Where talent meets opportunity: Shanghai empowers young innovators

　　The 7th Shanghai Y50 Forum, themed "Youth and Cities Grow Together," was held at Shanghai Tower on May 10.

　　This year's forum continued its "main forum + innovation carnival" format. The main forum featured a series of flagship sessions, including official releases, policy briefings, keynote speeches, and panel discussions. The innovation carnival, meanwhile, showcased youth-led sci-tech projects, facilitating investment matchmaking and accelerating their commercialization.

　　At the Shanghai Youth Innovation Carnival, students and faculty from more than a dozen leading universities, representatives from over 100 investment institutions, and thousands of young innovators came together alongside more than 10,000 square meters of innovation space and resources. The event provided a hands-on platform for project pitching, investor engagement, and resource expansion.

　　During the event, 20 projects across five tracks—integrated circuits, biomedicine, artificial intelligence, future industries, and dedicated sessions for participants from Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and overseas—pitched live on stage. A judging panel composed of investment institutions, industry experts, and leading enterprises evaluated and scored the projects. In addition, more than 300 innovation projects engaged in intensive interactions with investors and industry partners through scheduled matchmaking and open networking, enabling precise connections and accelerating their growth. In this dynamic setting, promising ventures met the right backers face-to-face, helping young innovators take root and thrive within a thriving ecosystem of capital and industry.

　　Held in parallel, the forum also launched its first university-linked event at Shanghai Jiao Tong University—the "Siyuan Zhiyuan · Create to Win the Future AI+ Innovation Carnival." The sub-forum brought together resources from leading universities, eight Shanghai youth innovation and entrepreneurship hubs, as well as financial and corporate partners, forming an integrated support system that combines talent, technology, capital, space, and real-world application scenarios. During the event, several initiatives were officially unveiled, including the Shanghai University Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Seed Program, the Shanghai University Innovation and Entrepreneurship Consortium, and Shanghai Jiao Tong University's "Dream Hub," all designed to provide long-term support for students and young alumni and help innovation take root in Shanghai.

　　Over the past six editions, the forum has brought together more than 2,500 outstanding young talents, recognized 40 top innovation and entrepreneurship projects and 30 leading figures in science and technology, supported 37 companies in achieving "specialized, sophisticated, distinctive, and innovative" status, and helped eight companies secure listings on the STAR Market. Today, the forum has evolved into a "1+N" brand ecosystem with year-round "1+365" services, serving as a hub for idea exchange, resource connectivity, and mutual support among entrepreneurs.

　　Seven years on, the forum continues to stay true to its founding mission. Shanghai is fully committed to empowering young people to reach new heights, extending an open invitation to global talent with the confidence and vision of an innovation-driven city. As Shanghai accelerates its efforts to become a globally influential hub for science and technology innovation, young people and the city are working hand in hand to write the next chapter of innovation together. （Editor: Zhang Jian）