The final of the Third China-ASEAN Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition was held.
NANNING, July 31 (Xinhua) -- The third China-ASEAN Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, recently, the Science and Technology Department of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region said on July 31.
The competition provided a platform for exchanges and cooperation between Chinese and ASEAN innovators and entrepreneurs, further activating the collaborative potential of scientific and technological innovation cooperation between China and ASEAN.
The competition was jointly hosted by the Ministry of Science and Technology of China and the ASEAN Secretariat, and was organized by the Department of International Cooperation of the Ministry of Science and Technology of China, the ASEAN Committee on Science and Technology, and the Science and Technology Department of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (China-ASEAN Technology Transfer Center). The Ministry of Science and Technology of Malaysia and the Chinese Mission to ASEAN participated as supporting units for the first time.
Sun Jian, deputy director of the Department of International Cooperation of the Ministry of Science and Technology of China, said that China and ASEAN have a solid foundation and broad prospects for scientific and technological innovation cooperation. Currently, both sides are vigorously promoting the China-ASEAN Science and Technology Innovation Enhancement Plan and deeply implementing the "Belt and Road" Science and Technology Innovation Action, conducting practical cooperation in policy sharing, cultural exchanges, and joint research and development, and jointly building an innovative partnership for the future. This competition will further stimulate the enthusiasm of young people in the region for innovation, discover and implement a number of high-quality projects, promote the research and application of cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, and inject technological impetus into the construction of the China-ASEAN community with a shared future, jointly drawing a prosperous, harmonious and beautiful future.
Zulina Mokhtar, assistant director of the Department of Development of the ASEAN Secretariat and head of the Science and Technology Division, said that the China-ASEAN Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition has been successfully held for two consecutive years and has become a key platform for promoting regional scientific and technological cooperation. This year's competition focuses on two major fields: "Digital Economy (AI+) and Green and Low-Carbon Technology", which is highly consistent with the green and digital transformation strategy emphasized in the ASEAN Science and Technology Innovation Action Plan (APASTI) 2026-2035. As an important event of the "ASEAN Startup Year", the competition will deepen practical cooperation between the two sides in scientific research cooperation, technology transfer, and startup enterprise cultivation, and empower high-quality China-ASEAN innovation and entrepreneurship cooperation to reach a new level.
It is reported that the competition, with the theme of "Innovation Cooperation Achieves Dreams", attracted 329 projects from 23 countries and regions including China and the 10 ASEAN countries, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Fiji and the Netherlands. After several rounds of selection, 19 outstanding projects from China, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand advanced to the finals.
At the finals, the participating teams were divided into the team group and the enterprise group, presenting their technological innovation points and market potential through the roadshow and defense mode. Eventually, a number of projects focusing on the empowerment of traditional industries by artificial intelligence and the efficient utilization of green energy stood out, demonstrating the vigorous vitality of regional innovation cooperation. (End)