The launch ceremony and media briefing for the fourth Innovation & Entrepreneurship Competition (IEC) of the Western Returned Scholars Association (WRSA) was held on April 1 in Zhuhai.
Tailored for overseas-educated talents, the WRSA IEC, themed "Gathering Global Minds for a New Era, Uniting Strengths for Innovative Growth," has successfully concluded three editions, attracting over 4,000 scientific and technological projects from returned scholars.
(Photo: Zhuhai High Tech Zone)
Marking its debut in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), this year's competition aims to bridge high-caliber international talent with the region's industrial resources, offering a dynamic platform for global innovators.
Li Min, WRSA's Secretary-General, emphasized in his address that the association has actively cultivated the IEC as a flagship initiative, aligning its talent pool with regional development needs to foster high-quality growth nationwide.
The 2024 IEC, structured around WRSA's "HaiGui Towns" and innovation hubs, targets strategic national industries and regional strengths. Five sector-specific divisions have been established in Changchun (optoelectronics), Hangzhou (digital medicine), Zhengzhou (aerospace/satellite), Zhuhai (IT), and Yibin (new energy).
The Zhuhai division, dedicated to IT, aims to recruit 500+ projects. Following preliminary screenings (60+ entries) and semifinals (24 entries), six finalists will advance to the national championship.
Beyond monetary prizes, Zhuhai offers comprehensive support—from lab-to-market incubation, financing partnerships, to industrial networking—to fast-track commercialization and startup growth.
Author: Huang Helin
Editor: Huang Qini, James, Shen He
