Corporate scientific research refers to research and development activities conducted within or led by enterprises, aimed at scientific discovery and frontier technology exploration. This paper reviews the historical evolution of corporate scientific research and highlights its revival trend. The primary motivations for enterprises to invest in scientific research stem from three key needs: enhancing technology absorption capacity, attracting top-tier talent, and strengthening reputation. The current revival trend is fundamentally a historic transformation driven by the iteration of innovation paradigms, the reorganization of strategic resources, and the reshaping of competition rules. It is manifested in the integration of science and engineering, accelerated technological iteration, heightened importance of data resources, and increased reliance on computational power. These changes have elevated enterprises from mere knowledge appliers to leading sources of innovation. The rise of corporate scientific research challenges the traditional “basic/applied research” dichotomy and the university-dominated science and technology policy system, necessitating a systemic transformation of science and technology policies. Key directions for this transformation include: reconceptualizing policy frameworks to recognize the uniqueness of corporate scientific research; reforming project mechanisms to strengthen the leading role of enterprises; dismantling barriers to resource sharing and building collaborative research infrastructure; and promoting international rule innovation to expand compliance support for corporate scientific research. These transformations will lay the foundation for a nationally coordinated innovation governance system led by enterprises and supported by diverse stakeholders.