Themed “New Quality Productive Forces Driving Collaborative Innovation”, the HICOOL 2024 Global Entrepreneur Summit opened in Beijing on the evening of August 23. Yin Li, Secretary of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee, attended and addressed the opening ceremony. Yin Yong, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee and Mayor of Beijing, and Liu Wei, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee, were also present.
Since its debut in 2020, the HICOOL Global Entrepreneur Summit has attracted 32,000 entrepreneurs and 24,000 entrepreneurship programs worldwide, and nurtured 16 unicorn companies and 127 enterprises that use special and sophisticated technologies to produce novel and unique products. This year’s summit, featuring a record number of entrepreneurship programs and entrepreneurs, has brought together 7,406 entrepreneurship programs involving 9,700 entrepreneurs from 124 countries and regions. Focusing on technological innovation, industrial integration, new quality productive resources sharing and international cooperation, the summit is set to be a high-end, diversified, open and inclusive event for international entrepreneurs, further enhancing its global impact.
At the opening ceremony, Yin Li highlighted that the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation is profoundly reshaping the global landscape of sci-tech innovation. Only by strengthening global cooperation can we provide an inexhaustible driving force for the progress of human civilization. China is further deepening its reforms across the board and advancing Chinese modernization, which will bring more opportunities for innovation and entrepreneurship. Beijing, a global metropolis featuring a seamless blend of antiquity and modernity, stands out for its openness, inclusiveness, and vitality. With abundant educational and sci-tech resources, a vast talent pool, and a thriving innovation and entrepreneurship scene, Beijing is accelerating efforts to build itself into an international center for sci-tech innovation and a reservoir of high-level talent. The city strives to create a fertile ground for global innovation and entrepreneurship, and a broad stage for scientists and entrepreneurs to seek growth and advancement. We will create more opportunities for innovation and entrepreneurship by deepening the integration of sci-tech innovation with industrial innovation, and digital economy with the real economy. This will foster new business forms, models, and drivers to develop new quality productive forces, providing a richer array of scenarios for innovation and entrepreneurship. More support will be given to address entrepreneurs’ concerns and urgent needs and establish a comprehensive supporting system encompassing technology, talent, and funding. It is also important to leverage the policies of Zhongguancun and other pilot programs for further opening up the service sector, as well as improve relevant management systems, thereby ensuring stable and efficient supply of factors for innovation and entrepreneurship. Efforts will be made to optimize the innovation and entrepreneurship environment through continued reforms and opening-up, so as to create a market-oriented, law-based, accessible, and internationalized business environment. This includes improving the “service package” and “service steward” systems, protecting intellectual property, ensuring fair market competition, and fostering an enabling social atmosphere for innovation and entrepreneurship.
Chen Jie, Vice Minister of Education, and Denis Simon, President of the Alliance of Global Talent Organizations (AGTO), delivered speeches. Leaders from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security respectively signed strategic cooperation agreements with Beijing municipal leaders to jointly develop a high-caliber talent hub. The event also marked the launch of the Beijing Comprehensive Reform Pilot Zone for International Talent Service, and unveiled the Beijing Office of the AGTO, the International Venture Capital Alliance, and the Global Top Entrepreneurship Competition Alliance.
Leaders tour an exhibition of the latest sci-tech innovations of businesses
Before the opening ceremony, the leaders visited various exhibition areas, with themes ranging from HICOOL achievements in serving the capital’s high-quality development, to innovation ecosystems, venture capital towns, international innovations, Hong Kong and Macao, Xiong’an New Area, various districts in Beijing, and award-winning projects. They reviewed displays of the latest technological innovations of enterprises, explored technological innovation and talent exchange achievements between Beijing, Hong Kong and Macao, and Xiong’an New Area, and engaged in in-depth discussions with domestic and international entrepreneurs.
Attendees include leaders from central authorities; officials from Beijing and relevant provinces and leaders of universities; representatives from international organizations, higher education institutions, and research institutes; heads of municipal departments and various districts; and domestic and international experts, scholars, and business representatives.
(Written by Qi Mengzhu and Fan Junsheng)
