The launch ceremony of the 10th Yangpu International Startup Competition and the World Young Scientists Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum was held on Fuxing Island on Dec 12.

The event brought together academicians, leading scientists, young scientific talents, and representatives of past competition awardees, blending a high-level competition with a top-tier forum. It marked the commencement of the Fuxing Island International Innovation and Entrepreneurship Zone, which is set to become a global hub for innovation, a pilot ground for integrating industry, academia and research, and a collaborative environment for young innovators.

Leveraging the island's unique positioning and distinctive advantages as a digital intelligence island, design and arts island, and people's city island, the zone will accelerate the establishment of a diversified support system covering the entire corporate lifecycle, talent services, and resource matchmaking.

The "3310" High-Level Talent Introduction and Cultivation Action Plan (2026-2030) was released. Based on the regional industrial foundation and global talent attraction strategy, the plan is set to construct a full-chain support system comprising three major projects, three major goals, and 10 dedicated policy measures.

Ten leading experts from academia, industry, and the investment community were appointed as chief mentors. These mentors will leverage their professional influence, resource integration capabilities, and innovation leadership to support the upgrading of innovation and entrepreneurship on Fuxing Island.

The event also saw the inauguration of the Shanghai Center of the World Association of Young Scientists. As the city's first high-quality incubator dedicated to young scientists, the center will focus on fields such as the digital economy and artificial intelligence. It aims to support young researchers worldwide by exploring interdisciplinary research, including the integration of AI with the digital economy and high-end equipment manufacturing, while accelerating the commercialization of research.

Additionally, 11 domestic and international talent representatives signed agreements with Yangpu district for the implementation of major projects, spanning cutting-edge fields such as AI, new energy, and biomedicine.

The 10th Yangpu International Startup Competition was launched at the event. The competition will host specialized events cross the globe, including in Northern Europe, Singapore, and North America. It will connect with innovation initiatives such as the Shanghai Talent+ and the Chunhui Cup, providing direct pathways to postdoctoral innovation practice bases.

The competition also introduced new talent attraction policies, offering more than 100 million yuan ($14.19 billion) in supporting funds, ensuring comprehensive professional guidance, targeted support, and customized services.

Since its launch in 2016, the competition have attracted more than 8,000 innovation projects, recognized 958 outstanding entrepreneurs, and generated district-level tax revenues from policy-supported enterprises that exceed double the public financial investment.

Yangpu will continue to unleash innovation vitality and optimize its service ecosystem, empowering talent development through a full-chain mechanism of talent attraction, cultivation, utilization, and retention.

Sources: Official WeChat account of Shanghai International Talent website (ID: "sh-italent"), Official WeChat account of Shanghai Yangpu district media center (ID: "shanghai-yangpu")