinese economy is in a critical period of shifting the core growth model, optimizing the economic structure and transforming the growth drivers. This has raised an unprecedented strong demand for self-reliance and self-improvement in S&T. Fully harnessing the underpinning and steering role of science, technology and innovation (STI) and achieving independent innovation have become a common goal for the S&T community and industry. Self-reliance and self-improvement in S&T require not only more organized efforts to overcome challenges, but also the support of a sound innovation ecosystem. An innovation ecosystem is formed based on the interaction of various factors related to innovation activities. Through effective institutional arrangements, it can promote the diversification of innovation actors, stimulate their vitality and facilitate the movement and systematic allocation of innovation factors. China has made some progress in the building of an innovation ecosystem, but also faces challenges. With the escalation of the China–US technology competition, the traditional path of innovation is no longer sustainable, further exposing underlying problems.

Scientific research groups in universities and research institutions are primary units for providing public-oriented science communication. This study is one of the few studies concerning scientific research groups in China. In 2018, our research team surveyed the public-oriented science communication activities of 601 scientific research groups in China using questionnaires. The survey shows that Chinese scientific research groups are active in promoting science to the public, and that related work structure and guarantee mechanisms have been established and have already produced some social benefits. However, there remain challenges, including limited channels for science communication, insufficient collaboration among the participants in the communication process and unbalanced investment. Based on an analysis of the survey results, we put forward several suggestions on how to encourage scientific research groups of universities and research institutions to engage in public-oriented science communication activities.

Science popularization has both academic and policy implications. With the rapid development and large-scale application of science and technology, the demand for science popularization has generally increased, and its status in social development has been significantly improved. New features and challenges have emerged, such as changes in popularization content, the modernization of communication methods and the diversification of participants. In addition, science popularization is also faced with many new ethical issues. These new conditions require deeper consideration about which ethical standpoints should be established in science popularization. Beginning with an analysis of the academic and policy implications of science popularization, this study combines the new characteristics of contemporary science popularization to analyse the ethical issues it faces. Finally, it proposes an ethical standpoint that should be maintained in science popularization from the perspectives of utilitarianism, deontology, contract theory and virtue theory, and provides suggestions for converting responsible science popularization initiatives into concrete actions.

Sharing economy is a new form of economic and social innovation by integrating the massive, decentralized and idle resources of the society, platforming and synergistically gathering, reusing and matching supply and demand. At present, it is developing rapidly in China and exerts a favorable mitigation effect on the social contradiction between increasing resource deficiency and idleness. As innovation drives development and the public's scientific literacy improves, the science popularization industry is booming, however, public science popularization service is in a sharp shortage of supply. In this context, this paper explores the development approach integrating science popularization industry with the sharing economy from policy environment, development mode and enterprise cultivation under sharing economy with a combination of a depth analysis on the existing problems in the science popularization industry through summarizing the concept, characteristics and development mode of sharing economy.