A major event aimed at attracting global innovation and entrepreneurship talent unfolded in Chengdu in southwest China’s Sichuan Province on May 24, as the Chengdu regional round and Hongkou District selection of the 5th Shanghai Talent Global Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition officially kicked off.
The event also featured the second edition of the Hongkou Talent competition to identify the most investment-worthy startups founded by overseas-educated returnees.
The opening ceremony marked a series of new partnerships to enhance talent exchange and innovation collaboration between regions. Four companies were officially appointed as Hongkou’s new talent recruitment partners.
In a key agreement signed during the event, Hongkou’s Talent Bureau and the Career Guidance Center of the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China established a joint talent recruitment workstation.
This partnership will support a long-term pipeline for campus recruitment, internships, skill development, and industry-academia integration. It is expected to bring a steady stream of talent and innovation to Hongkou’s ongoing mission to build a high-quality urban-industrial ecosystem.
Representatives from Shanghai North Bund (Group) Co. delivered a presentation outlining Hongkou’s latest economic and industrial policies, along with the district’s talent needs, support incentives, and innovation resources.
The Hongkou Talent Bureau also distributed a comprehensive “talent support package” to participants.
Highlights included China’s first “Overseas and Domestic Talent Stations,” the “Global Top Talent Introduction Program,” and personalized services such as dedicated talent specialists and the “Hongkou Talent Privilege Service.”
A new Shanghai Talent development office was officially launched in Chengdu to coordinate future exchanges.
Its purpose is to enhance integration between the Yangtze River Delta and the Chengdu-Chongqing economic corridor and to foster a two-way talent flow between eastern and western China through competition-driven recruitment.
Since its launch in March, this year’s competition has attracted intense interest. The Chengdu division drew 236 participating teams from across the globe, including from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Australia, Japan, Tanzania, and mainland China. The Hongkou selection drew 305 teams from across China.
Following expert evaluation and pre-event coaching, 60 projects from Chengdu and 50 from Hongkou advanced to the next stage.
These were organized into six industry tracks—advanced equipment manufacturing, future intelligence, information technology, life sciences, green technology, cultural creativity, and agricultural technology—across three business stages: seed, startup, and growth.
Finalists presented their work in live pitch sessions judged by panels of experts from the fields of technology, industry, and investment. Projects were assessed based on innovation, development potential, team strength, and social impact.
Fifteen winners were selected from each city to receive first, second, and third prizes. These outstanding entries will go on to represent their regions in the national semi-finals of the Shanghai Talent Global Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition, where they will compete against top projects from around the world.
Recognized as one of Shanghai’s flagship talent initiatives, the competition is the city’s largest and most influential contest focused on innovation and entrepreneurship. It is also a key component of the city’s efforts to attract and retain high-level talent worldwide.
By participating in this competition, Hongkou District is signaling its commitment to science and technology innovation on a global stage.
Through the event, it aims to strengthen the branding of its Hongkou entrepreneurship dual recruitment program, deepen the impact of its overseas and university-based talent stations, and introduce more targeted policies and services.
These efforts are designed to cultivate a fertile innovation ecosystem and accelerate the district’s emergence as a top destination for global talent and investment.