The S-Tron Shanghai 2025, a showcase of cutting-edge technologies and startups, was held by the entrepreneurship community S-Tron China and Caohejing Hi-tech Park in Xuhui district from Sept 23 to 24.

As a key event of the fifth "Shanghai Talent+" Shanghai Global Talents Innovation and Entrepreneurship Summit: Talent and Entrepreneur Week, the conference centered on the theme "Ignite the Future" .

The event brought together more than 13,000 participants from sectors such as artificial intelligence, biopharmacy, new energy, and advanced manufacturing. Attendees ranged from investors and corporate executives to unicorn company founders, and representatives of domestic and international government innovation agencies.

Nearly half the speakers were from abroad, and overseas participants from more than 40 countries — including the United Kingdom, France, and the Netherlands — accounted for over 30 percent of attendees.

Global technology leaders, pioneering entrepreneurs, and investment experts engaged in in-depth exchanges on technology emerging trends and developing open, collaborative ecosystems through roundtables, program roadshows, and innovation exhibitions.

A roadshow competition highlighted 60 projects. RWKV, an incubated enterprise from Caohejing Hi-tech Park's AI Alumni Center, took first place with its breakthrough in next-generation AI.

The innovation exhibition area spotlighted 16 emerging companies from the park, including Jowave, EnvX, and Slam. They showcased the park's latest achievements in cutting-edge fields such as AI, embodied AI, and advanced manufacturing, making it the most popular exhibition zone of the event.

Innovative projects from Caohejing-incubated companies drew significant attention. Among the standouts was Quadra Spark, founded in March 2025 by a team of Cambridge University PhDs. The company is focused on AI-driven brain-computer interface R&D. According to the company's hardware engineer Yuan Jingwei, the team is devoted to developing embedded solutions for consumer and medical-standard non-invasive BCIs, aiming to reshape human-computer interaction. Their earmuff-style BCI device has already reached the prototype stage.

Entrepreneurs said that the park's comprehensive support, from assistance with registration to training and funding, enabled them to concentrate on R&D.

During the roundtable session, founders of international communities such as AI Hacker House, S-Tron China, and Weplay shared their experiences of operating in Caohejing.

Gu Lun, chairman of the Caohejing Management Company, emphasized that the park  provides comprehensive, professional support for innovators, covering everything from entrepreneurship to daily life. It also offers a stable development environment for various innovation communities worldwide, inspiring ideas, expanding business, and building an global innovation hub.

The conference also included discussions on international and industrial innovation. Alongside showcasing its premium services and incubation capabilities, the park aims to expand its global cooperation network, enhance industrial clustering, and strengthen its international appeal.

Source: Official WeChat account of Shanghai Xuhui at "xuhuifabu"