As the cornerstone of national economy and people's livelihood， the dairy industry promotes the diversification of food supply as well as the modernization of food industry and agriculture. Furthermore， it significantly improves the nutritional health of the national population. Based on down-to-earth accumulation for more than 70 years， Chinese dairy industry has cut a striking figure on the global stage and achieved the transition from ‘learning from others’ to ‘focusing on innovation’. Facing the challenges of globalization， scientific and technological innovation has occupied center stage in Chinese dairy industry. This article sorts out 12 innovation hotspots of Chinese dairy industry based on new transformation in the development of global dairy industry， including evidence of dairy nutrition and health， customized breeding of dairy cows， bioactivity of milk components retention， exploration of high value-added ingredients， and digital and intelligent management of the whole industrial chain. Those hotspots will provide insight and guidance for scientific and technological innovation as well as development of Chinese dairy industry.