Leading innovation forum swings into action, creating buzz
The Pujiang Innovation Forum — one of the most influential and high-profile forums held in China — is swinging into action again, creating expectation and anticipation regarding what will come out of discussions between leading opinion makers and international experts.
The landmark event is being held in Shanghai between Sept 22-25, to promote global innovation, and to strengthen cooperation and communications between countries.
Initiated in 2008, and jointly organized by the Ministry of Science and Technology and Shanghai’s municipal government, the forum has over the subsequent years attracted a dazzling list of top government officials, renowned academics and executives. Their in-depth discussions on hot issues about innovation, both at home and abroad, have produced a number of invaluable findings and opinions about economic development and innovation.
Joining the event this year will be participants from nearly 20 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Australia, Sweden, Singapore, Iran and South Korea.
The forum, which has the theme “Global Science and Technology Innovation Hubs: Patterns and Prospects,” has 147 guest speakers this year.
The organizers say that among them are 29 highranking government officials, 64 renowned scholars, and 54 influential entrepreneurs.
Xu Guanhua, the president of the Pujiang Innovation Forum, who is an academician with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, will host the opening ceremony on Sept 23.
Mayor of Shanghai Ying Yong, Denmark’s Minister of the forum’s academic committee and deputy director of the Department of Policies and Regulations at the Ministry of Science and Technology.
“Participants have given many valuable suggestions that have had a significant impact on economic development and scientific innovation over the past decade, creating strong social influence,” Zhang added.
Many international leaders have paid close attention to this event over the past decade. In 2016, UK Prime Minister Theresa May sent a personal message to congratulate the fourday forum.
The previous year, Prime Minister Li Keqiang and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent congratulatory letters, lifting the atmosphere of the proceedings.
Denmark is the forum’s Country of Honor this year, with a delegation being led by the country’s Science Minister Soeren Pind. The Scandinavian country will also be responsible for organizing the Country of Honor Forum, to take place on the afternoon of Sept 23 on the theme of “Centers of Excellence and Their Wider Implications for Science and Innovation Hubs in China and Denmark.”
Beijing Municipality and Anhui Province, having been invited to be the municipality and province of honor, respectively, participated in the forum organization.
They will discuss the building of science and technology innovation hubs with global influence, to support the building of a strong power base for science and technology innovation in the world.
Beijing was defined as a national science and tech innovation hub in 2014.
Anhui is taking measures to boost its technological innovation under the guidance of the central government.