An innovation and entrepreneurship competition will be held in Hefei, the capital city of east China's Anhui Province, from May to September 2026, aiming to accelerate the introduction of global sci-tech talents and high-quality innovation and entrepreneurship projects to the Grand Union of Innovation (GUi), the province's innovation hub.
Themed "Go with Dream", the 2026 Global Tech Talents Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition is soliciting sci-tech innovation projects mainly from overseas and out-of-province sci-tech talents and research teams from now till July 31. The preliminary round of competition will begin in August, and the finals in September.
Designed in line with the industrial development plan of Hefei, the competition features three tracks: leading industries, emerging industries and future industries. Projects to be submitted should represent original innovation achievements of participating teams with big market potential, while aligning with the city's industrial development priorities.
The three tracks cover a wide range of cutting-edge sectors, including intelligent connected new energy vehicles, new-generation information technology, new energy, high-end equipment manufacturing, artificial intelligence, low-altitude economy, commercial aerospace, quantum technology, deep space exploration, nuclear fusion energy and hydrogen energy, and 6G technology.
Jointly organized by GUiTEK Service Platform (Anhui Province) Co., Ltd. and the Global Alumni Affairs of USTC Innovation Valley, the competition will award first, second, and third prizes and honorable mentions for each track, with a total prize pool of 4.2 million yuan. Winning teams that register their projects and carry out substantial operation in the GUi within nine months after receiving the award will be eligible to claim the prize money.
In addition, the organizers will offer a "Dream Fund" incentive system worth 100 million yuan to provide all-round support for the outstanding projects. Eligible award-winning projects will enjoy preferred access to dedicated support from the GUi, free short-term accommodation and up to six months of rent reduction or exemption for workspace, roadshow matchmaking services with venture capital and private equity funds, start-up loan support, and scenario-based matchmaking with local leading enterprises.
Through the competition, the organizers aim to explore a new talent introduction model featuring "competition experience -- short-term transition -- long-term settlement", attracting more sci-tech talents to settle in Hefei while accelerating the concentration of more high-quality sci-tech innovation resources in the GUi. (Edited by Li Xueqing with Xinhua Silk Road, lixueqing@xinhua.org)
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