The Third Aerospace Frontiers Conference opened on Saturday in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province.

The three-day event has brought together a dozen of academicians and more than 1,700 researchers and engineers to discuss new developments in the aerospace field.

"I think young teachers and young PhD holders should focus on core innovative technologies in key fields and make more contributions to the country's greater self-reliance and strength in technology," said Zhang Bo, a researcher at the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics of the Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

"This conference brings together top experts and elites in the aerospace field from across the country. It features both a concentrated display of industry wisdom and a gathering of innovation forces, building an efficient platform for exchanges and cooperation," said Jiang Bin, president of the Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

Directed by Chinese Society of Aeronautics and Astronautics and hosted by Editorial Office of Chinese Journal of Aeronautics, the Aerospace Frontiers Conference serves as a global platform for the academic, industrial and governmental sectors in the aerospace field to release the latest research outcomes, discuss new developments, opportunities and challenges, and foster mutual promotion and effective transitions.