Amid China's accelerating tech boom marked by breakthroughs in AI, quantum computing, and emerging startups like DeepSeek, the 2025 Zhongguancun (ZGC) Forum Annual Conference is set to take place in Beijing from Mar 27 to 31.

As a state-level platform for global innovation exchanges and cooperation, this year's forum is expected to be more international.

Themed "New Quality Productive Forces and Global Science and Technology Cooperation," the event will feature five major segments: main forums, technology trade fair, achievements release, frontier competitions, and supporting activities, highlighting an opening ceremony and plenary session, around 60 parallel forums, the ZGC International Technology Trade Fair, the Zhongguancun International Advanced Technology Competition, and special sessions for major achievements.

Located in northwestern Beijing, Zhongguancun, known as "China's Silicon Valley," is home to over 17,000 national high-tech enterprises, including more than half of the country's unicorn startups. Backed by years of substantial government support and incentive policies for research, development, and business innovation, Zhongguancun has become a cornerstone of China's innovation-driven growth as the nation's first national high-tech industrial development zone.

In the first 11 months of 2024, high-tech enterprises in the Zhongguancun Demonstration Zone achieved total revenue of 3.3 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 2.9%. Among them, enterprises in the electronic information and high-tech service sectors generated revenues of 1.5 trillion yuan and 1.0 trillion yuan, respectively. Combined, these sectors accounted for 77.1% of the total revenue of major high-tech enterprises, up 0.8 percentage points from the previous year.

Established in 2007 and promoted by the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, the Chinese Association for Science and Technology, and the People's Government of Beijing Municipality, the Zhongguancun Forum has grown into a national-level platform for global scientific and technological innovation exchange.

Acting as a vital window for China's participation in global science and technology governance, the forum has significantly advanced Beijing's role as an international science and technology innovation hub, supporting high-quality development and deepening collaboration.

As one of the forum's most anticipated events, the 8th Zhongguancun International Advanced Technology Competition, launched in August 2024, has attracted groundbreaking projects across fields such as intelligent manufacturing, Web 3.0, medical devices, and new energy. Notable innovations, including magnetic abrasive machining, software-defined satellites, and vascular interventional surgical robots, were selected among the top 10 advanced technologies in their respective fields.

The competition not only provides innovation funding but also connects entrepreneurs with investment and financing opportunities. Each year, around 10 projects are selected from the top 10 winners in various fields, with each receiving approximately 1 million yuan to accelerate commercialization. The top three projects in each field sign investment agreements with partners, with intended investments exceeding 10 million yuan.

Beyond investment incentives, the competition offers diverse forms of financial support. For example, Zhongguancun's localized reward policies provide R&D funds for small and micro science and technology enterprises, green channels for frontier technology companies, and up to three years of full rent subsidies, encouraging projects to settle in the Zhongguancun Demonstration Zone.

The competition serves as both a platform for technological innovation and a bridge connecting capital, markets, and frontier technologies. Its "competition + incubation" model attracts high-quality global projects, reduces R&D costs for startups, and accelerates the commercialization of scientific achievements, enhancing Beijing's—even China's—influence in the global sci-tech community.

Since its launch in 2017, the competition has drawn over 15,000 frontier technology projects worldwide, with more than 600 standout startups and teams. To date, 219 enterprises have received over 800 million yuan in funding, with 15 going public and 61 growing into global unicorns. It also provides precise matchmaking for market demands, financing opportunities, project settlement, and entrepreneurial guidance.

Youth innovation remains a key focus of the forum. Each year, the forum hosts several parallel sessions and activities centered on youth innovation. In 2024, the Beijing International Youth Innovation and Development Forum, a parallel event of the Zhongguancun Forum, launched the Global Network for Innovation Service (GNIS), a platform connecting global innovation resources with a focus on young professionals. The forum also introduced the Global Youth Talent Innovation Fund, which aims to support youth-driven innovation and development.

Through global innovation networks and specialized funds, the Forum encourages young innovators to actively participate in international scientific cooperation, facilitating the exchange of cutting-edge technologies and their industrial applications.

Reflecting on the forum's global impact, Arnout Jacobs, president of Springer Nature Greater China, remarked during last year's event, "I can see that China is really open to the world and wants to collaborate with more partners, and we need to work with people of various expertise to tackle global challenges." As the 2025 forum approaches, it continues to build on this vision, bringing together global experts to drive innovation and address pressing global issues.

Sources: Voice?of?CAST (VOC)

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